Big League Philanthropist

Tori joined the U.S. Soccer Foundation in February 2019 as a Program Associate, and has since tackled many roles across the Soccer for Success program to support training, technical assistance, curriculum development, events, grant management, and special projects. Prior to joining the Foundation, she was the Director of Development at ComePlayDetroit helping to grow community programming and partnerships, ultimately increasing opportunities for physical activity and play throughout the city. Additionally, Tori was Community Affairs Intern at the Detroit Tigers and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Lesotho at the intersection of health and youth programs for more than two years.

Danielle and Tori chat about her background in both sport management and social work and how that impacted her career, her time in the Peace Corps and the work she does at the US Soccer Foundation. Tori shares what philanthropy looks like in her eyes and shares her advice on making an impact. 

Today, we're joined by Adam Lewis. Adam Lewis is focused on using play and sport to drive social justice and address the greatest challenges facing our communities.

Lewis currently serves as an Advisory Board Member to the Portland, OR Parks and Recreation Bureau, a Community Giving Officer creating economic equity across Oregon, and the Principal Consultant at an innovative Fantasy Sports start-up. Prior, he served as the Managing Director of Street Soccer USA-Portland (a nonprofit he Founded), led the social impact legacy strategy for INEOS at the World Athletics Championships OR22, and was a Fellow at the New Leaders Council (NLC).

As a community advocate, Lewis has ‘talked’ about play and empathy at TEDx, presented on the power of play in politics at the 2022 NLC Convention, was the 2019 Portland Timbers Community MVP Award winner, the Multnomah Athletic Foundation Impact Award winner, and has been featured in the Washington Post, USA Today and the Oregonian.

Today, we're joined by Katie Appold, the Executive Director of Do More Good and Nonprofit Hub. Do More Good is a nonprofit organization that focuses primarily on helping people start their own nonprofit journey. They provide many resources to assist people starting out in the nonprofit sector such as the Nonprofit Hub, Cause Camp, their nonprofit Certification Program, a blog, the “Do More Good” book, and a podcast coming in the near future.

Katie has a long-reaching nonprofit career, filling many leadership roles in human service, foundation, and publishing-related non-profits such as “Our Daily Bread”. Danielle and Katie chat about the importance of resources for nonprofit leaders, the differences between for profits and nonprofits, why it’s not always a good idea to create a nonprofit, and how she’s seen sports play a role in creating impact.

This week, we are joined by the incredible Brett Rapkin, a 6-time Emmy Award winner, and the CEO and Founder of Podium Pictures. 

Over the past 20+ years, Brett has created many meaningful relationships and a deep track record for himself by developing, producing, distributing, and promoting premium content with many partners, such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and HBO. Brett wrote, produced, and directed “The Weight of Gold” documentary in partnership with Olympic legend Michael Phelps about mental health and Olympic athletes. The film received over 1.5 billion media impressions on platforms including CNN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and The Today Show. 

Brett and Danielle talk about how "The Weight of Gold" came to be, Brett's approach to projects he takes on, his company's focus on socially impactful sports media, and the power of sports to make an impact. They also talk about the definition of philanthropy and his advice for athletes who want to speak out and make a difference. 

Welcome back to the Big League Philanthropist! This week, we're joined by Tony Everett, the Founder and Chief Playmaker of PureGame. PureGame is a non-profit organization that puts caring adults, or as he calls them Field Champions, on the field to create meaningful connections through sport. PureGame focuses on making sport fun, while delivering life skills education. Kids step off the field of play knowing that they have what it takes to play the game and take on the challenges of life. 

Last year, Tony created Personal Best Coaching, a program to help people achieve their maximum potential through unlocking new knowledge that can be used to further their careers and earn what they deserve. He is directly involved as a Head Coach, and 50% of the fees for this program go directly towards sponsoring kids through the PureGame program, thus helping even more people. 

Welcome back to the Big League Philanthropist! This week, we're joined by Myriam Glez, the Founder and CEO of Athletes Soul. Athletes Soul is an organization run by former athletes who are dedicated to giving their time and resources back to their athletic communities by providing an organization dedicated to retiring athletes. Myriam is a 2-time Olympic synchronized swimmer, competing for France in 2000 and for Australia in 2008. She also served as a Business Consultant for British Swimming and as a coach and member of USA Artistic Swimming.

