How Adidas Is Shaping A More Inclusive Future In Sports With Community Lab Expansion – Essence

For decades, access to sports has been limited for many communities of color, with barriers often extending beyond the playing field.

This year, adidas is taking another step toward dismantling those obstacles. The sportswear giant recently announced the expansion of its Community Lab program, a visionary initiative designed to support Black and Latino/a/e entrepreneurs at the intersection of sports, equity, and community development.

Founded with the goal of providing resources and opportunities to underrepresented social entrepreneurs, adidas Community Lab has gained momentum since its inception. This year, the program is growing not just in scale but also in impact, expanding to include Toronto and Houston in addition to its original cities of Los Angeles, Atlanta, and New York.

The program’s mission is clear: uplift and empower Black and Latino/a/e innovators who are striving to make sports more accessible, equitable, and inclusive. At its core, Community Lab offers more than just funding; it creates an environment of mentorship, education, and networking that helps participants turn their visions into reality.

At the heart of this year’s expansion is a new partnership with Black Ambition, a nonprofit organization founded by Grammy Award-winning artist Pharrell Williams. Black Ambition’s mission is to close the wealth and opportunity gap by investing in high-growth startups led by Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs. To date, the organization has mentored over 1,000 underrepresented founders and awarded more than $10 million in funding to 101 dynamic entrepreneurs.

“Black Ambition was founded to create the space, bespoke opportunities, and relationships needed for underrepresented founders to excel, uninterrupted,” said Jermeen Sherman, Managing Director of Black Ambition. The organization will bring its unique expertise in mentoring and networking to the Community Lab, helping participants to not only grow their businesses but to create lasting impact within their communities.

This partnership, along with returning collaborators like Impact Hub and i.e. (Industry Education), will provide participants with access to a comprehensive suite of resources, including: Mentorship from industry leaders, expert pitch training, workshops, fireside chats with adidas executives and networking with top executives and peers in the industry.

Additionally, each participant will receive $75,000 in grant funding to bring their innovative ideas to life. Over the course of eight months of intensive programming, these social entrepreneurs will have the tools to not only grow their ventures but to reshape the sports landscape in their communities.

The expansion of adidas Community Lab is not just a corporate initiative but a crucial step toward creating a more equitable world in sports and beyond. Ayesha Martin, Senior Director of adidas Purpose, expressed her excitement about the program’s growth, stating, “We are thrilled to cultivate a larger cohort of social entrepreneurs who share our vision of removing barriers to accessing sports for the communities we collectively serve.”

This aligns with broader trends in the industry. According to a 2022 report from the Sports & Society Program at the Aspen Institute, Black and Latino youth are disproportionately underrepresented in organized sports, largely due to socioeconomic barriers like equipment costs, travel expenses, and lack of access to safe spaces for play. Programs like adidas Community Lab aim to bridge these gaps, providing young athletes with opportunities that go far beyond the playing field.

By expanding its support to cities like Toronto and Houston, adidas is ensuring that more communities can benefit from this transformative program. These cities represent burgeoning hubs of athletic talent and entrepreneurial potential, making them ideal locations for the next wave of social impact leaders.

As adidas continues its mission to “create a sustainable ecosystem of change”, the social entrepreneurs in this year’s cohort will help to redefine the intersection of sports, equity, and community. For aspiring changemakers, this is more than just an opportunity to develop a business—it’s a chance to shape the future.