Hispanic Heritage Month is over, but that doesn’t mean Nike is going to stop supporting the Latino community. HOLA! had the opportunity to attend a series of Nike-led conversations around sport, wellness, culture, and more at the L’Attitude business-based national conference in San Diego, where we learned more about their commitment.

We recently shared a story with former olympian Laurie Hernandez, touching on how the brand is expanding the footprint of wellness in the Latino community, but they are also fueling a more diverse future in design and innovation.

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During a chat between Nike CEO John Donahoe and L’Attitude Co-Founder Sol Trujillo, Donahoe welcomed our 2022 Latina Powerhouse Monica Gil to the stage.

Gil joined the Nike, Inc, Board of Directors, as their first Latina Director, making history. “The Latino community plays a critical role in shaping the future of Nike’s business and the future of the sport. Our commitment to engage and serve the community is not limited to a day or month, it is year-round,” said Donahoe during the chat.

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Following the chat, we enjoyed a conversation with Nike Executives & athletes to learn how Nike is fueling the pipeline of diverse talent to best serve the future of all sports and athletes. We had the opportunity to talk to Blanca Gonzalez, VP of North America Product Merchandising, about what it meant for her to see Gil added to the board.

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“When I looked at her, and I saw her come in, I mean, I, got choked up because I’ve been in this since I started. Since day one, I’ve been very committed, to really showing the power of our community, and especially Latinas, and to see her be part of the board for me is magical,” she said.

“I think she’s gonna do great for all of us. And it was just a sign of inspiration and hope, and also to be in a company that really believes in us. We always talk about being seen, and sometimes we don’t feel that way, and for an organization to value us as people and also as consumers means a lot to us, to me especially,” she continued.

DIVERSITY AND INNOVATION

During the chat, Donahoe also spoke about diversity with innovation. “It starts from within, through investment in building a diverse and dynamic workforce that fuels design innovation, and extends outward through authentic collaborations and inclusive community programming that cultivate our future generation of leaders,” he said.

During the panel we heard from Alex Martinez, Senior Director of Global Diversity Talent Innovation and Strategic Engagements, who echoed his statements. “Our partners are ingrained in the community and bring in amazing, diverse talent. We’re not trying to get people to fit into our culture at Nike, we’re looking to add to our culture. Diverse voices bring in new perspectives and fresh thinking that ultimately fuels innovation and future growth for the next 50 years at Nike,” Martinez said.

AN INSPIRING FUTURE

One of the ways that Nike has done this is with the Serena Williams Design Crew. The collective works with up-and-coming designers “to create a new era where diverse perspectives are celebrated and empowered.” They had one-on-one workshops with creators of color, with over 80% of their apprentices getting full-time jobs at Nike.

Chantel Sanchez, was one of those creators, and she is now a Nike Designer and Global Brand Creative. “Diversity plus opportunity equals innovation. This has been a life-changing opportunity and I hope that my story will inspire other young Latinas to pursue a path in creative industries,” she said during the panel.

Valdez talked about th SWDC, and how it inspired her own family. “My daughter is 12, and I have twin daughters, and one of them wants to be a designer. She’s designing. So I think it’s gonna be so important, for Chantel and the future designers, this crew to be the future leaders, and then we have the new generation looking up to them,” she said. “I think it’s so important to continue to foster these designers and cultivate them and let them grow so they can be, the future mentors of the new generation that’s coming up.”