Welcome back to the Big League Philanthropist! This week, we're joined by Hilton Freund, Chief Executive at The Twinning Project, an initiative launched in the United Kingdom to pair professional European football clubs with Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Services. In this episode, Danielle and Hilton talk about how unemployment impacts imprisonment, the importance of receiving support from major sports teams, and what people can do to help drive change.

Welcome back to the Big League Philanthropist: Season 4!! For our first episode of the season, we're joined by Jason Belinkie, the CEO of Athletes For Hope, an organization dedicated to helping athletes become involved with philanthropy. In addition to being the CEO of Athletes For Hope, Jason is on the board of the University of Pennsylvania Track and Field team, as well as Hope for Henry, an organization dedicated to reinventing child's hospital care. In this episode, Danielle and Jason talk about Jason's own journey, his passion for philanthropic work, athlete involvement in philanthropy, the programs Athletes For Hope provides, his involvement with Hope for Henry, and what philanthropy means to him.

In this week's roundup of articles from the world of athlete activism and sports philanthropy, Danielle highlights Allyson Felix and Pure Leaf teaming up on "No Grants", student athletes speaking out about mental health and lack of support, Steph Curry creating more equity in golf with a new junior golf tour, and what Brittney Griner's situation shows us about women's sports. 

In this week's roundup of articles from the world of athlete activism and sports philanthropy, Danielle highlights NFL star Von Miller's work to support in-need students with vision care, the history and impact of sportswashing, Athletes Unlimited's first public benefit corporation report, Steph and Ayesha Curry's work to donate 50,000 free books to youth in Oakland and more. 

In this week's roundup of articles from the world of athlete activism and sports philanthropy, Danielle highlights Colin Kaepernick's new second autopsy initiative, the letter six state attorney generals sent to the NFL around mistreatment of women employees, The Gaming Society raising over $3.5 million to continue to 'Bet on Women', Athletes Unlimited and Vote.Org's new Power in My Voice campaign, the important work of Seattle Kraken intersectionality consultant Chanel Keenan, the work of Bryce Weiler and the Beautiful Lives Project and more. 

In this week's roundup of articles from the world of athlete activism and sports philanthropy, Danielle highlights Dikembe Mutombo's impact in the NBA and on the African continent, a new House bill on NCAA gender equity, criticism around the Qatar 2022 World Cup continues for human rights abuses, a historic donation to Canadian Olympians and Paralympians, and more. 

Welcome back to the Big League Philanthropist! This week, we are joined by Marissa Coleman, the current VP of Business Development at Gaming Society, a platform dedicated to democratizing sports gambling and helping fans become more knowledgeable about the world of betting. Prior to her time with Gaming Society, she was a WNBA Forward who played for four different teams across ten seasons, primarily spending that time with Indiana and Washington. She also spent some time as the Chairwoman of a successful campaign to legalize sports gambling in the state of Maryland. In this episode, Danielle and Marissa talk about Marissa's basketball career, her time with Gaming Society, the growth of women's sports, and what philanthropy means to her.

In this week's roundup of articles from the world of athlete activism and sports philanthropy, Danielle highlights the USWNT supporting transgender rights, the sports world's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Gatorade's big donation to support sports participation for young women and minorities, and the impact of LeBron James' work in his hometown of Akron, OH. 

Welcome back to the Big League Philanthropist! On this week's episode, Danielle is joined by Ben Orbach, CEO of The Ascendant Athlete, an advisory group that supports professional athletes and teams to lead movements for social change. Before he created The Ascendant Athlete, Ben was many things, including a State Department official, a social entrepreneur, an international development practitioner, and an educator. In this episode, Ben and Danielle discuss his different jobs prior to The Ascendant Athlete, how he started the company, what they do, and they even talk about his book, Live From Jordan.

In this week's roundup of articles from the world of athlete activism and sports philanthropy, Danielle highlights an indigenous athlete running to raise awareness for her community, a progress updated from the NBA's Social Justice Coalition, how sports betting is funding youth sports programming, and Brian Flores standing up to the NFL's discriminatory hiring practices. 

