How Adidas is shaping a more inclusive future for sport with the expansion of its Community Lab – Essence

For many years, access to sports for many communities of color has been limited, and barriers often extend beyond the playing field.

This 12 months, adidas is taking one other step toward removing those obstacles. The sportswear giant recently announced the expansion of its Community Lab Programa visionary initiative to support Black and Latinx entrepreneurs working at the intersection of sports, equality and community development.

Founded with the intention of providing resources and opportunities to underrepresented social entrepreneurs, the adidas Community Lab has gained momentum since its inception. This 12 months, the program is growing not only in scale but in addition in impact, expanding to Toronto and Houston along with its original cities of Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York.

The mission of the program is clear: to support and empower Black and Latinx innovators who strive to make sports more accessible, equitable, and inclusive. At its core, the Community Lab offers more than simply funding; it creates an environment of mentorship, education, and networking that helps participants turn their visions into reality.

At the heart of this 12 months’s expansion is a latest partnership with Black ambitiona nonprofit organization founded by Grammy Award-winning artist Pharrell Williams. Black Ambition’s mission is to shut the wealth and opportunity gap by investing in high-growth startups led by Black and Latinx entrepreneurs. To date, the organization has mentored over 1,000 underrepresented founders and awarded over $10 million in funding to 101 dynamic entrepreneurs.

“Black Ambition was founded to create the space, individual opportunities, and relationships needed for underrepresented founders to thrive without obstacles,” said Jermeen Sherman, CEO of Black Ambition. The organization will bring its unique experience in mentoring and networking to the Community Lab, helping participants not only grow their businesses but in addition make a lasting impact of their communities.

This partnership, in addition to returning collaborators resembling Impact Hub and ie (Industry Education), will provide attendees with access to a comprehensive set of resources including: mentoring from industry leaders, expert training, workshops, executive chats with adidas, and networking opportunities with top executives and industry peers.

Additionally, each participant will receive $75,000 in grant funding to implement their progressive ideas. Over the course of eight months of intensive programming, these social entrepreneurs could have the tools to not only grow their businesses, but in addition transform the sports landscape of their communities.

The expansion of the adidas Community Lab is not only a corporate initiative, but a key step towards creating a more equitable world in sports and beyond. Ayesha Martin, Senior Director of adidas Purpose, expressed her excitement about the program’s expansion, stating, “We are excited to grow a larger group of social entrepreneurs who share our vision of removing barriers to access to sports for the communities we collectively serve.”

This is in line with broader trends in the industry. According to 2022 report from the Sports & Society program at the Aspen Institute, Black and Latinx youth are disproportionately underrepresented in organized sports, largely as a consequence of socioeconomic barriers resembling equipment costs, travel costs, and lack of access to secure spaces to play. Programs like the adidas Community Lab aim to shut these gaps by providing young athletes with opportunities that stretch far beyond the field.

By expanding its support to cities like Toronto and Houston, adidas is ensuring that more communities can profit from this transformational program. These cities are growing hubs of sports 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,” this 12 months’s group of social entrepreneurs will help redefine the intersection of sport, equity, and community. For aspiring changemakers, this is more than simply a possibility to grow a business—it’s a probability to shape the future.