Nike has launched the Nike Athlete Think Tank. A platform designed to support women and girls in sports. “Because women and girls don’t have equal access to play and sport, we teamed up to share our experiences and turn insights into action and fight for gender equality,” tennis player and Nike athlete Serena Williams said on Twitter about the platform.
In addition to Williams, the 13 founding members include athletes Ada Hegerberg, Angela Davis, Bebe Vio, Dina Asher-Smith, Deyna Castellanos, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Nafissatou Thiam, Sabrina Ionescu, Scout Bassett, Shalane Flanagan, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Simone Manuel. They will bring their expertise to the project and work with Nike and Charities Aid Foundation America to select 20 community organizations. Nike will support them with approximately $1.3 million.
In addition to financial support, it is important to the athletes that Nike solicits feedback from women and girls and listens to them more. As the sprinter and Olympic medalist Fraser-Pryce puts it on the Nike website, “We can hold hands and go on this journey together because that’s what it’s all about. It’s not just about winning medals and breaking records; it’s about the things that get put in place because of these partnerships to benefit others.”
But what about the senior leadership teams in the leading sports apparel companies. Are there enough women? Read on to find out here.