Welcome back to the Big League Philanthropist podcast! In this episode, Danielle sits down with Adam Miller, Founder of Good Game Foundation. In this episode, they discuss how Adam combined his passion for sport and his family values surrounding giving back to create the Good Game Foundation, as well as how he was influenced by the intersection of sports and social good. They also talk about what the Good Game Foundation does and how they accomplish what they do.

In this week's roundup of articles from the world of athlete activism and sports philanthropy, Danielle highlights Denmark’s national team taking a stand against Qatar’s human rights violations, black athletes speaking out about mental health, Tyrann Mathieu winning the Walter Payton Man of the Year Charity Challenge, an Afghan girls soccer team fleeing to Portugal, and more. 

We're back with another episode of the Big League Philanthropist! Danielle sits down with Ben Troupe, former NFL tight end for the Tennessee Titans, now an ESPN radio host, motivational speaker, author and a philanthropist, creating the Uncommon Cru. They discuss Ben's love of philanthropy, what inspired him to launch the Uncommon Cru and his "why" when it comes to making an impact. They also talk about the other projects he's has been up to, like his book, Uncommon and Unfinished, and working for ESPN Radio in the Coastal Georgia region. Danielle and Ben also chat about the work that goes into creating a nonprofit.

In this week's roundup of articles from the world of athlete activism and sports philanthropy, Danielle highlights a new NIL deal signed to support Make-A-Wish Foundation, an update from the NFL's Inspire Change Initiative, how vaccine mandates are shaking up the world of tennis, and the impact Venus Williams has made on and off the tennis court. 

In this week's roundup of articles from the world of athlete activism and sports philanthropy, Danielle highlights the impact of diplomatic boycotts on Beijing 2022, a new NIL deal aimed to direct college players to give back to the community, the new ALL CAPS ALL HER initiative from the Washington Capitals, and the NFL's 2021 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominees.  

In this week's roundup of articles from the world of athlete activism and sports philanthropy, Danielle highlights the WTA making an important statement and pulling tournaments out of China, major moments in Jewish sports history, two NFL players making an impact in their communities, and the current state of mental health awareness in the NFL. 

Welcome back to the Big League Philanthropist! This episode, Danielle sits down with Clayton Frech, the founder of Angel City Sports to discuss his journey to founding the organization and how his son, Ezra was his inspiration to do so. They also chat about Ezra's journey to becoming a Paralympian and the vision and mission of Angel City Sports to provide adaptive sports opportunities for kids, veterans, and adults.

All of us at the Big League Philanthropist are saddened by the tragic passing of Katie-Jay Scott and her husband Gabe. Katie-Jay Scott was the Executive Director of iAct and an incredible philanthropist. She and her husband leave behind three children and countless refugee families supported through iAct. We had the pleasure to interview Katie-Jay on Season 2 of BLP and her passion was contagious. 

In this week's roundup of articles from the world of athlete activism and sports philanthropy, Danielle highlights the disappearance of Peng Shuai, the conflict surrounding the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, athletes using their platforms to raise awareness of Julius Jones' case, and the new framework adopted by the IOC around inclusion and non discrimination for elite level athletes.  

In this week's roundup of articles from the world of athlete activism and sports philanthropy, Danielle highlights the inaugural Laureus & Sports Pro Sports For Good Index, the US news interest shift from politics to sports, three steps sports organizations can take to prepare for climate change, and the WNBPA partnering with Pepsi Stronger Together to support local causes with players. 

In this week's roundup of articles from the world of athlete activism and sports philanthropy, Danielle highlights NCAA student-athletes and coaches focusing on civic engagement, history being made with all five major mens sports having openly gay players competing, the importance of investment in youth sports, and the winners of The Foundation for Global Sports Development's 2021 Athletes in Excellence Award. 

In this week's roundup of articles from the world of athlete activism and sports philanthropy, Danielle highlights the WNBA continuing to lead the way in advocating for social justice and for their own rights, the NFL's toxic culture rearing it's head again, the NHL world rocked by a sexual assault coverup, and China continuing to be a tricky problem for sports business. 

In this week's roundup of articles from the world of athlete activism and sports philanthropy, Danielle highlights the athletes advocating for abortion rights, NWSL players speaking out after years of ignored sexual harassment, Front Office Sports on the importance of activism to NIL deals, and how Players for the Planet is making an environmental impact with major leaguers.

