DiverseCity Enterprises, Inc

The Elevate Prize is a game changer. For years I’ve been actively seeking that “champion donor” who shares a genuine interest in our mission and has the financial capacity to launch our organization to the next level. I’ve pitched my story to corporations, foundations, high net worth individuals, politicians, royalty, and anyone kind enough to give me some time. Suffice it to say, I have yet to secure the major support we need to realize our full potential. While we’ve affected thousands of young lives in communities far and wide, our impact can be so much greater. I’m proud of our work but I’m hungry to do more. This award would bring my vision to fruition: creating a first-rate youth development organization that connects and inspires children around the world.     

From a professional standpoint, the prize is precisely what I need. While I’ve given serious thought to pursuing an MBA, I’m a trained social worker with no formal business education. Access to mentorship and individualized support would help tremendously. The thought of joining an international cohort of like-minded individuals who want to change the world as much as I do is wildly attractive. I want to be on that team.

My friends affectionately call me “White Mike” because I was the ONLY white student in my high school.I grew up on Pittsburgh’s East End and my school was 99% Black (I was the other 1%). That experience taught me to have empathy and understanding, as I was exposed to peers with vastly different life circumstances. Yet despite our differences, I learned that we had so much more in common than most people thought.   

I believe every child deserves that same transformational moment: learning there is more that unites us than divides us. DiverseCity, my organization, continues to serve that purpose. For the past 14 years, I’ve devoted my life to bridging divides between segregated communities.  We teach leadership skills, promote healthy and active living, and foster peace by connecting young people from all walks of life in a meaningful way. Through exposure to different races, religions, and ethnicities at an early age, we have proven that children are more likely to collaborate with each other, communicate effectively, and express empathy for others. 

My dream is for DiverseCity’s reach to be endless. I want to build out our virtual platform so that we can impact young people across the world.

DiverseCity uses sport to connect and inspire. We run camps, clinics, and, most recently, online workshops (basketball, soccer, yoga). In addition to the sport-specific training, we provide classroom sessions focusing on character and leadership development. Essentially, we provide a holistic learning experience where students 1) learn how to live healthy and active lives and 2) build community with others.

In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, we created DiverseCity Online, a virtual platform that offers live-streamed multi-sport instruction. DiverseCity Online addresses a specific problem: the lack of physical activity among youth. The American Heart Association reports “60% of American children do not have healthy cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), a key measure of physical fitness and overall health.” The numbers are equally concerning globally. WHO concludes that “80 percent of adolescents ages 11 to 17 are insufficiently physically active.”

We believe DiverseCity Online has the potential to produce lasting value and improve long-term health outcomes, well after social distancing restrictions are eased.  We intend to meet the current needs of communities, create compelling content, grow our base, and continue connecting youth for years to come. We envision DiverseCity Online being live-streamed into living rooms, school yards, and playgrounds across the globe.

To the best of my knowledge, there are no current youth sport and development programs offering a comprehensive online platform like ours. Pre-recorded videos can be found on sites like YouTube and Vimeo, but these are often disjointed and are viewed as an individual. DiverseCity brings an exciting and interactive platform that helps youth get active, develop skills, and connect with a global community of peers. Simply put, ain’t nobody doing it like us. 

- DiverseCity Online offers the following benefits: 

- Online platform for physical activity, leadership education, and global connection

- Live-streamed sessions (30-60 min duration) and library of archived sessions for on-demand playback

- Target audience: youth ages 8-18; content is created with family participation in mind

- Session topics: leadership training on themes of communication, empathy, tolerance; athletic sessions include basketball, cardio and body movement, dance, football, soccer, strength and conditioning.

- Accessible on all hand-held devices and everywhere with internet connection

- Special sessions devoted to cultural exchange, girls empowerment

- Captioning/American Sign Language interpreters for deaf-specific programs 

- Experienced athletes and coaches lead live training sessions

- Speakers and prominent figures as featured guests

Since our inception, DiverseCity has worked to help youth gain the social and emotional tools to be agents of social change. Our program intentionally fosters inter-group dialogue, focuses on building young people's capacities for respect, tolerance, and empathy for one another, and provides opportunities for all to practice and develop leadership skills.

Current iterations of DiverseCity pursue this impact via a sport and leadership format that inspires young people through the power of connection. The feedback we receive from participants and their parents confirms the positive impact students gain through their personal growth, and their communities by building leadership capacities in youth. The “DiverseCity Experience” provides opportunities for learning that prepare young people to become physically active individuals, better teammates, and more thoughtful citizens.

Our organization's impact has the potential to be exponential: not only are DiverseCity participants affected on the individual level, but the program affects the way in which they interact with their peers, families, and communities. Our vision is for that ripple effect to continue well after students graduate from our programs.