In Yoruba, the name means “a child you cherish, nurture, pamper, and love.” So from the moment she was born, WNBA star Arike Ogunbowale was special—and now the world knows it. In just six seasons, she became the fastest player in league history to achieve 4,000 points and broke the Dallas Wings’ all-time scoring record. For an athlete who has achieved a lot, she still has so much to supply.

Ogunbowale was born in Milwaukee to Nigerian parents and was raised surrounded by sports. Her mother was a former softball player at DePaul University, and her brother Dare played football at the University of Wisconsin before joining the NFL as a running back for the Houston Texans. Growing up, Ogunbowale showed off her athletic skills in multiple sports, contributing to 4 state football championships during her highschool years. However, her passion shifted to basketball, where she rose to fame at Divine Savior Holy Angels High School, earning accolades similar to Wisconsin Miss Basketball and being chosen as a McDonald’s All-American.

The point guard’s profession took off when she joined the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and eventually led the team to a national championship in 2018. Since being drafted by the Wings the following yr, Ogunbowale has earned quite a few accolades, including 4 All-Star selections and two All-Star MVP honors — the latest coming in an exciting game in Phoenix on Feb. 18. “I just love having fun and playing with a lot of super great players — that’s always what I look forward to in the All-Star Game,” she says.

Amid all her successes, the 27-yr-old understands the responsibility she has to influence the next generation. “I was lucky enough to have two amazing parents who always did the best they could for me and more,” Arike says. “I know how hard it is to get out of Milwaukee. So I always think that when I see little kids, I always try to be the best person I can for them.”

“I know I’m a role model,” she continues. “That just comes with being in your shoes, so I definitely embrace that. I want to be the type of person that people look up to. Young boys, young girls, young black kids — it doesn’t matter. I want to be someone they can see themselves in. So I know I’m a role model, and I try to treat myself that way because I know people are looking up to me.”

The past yr has been a memorable one for the popular basketball star on both a private and skilled level. After establishing herself as one in all the most prolific scorers the WNBA has ever seen, the one thing Ogunbowale hasn’t managed to capture during her illustrious profession has been a league title. As an athlete in her prime, a championship is something she will check off her bucket list in the very near future. Off the court, she reached a key milestone by announcing her engagement to Lala Ronay. For some, balancing home and basketball might be difficult, but for Ogunbowale, this latest relationship has been the perfect complement to her life.

“It really makes me happy,” she says of her decision. “My biggest goal has always been to have a family and kids, and now I’m a little closer to that. It definitely brings me a lot of peace and I feel like I’m headed in the right direction.”

Actress Sanaa Lathan’s beauty first made her presence known in television shows like and , before starring in the addictive romantic drama opposite Omar Epps.

Since then, she has starred in some of the biggest noir movies of our time, appreciated not just for her talent but in addition for her sweet smile, brown eyes and rouge-tinged cheekbones.

For example, at the 2002 premiere, Lathan established her stance on blush, which framed her metallic eyeshadow. She doubled down on the circular application at the premiere in her most pigmented look yet, before dusting her eyes with body glitter and blush at the 58th Annual Tony Awards the following 12 months.

In the 2010s, she toned down her pink tone by attending BWIH’s sixth Annual ESSENCE Awards Gala with matte, lipstick in a shade of pink (by pumping up the pigment at a 2016 Beso party.) Over time, she began using shades of brown to sculpt her cheeks (think: Premiere 2022) for a hotter, more sensual moment — one which continues to today.

Now, on what would have been her 53rd birthday, we’re bringing you all of our favourite moments from Sanaa Lathan’s life.

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.