In this episode of Big League Philanthropist, Danielle speaks with Mechelle Freeman, the founder of TrackGirlz. They speak about her experience as an Olympian, her journey to creating TrackGirlz and the work they do using track and field to inspire young girls to be the best version of themselves while also giving them strong, female role models. 

In this week's roundup of articles from the world of athlete activism and sports philanthropy, Danielle highlights the sports world reflecting 20 years post 9/11, a huge loss for Boston school sports, a pro soccer star speaking out about women's rights and sports in wake of the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, sustainable projects taking over international soccer and a new reality show competition that is making many people shake their heads. 

In this week's roundup of articles from the world of athlete activism and sports philanthropy, Danielle highlights some Paralympic updates, the proposed settlement from USA Gymnastics, Steph and Ayesha Curry investing in women's sports, Venus Williams supporting fans mental health and Layshia Clarendon tackling the stigma of periods in sports. 

In this week's roundup of articles from the world of athlete activism and sports philanthropy, Danielle highlights historic representation from the Paralympic Games in Tokyo, the NBA prioritizing social justice for players, Colin Kaepernick's new children's book, and the WNBA being recognized for their unprecedented impact on the community. 

In this week's roundup of articles from the world of athlete activism and sports philanthropy, Danielle highlights Olympians making an impact outside of the games, the launch of the new Center for Healing & Justice Through Sport, the Taliban takeover's impact on sports, and another example of NIL for good. 

In this week's roundup of articles from the world of athlete activism and sports philanthropy, Danielle highlights the new Protect Our People campaign from More Than a Vote, Lewis Hamilton's new charitable foundation, the divide over transgender athletes in the Olympics, the strength of Simone Biles and IOC sponsors facing heat about the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. 

In this week's roundup of articles from the world of athlete activism and sports philanthropy, Danielle highlights Buddy Boeheim using the power of NIL for good, Luke Prokop making history in gender equity for the NHL, and all things activism and the Olympics. 

In this week's roundup of articles from the world of athlete activism and sports philanthropy, Danielle highlights the ESPY winners making an impact, the positive response to racism towards England players over the Euro Cup, the MLB's historic deal with the Players Alliance, and Allyson Felix's work to support equity for athlete moms.

In this week's roundup of articles from the world of athlete activism and sports philanthropy, Danielle highlights the need for more mental health resources for NCAA athletes, the Olympics facing issues around a lack of equity and inclusion for black women athletes, Carmelo Anthony's impact work and how football fans can support climate change efforts. 

In this week's roundup of articles from the world of athlete activism and sports philanthropy, Danielle highlights transgender athletes and the Olympics, the bravery of Carl Nassib and Kumi Yokoyama in each speaking their truth, the WNBA women of the Jordan Brand, Torrey Smith and Aaron Maybin's new leadership academy in Baltimore, the state of diversity and inclusion in the NHL, and how activism is moving to political action from NBA superstars.  

In this week's roundup of articles from the world of athlete activism and sports philanthropy, Danielle highlights the recent news around race-norming in the NFL that has been largely ignored, and why it's important we learn more and hold the NFL accountable to make changes.

In this week's roundup of articles from the world of athlete activism and sports philanthropy, Danielle highlights Warrick Dunn's work to combat housing inequality, the first trans athlete to compete for Team USA, hockey's The Carnegie Initiative to support diversity and inclusion and how taking a knee is viewed by football fans across Europe. 

In this episode of Big League Philanthropist, Danielle chats with Katie-Jay Scott, former soccer player for UNC Wilmington and current executive director of iACT, a nonprofit that helps refugees lead and create change within their home communities.

Katie-Jay discusses the work iACT does and why she was drawn to it. She also shares more about the soccer program she founded, Refugees United, which focuses on getting children in refugee camps involved with the sport. Finally, Danielle and Katie-Jay chat about her love for soccer and how it has left its mark on her life, her philanthropy goals, the difference that iACT has made globally, and how iACT and Refugees United will continue to make real change.

