Spotlight – Black Sport Business Academy
By Curtis Walker, Vice President at TurnkeyZRG
The Black Sport Business Academy was launched in 2020 with the goal of enhancing the connection between HBCUs and the sports & entertainment industry.
In just three short years, the Academy has made incredible progress towards their purpose. Here we speak with the Founder on what the Academy has been up to and how organizations can collaborate.
The BSBA during The Charlotte Experience with Tepper Sports & Entertainment
About the Founder
Vincent S. Pierson, CEO & Principal Strategist of VSP Impact Strategies, is an award-winning Change Agent and diversity, equity and inclusion strategist with more than 12 years of experience. Operating at the intersection of sports, diversity & Inclusion and social justice, Vince is passionate about using the power of sports to move society and open hearts, eyes and minds of both sides of any equation. With a strong belief in sport’s unique ability to transcend difference and unite people, Vince focuses on intentionally harnessing that energy to address certain ills in our culture that need genuine attention and understanding.
Vince currently supports clients in multiple industries including education, media, sports, and technology. He is also the Founder of the Black Sport Business Academy – a non-profit focused on enhancing the learning experience and career outcomes for HBCU students interested in Sports. Prior to launching his own DEI impact consulting practice, Vince served in senior DEI-focused roles with Bloomberg LP and Minor League Baseball. He has also co-authored racial and gender report cards during his time with the Institute for Sport and Social Justice.
Vince is a proud HBCU-graduate (Virginia State University) and proud father to twins, Maverick and Milo.
In your words, what is the Black Sport Business Academy and what does it aim to achieve?
This is a project that has always lived inside my heart and mind. The Black Sport Business Academy is a medium for connection, education, exposure, and growth – built for the HBCU Family and tied to the business of sports & entertainment. At the core of our purpose is the student experience. During the social justice uprising of 2020, HBCU engagement became a popular lever to pull for organizations that wanted to engage the Black community. That engagement often landed at philanthropic donations or job postings and other hiring efforts. These efforts must continue – but alone they won’t be enough. There are still development and exposure gaps that need filling when it comes to our industry (sports + entertainment) and the ways we create meaningful connections with the HBCU Family.
The Black Sport Business Academy connects directly with students to enhance their learning experiences and career outcomes. Our engagement strategy revolves around three pillars – Liberated Development, Industry Exposure, and Community Building. Ultimately, our vision is to create an impactful space for our HBCU students to learn and grow, and a sustainable talent source for the sports & entertainment industry to interact with. We want to see more Black and Brown faces with HBCU backgrounds climbing the ranks in our industry.
Talk about the evolution of the program from inception to current day.
This began as an out-of-pocket passion project. As previously mentioned, this type of work was always a part of my life mission. I knew from the moment I graduated from Virginia State University that the HBCU Family was very important to me. So, I didn’t know what it would look like – but I knew there would be a lifelong connection.
The Black Sport Business Academy started with a pilot program during the Fall of 2020 with my alma mater, Virginia State University. There were six (6) students and a 10-week curriculum. We met three (3) times a week and used a variety of engagement methods – executive speakers, workshops, etc. At the end of the experience when students were surveyed, one young lady shared that this was, “the only thing I’m doing that feels like I’m getting closer to the career that I want.”
Fast forward two years and our alumni/member database includes more than 70 students representing more than 25 HBCUs. Last year, we incorporated partners which took our programming to a new level. We collaborate with our partners to enhance learning opportunities within and outside of our Fall curriculum – which now runs 14 weeks. Our reach has expanded as well with our followers on social platforms exceeding 3,000! (This time last year, we were at about 700).
We’re very excited about our momentum and plan to continue making strides toward our mission.
What are a few highlights from the program?
There are a few experiences that really stand out.
Growth in reach and impact
Watching the number of students and executives who connect with our mission grow has been inspiring. It tells me that we’re filling a need for our community and for our industry.
Jacksonville Jaguars HBCU Careers in Sports Combine
The Black Sport Business Academy partnered with the Jacksonville Jaguars to create their inaugural HBCU Careers in Sports Combine. As partners, we supported curating the experience and getting students engaged. We were also able to sponsor the attendance for 15 of our Academy Members. This is one of the experiences that lived outside of our curriculum but connects directly with our mission.
During the event, students connected with several organizations in sports and even had the opportunity to interview for job openings on the spot. We look forward to continuing our partnership in 2023!
The Charlotte Experience with Tepper Sports & Entertainment (Carolina Panthers & Charlotte FC)
Our partnership with Tepper Sports & Entertainment allowed us to bring our Academy Members to Charlotte for an immersive learning experience. We toured the front offices of the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC – learning directly from those responsible for bringing those brands to life. The highlight of this experience was getting our hands dirty during the Panthers vs. Falcons Thursday Night Football game. Our Academy Members were split into groups and shadowed different departments throughout the night.
The BSBA Pathways Fund – Supporting Student Experiences
The Black Sport Business Academy Pathways Fund was created to address financial hardships that may prevent our members from maximizing their opportunities. Far too often people must turn down opportunities due to financial barriers tied to the opportunity. This could be a registration fee for a development program, a flight to work a premier event, housing to complete an internship, and much more. When partners make a financial contribution to The Black Sport Business Academy, a portion of that contribution goes directly into this fund to eliminate financial barriers to opportunity.
How can organizations (sports properties and brands) get involved to help expand the reach and impact of the program? What else is needed in terms of support?
Solidifying our financial model is a huge factor in reaching our goal of creating a sustainable platform. We’re actively seeking partnerships with organizations that feel alignment or connection with our mission to enhance the learning experiences and career outcomes for HBCU students. There are many ways to get involved – identifying sessions within or outside our 14-week curriculum for partners to own, hosting in-person experiences, sharing job openings – there’s no shortage of ways to support. We’re also registered as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization so donations are always welcomed!
About The Black Sport Business Academy
The Black Sport Business Academy was created to enhance the learning experience and career outcomes for students at Historically Black Colleges / Universities (HBCUs). The 14-week virtual academy engages students using a liberated development model that encourages personal growth, increases exposure to the sports industry, and fosters a greater sense of community among HBCU students and alumni.
ABOUT TURNKEYZRG
Founded in 1996, TurnkeyZRG is a highly specialized talent recruitment/executive search firm filling C-level, senior-level and mid-management level positions throughout sports, entertainment, music and media. Over the past 25 years, TurnkeyZRG has filled more than 1,400 positions throughout sports, entertainment and media. TurnkeyZRG helps teams, leagues, stadiums, arenas, theaters, college athletic departments, events, sponsors, agencies, media companies, private equity companies and other clients identify, recruit and hire the very best management talent. Turnkey now benefits from ZRG’s global footprint, full array of industry practice groups, data-driven, analytical search tools, and technology investment in changing the way executive search/talent recruiting is done. TurnkeyZRG becomes a tech-enabled disrupter of the prior executive search model.