One Goal

Kyle Johnson is the Founder and Executive Director of the Karen Football Association (KFA). This non-profit uses football (soccer) to promote gender equity and provide more opportunities for the Karen refugee community. Johnson started KFA Digital, a content creation company that has the same mission as his non-profit, a branch of KFA. "Our goal is to get more women, and people from refugee communities into the technology, business, and entrepreneurship space". His experience in business strategy and innovation to build campaigns shapes future generations. Kyle's real commitment is to his local community. For 10 years he's offered free futsal sessions to kids and young adults living in communities that are not able to afford the traditional "Pay to Play" youth sports system we have in the US. Kyle has also donated over 500 hours of his time and creative talents to other non-profits, helping them with business strategy and marketing.

1.) Our goal is to provide more opportunities to young women and refugees in sports, collegiate athletics, and career development. 

2.) Our project is developing an organization that uses sports and business to promote gender equity and provide opportunities to people in the Karen community. Our model creates long term generational impact. 

3.) Our project is developing a model that other sports organizations and businesses around the world would be able to learn from and apply to their current methods to make a more equitable world. We place an importance on having more women and people from refugee communities  in sports, college, business and leadership.

The problem we are solving is the lack of women in sports, and business sectors. Our program is providing direct access to both areas and we have impact locally and around the world. The scale of our problem is huge. It is proven that when women are more involved and in leadership roles society benefits. There is a current imbalance of women in leadership creating a gender gap. An increase of women in leadership roles brings more stability and peace. In the peacekeeping operations, more women peace keepers bring more peace as women in war are more comfortable to come to them with issues along with children. It is vital to provide women more platforms in the professional and business world especially minority women who were not allowed the opportunity to an economic head start due to oppression and persecution while going through the refugee resettlement process.

Our project is creating a national soccer team platform that promotes gender equity and opportunity for women and the Karen refugee community. Within our organization we have created a micro ad agency that is changing the funding model of non profits and provides career paths for women and refugees in business and marketing.

The Karen people have been historically oppressed as a result of the persecution and genocide displayed by the the Myanmar dictatorship. Although with the aid of the UNHCR, the Karen people are allowed to resettle into other countries that are willing to accept. However, many of them have stories to share and it is essential to provide a platform for them to share their stories and to encourage them to become progressive. The Karen Football Association along with KFA Digital provides a international platform for the Karen people for them to share their stories, cultivating their skills, and allowing their opportunities to a higher education.

I came up with this project after recognizing that the “elite” soccer systems in the United States was not diverse. I knew it was not for a lack of talent because I worked with many communities. It was a lack of access due to money. It is hugely more apparent on the girls and womens game. That is when I made it my mission to shine a light on women in the Karen community, helping them lead the way for other refugee communities to break the mold and become successful.

After being in the agency field for over 20 years I saw a clear lack of diversity in business and marketing.

I am extremely passionate about the project because I love standing up for what is right. I love fighting for people who have been oppressed and deserve better.  I am about actionable change and love to come up with creative solutions to affect future generations.

After having worked within the Karen community for over 5 years, I feel like I have gotten to really understand their history and struggles. I have met many athletes and leaders, understanding their stories. I also bring a wealth of knowledge, network, from being in the business world for 20+ years. My experiences of success and failure has shaped me to the person today. I am able to think very creatively about solving problems while communicating diplomatically to create outcome.

• My wife and I opened a retail store right before the recession in 2006

• Our business was devastated by the recession

• I personally lost over $150,000

• We were close to losing our home

• In the middle of trying to keep a business running and a family of four fed and sheltered I started an advertising agency

• That agency became the most successful venture I started.

• We started with two people working from a one bedroom apartment

• It is now making over $8,000,000 a year

• I went from the hardest time of my life to building a very successful business

• I am no longer with the agency.

• But 2006-2010 shaped my life.

In the aftermath of the Riots in Minneapolis after George Floyd’s death. I knew it was important to help our community. I arranged multiple times for the Karen athletes to go volunteer and clean up neighborhoods that have been burned to the ground. We also participated in food distribution sites to help communities that had their grocery stores burned or closed due to the riots.

Highlight specific financial, technical, legal, cultural, or market barriers that may limit your impact in the next year and the next five years.

Our main limitation is getting our organization to a financially sustainable position. Once we are able to achieve this we will have much more flexibility. Our Women’s and Men’s National Teams, and Youth Futsal Academy is volunteer run. The athletes had to pay their own way to attend the camps. Another hurdle we have will be to provide citizenship opportunities for our athletes. We will need to be able to travel around the world and will need the right passports and visas to do so. The other barrier we see right now is getting clients to come on and let KFA Digital do their marketing work for them. We need an office space that we can host the agency and youth and young adults can come in and be a part of our program. It is very difficult to do things remotely. Once we have that space I am confident we will be able to turn the agency into something special.

Consider addressing each barrier individually. Highlight resources that you have or will pursue, and explain how you will use them. You may refer back to these barriers when completing the questions in the Partnership Opportunities section, where we ask how The Elevate Prize program can help.

Our goal is to build KFA Digital to become a premier digital marketing agency to fund our organization and provide value to our partners and sponsors. This path of financial sustainability will open opportunities to provide access to citizenship programs, and give our athletes the opportunities they deserve.

Karen Organisation of Minnesota

Urban Village

Football Rising

CONIFA

World Unity Football Alliance

Epimonia

 For KFA we utilize soccer to provide more opportunities for youth and young adults in the community to use soccer as a vehicle for gender equity, college access, and beyond.

• More opportunities for girls and women to be seen as athletes

• Using sport for self confidence for both women and men

• Providing opportunities to access college through sport

• Providing role models of National Team athletes to impact future generations

• Using the platform of a National Team to tell the story of the community

• Keep kids and young adults active and healthy

The KFA business model for funding:

• Grants

• Fundraisers/Donations

• Sponsorships

Our new business model is the creation of KFA Digital. KFA Digital has the same mission as the soccer programs, giving women and refugees more access to business and entrepreneurship. This is meant to be the financial sustainable arm of the Karen Football Association generating revenues to support the soccer teams.

Impact

• We will be mentoring young women and refugees in business, digital marketing and entrepreneurship

• The goal is to give more women and people of color access to this sector

• We will supply job learning skills through a digital agency

• Mentees and employees will learn communication, team building, and life skills as well

• Will bring in industry experts to help mentor the youth

• Providing value to sponsors by creating marketing materials for them

KFA Digital business model for funding:

• Take on projects for sponsors or corporations and generate revenue through a newly formed digital agency.

Explain how you will bring in money to fund your work, whether through sustained donations and grants, selling products or services, raising investment capital, or a combination of all. In the long term, your revenue streams should cover your expected expenses. To see some examples, take a look at these common revenue models.

The goal is to have KFA Digital, the digital agency within our organization be the long term sustainable funding source of our organization. Our goal is to work with sponsors and clients to deliver marketing materials to them. We recognize that donations and grants do not create long terms sustainability and are always looking for creative ways to help the organization thrive. The goal of our funding model is below:

• KFA Digital Revenue : 70>#/p###

• Grants: 20>#/p###

• Apparel Sales 5>#/p###

• Donations 5>#/p###