In this episode of Big League Philanthropist, Danielle chats with Tony Sanneh, philanthropist and former professional soccer player for the US National Team, MLS, and internationally in Bundesliga. Tony discusses his experience playing professionally, and the immense learning experience he has gained at the forefront of his own organization, The Sanneh Foundation.

Danielle and Tony also discuss the importance of athlete activism and the Anti-Racism Campaign he's been actively involved with that's being pushed in the soccer world. Plus, Tony shares with us what's coming up for the foundation over the next few months and some of the initiatives they are currently working to push forward.

In this episode of Big League Philanthropist, Danielle chats with Bria Hartley, activist and WNBA player for the Phoenix Mercury. Bria discusses her experience playing professionally both in the US and internationally, her clothing brand All Heart Clothing, and All Heart Basketball, a girls' AAU team she started.

Danielle and Bria also discuss the importance of activism in the sports world today, and how she and her teammates made sure that this past WNBA season was all about standing up for what matters most. Plus, Bria shares with us how she is preparing herself for even more intentional philanthropic progress in the future.

Danielle spoke with Amy Kingman, the Executive Director of the Learning by Giving Foundation, in February of 2019 about the great work that the organization is doing to inspire a new generation of effective philanthropists. From courses in colleges and universities around the country, to innovative partnerships with sports teams, stadiums and athletes, the organization is passionate about the power of sports to make a difference in the nonprofit world. 

Chris Dickerson is an MLB alum who played for the Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees, the Cleveland Indians and the Baltimore Orioles. He chose not to enter the MLB right away when he was drafted out of high school and instead played baseball for the University of Nevada while getting his college degree. In 2007, prior to joining the major leagues, Chris co-founded Players for the Planet with fellow player Jack Cassel and since then they’ve brought on dozens of athletes like Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, Brent Suter, Giancarlo Stanton, Nelson Cruz, Zach Britton, and Ryan Braun to support the cause. 

Danielle and Chris chat about how he got into baseball and why sports has opened up so many doors for him. Chris shares why raising awareness for and protecting the environment is such an important part of his life. They discuss what it was like to start a nonprofit prior to going pro, and how being a pro athlete became an asset to the organization and his mission. Chris shares how his dad was a big motivator for him to stay active and aware about helping the environment, and what Players for the Planet is doing to raise awareness all over the country and internationally in areas like the Dominican Republic. 

Wes Martin is a rookie offensive lineman for the Washington Redskins. Born and raised in West Milton, Ohio, he played football for Indiana University and was named honorable mention All-Big Ten in his redshirt junior and senior seasons. He was drafted to the Redskins in the 4th round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Wes founded Brave Breed Rescue, Inc. while he was in his senior year of college. Brave Breed is located in West Milton and is a 501c3 dedicated to rescuing and re-homing all dog breeds that enter their care. 

Wes and Danielle chat about the transition from college athlete to professional, the challenges of starting a nonprofit organization AND balancing that with playing football at a high level. He chats about how important his mom has been throughout his life and what it's like working with her at the organization. Wes shares the inspiration behind why he started Brave Breed and why he's motivated to help dogs find forever homes. He also speaks about the importance of fostering to save dogs currently in shelters waiting to be adopted. 

John Register is an inspirational speaker, trainer and coach, who commands his listeners attention on the topic "Hurdling Adversity". John is an avid athlete and played baseball, track and field and more as a kid. He ran Track and Field at the University of Arkansas, and originally majored in music, the cello specifically, before switching over to communications to focus his time on sports. He qualified for the Olympic Trials twice. He served in the US Army and participated in Desert Storm and Desert Shield. 

Unfortunately in 1994, John suffered a life changing knee injury when practicing on the hurdles and ended up getting the leg amputated. He didn't let that injury stop him. He climbed his way back into sports, practicing and training for the Paralympic Games. In 2000, he won the silver medal in the Long Jump at the Paralympic Games. Alongside his sports activities, John spearheaded the US Army's World Class Athlete Program. He worked for the USOC until earlier this year and launched the USOC Paralympic Military Program, which uses sports to assist in the recovery of wounded, ill or injured service members.

John and Danielle discuss what made him choose track and field (because no one naturally enjoys running, right?), what it was like going through the Army and how he transformed his life in such a positive way after his injury. He talks about why sport is such a powerful tool and a universal language to encourage dialogues both big and small.