Awards Archives

Hashtag Sports Awards announced winners for its 3rd year. Yellowbrick took home the award for Excellence in Black Storytelling for the Sneaker Essentials K-12 Pilot Initiative. The awards — presented by Budweiser — honor excellence in fan and consumer engagement across more than thirty categories.

Yellowbrick took home the award for Excellence in Black Storytelling for the Sneaker Essentials K-12 Pilot Initiative.

A prestigious voting panel of members from The Engagement Academy of Sports x Entertainment selects Hashtag Sports Awards winners each year. This year’s panelists include Sean Brown, Clubhouse Head of Sports; Ken Gibbs, Spotify Global Head of Social Media Marketing; Sara Toussaint, North Carolina Courage co-owner & Wells Fargo VP; Chad Easterling, OBSIDIANWORKS CEO; Rachel Jacobson, Drone Racing League President; Dianna Kraus, FleishmanHillard Global Managing Director of Sports; Stephanie Maes, MGM Resorts Sports Partnerships Director; and Pat LaCroix, Bose Global Marketing lead.

ABOUT THE INITIATIVE:

Yellowbrick formed the Sneaker Essentials K-12 Pilot Initiative to help students strengthen their educational engagement by connecting their interest and passion for the sports ecosystem (sneakers) area to their learning experiences. As a result, the development of practical design and critical thinking skills would expose students to potential career paths.

Yellowbrick’s Sneaker Essentials course was initially created in partnership with Complex and the Fashion Institute of Technology. In Brooklyn, NY, students from Meyer Levin Middle School took a customized version of Sneaker Essentials developed specifically for middle-school-aged children for the pilot program. Students created mood boards, then studied different footwear silhouettes to mock up their own designs. They also learned about surveying customer demographics and how to track the value of a shoe. Students presented their final designs during the school’s annual Juneteenth celebration.

“We are so honored that Hashtag Sports selected our program for this award. We see it as added validation for the work we’ve been doing to promote education, working alongside brands like Adidas and Reebok, foundations like JFF, and universities like Parsons – all of which have devoted time and resources to these initiatives,” said Rob Kingyens, CEO of Yellowbrick.

In Brooklyn, NY, students from Meyer Levin Middle School took a customized version of Sneaker Essentials developed specifically for middle-school-aged children for the pilot program.

To read more about the Sneakers Essentials K-12 Pilot Initiative, head to Yellowbrick Sneaker Essentials and sign up for more information.

ABOUT OUR PARTNERS

FIT is a leading educator in cosmetics, fragrance, design, fashion, and art. The New York-based university has provided industry-defining instruction for over 75 years.

Complex Media is a media and entertainment company reporting on popular and emerging trends in style, sneakers, food, music, sports, and pop culture.

Yellowbrick Wins Hashtag Sports Award for Excellence in Black Storytelling

ABOUT THE INITIATIVE:

ABOUT OUR PARTNERS

Bill Carroll

Production Director, Centennial Broadcasting

I'm most proud of taking the courage to start a music foundation and help musicians with any kind of disability and who are on the spectrum. It's something close to me and very important to nourish.

B. Danielle Watkins

Chief Programmer, iElevate Media Group

Writing is my passion, creating is my heart, and telling stories gives me an escape I've never found anywhere else, so to be doing that for the masses is what success looks like for me.

Timothy Clarke

Mixshow DJ/Personality, Radio One/Urban One, Sirius XM

I want to be able to help upcoming artists be heard and seen on a global level, and be known as one of the biggest DJs turned A&R in hip-hop culture.

Sabrina

Assistant Project Manager, Dirt Rock Empire

For me, success means continuing to learn and grow everyday. Next, I hope to become an even bigger voice in the industry and help encourage positive change.

Rebecca Lu

Business Development, Joes Footwear

The biggest challenge is you never know when you will be challenged - they just pop out somehow, even you think you are doing the best. So don’t take challenge as monster, always be positive and do whatever you can.

Pavlina Koleva

UX/UI Designer, Pixum

To be a designer means you give people better experience, you help people and you try to see things through their eyes. Creating flexible products even for people with disabilities is great achievement. Design was and always will be part of people's life.

Leslie Peterson

Coordinator - Center of Excellence, NBCUniversal

One of the hardest parts of my journey was moving to New York City from a small town and learning how to navigate the corporate world. Everyday I am learning something new and need to be okay with not knowing everything.

KeNisha Ruff

Founder, Marie Hunter Beauty

Less than 1% of luxury beauty founders are black. I am laying the groundwork for black founders to enter the prestige sector and using my company to inspire, break the stigma surrounding mental health, and fight climate change.

John Paul Endab

Physical Education Teacher, Joppa High School

As an educator, I truly believe that learning is a continuous process. It give us an opportunity to satisfy our curiosity, pursue our interests, or try new things.

Elena Takmakova

Manager - International Production, Universal Music Group

The thing that keeps me on track is remembering how far I've come. Just that simple feeling of being proud of myself can make miracles.

Deyonte

Fashion Designer, DWC Project Runway Season 16 Contestant

Everyone has challenges and obstacles they face in the industry. It's what you do with those minor situations that help you become better if you allow it. You have to fight for your vision and be relentless.

ABOUT THE INITIATIVE:

ABOUT OUR PARTNERS

Bill Carroll Production Director, Centennial Broadcasting I'm most proud of taking the courage to start a music foundation and help musicians with any kind of disability and who are on the spectrum. It's something close to me and very important to nourish.

B. Danielle Watkins Chief Programmer, iElevate Media Group Writing is my passion, creating is my heart, and telling stories gives me an escape I've never found anywhere else, so to be doing that for the masses is what success looks like for me.

Timothy Clarke Mixshow DJ/Personality, Radio One/Urban One, Sirius XM I want to be able to help upcoming artists be heard and seen on a global level, and be known as one of the biggest DJs turned A&R in hip-hop culture.

Sabrina Assistant Project Manager, Dirt Rock Empire For me, success means continuing to learn and grow everyday. Next, I hope to become an even bigger voice in the industry and help encourage positive change.

Rebecca Lu Business Development, Joes Footwear The biggest challenge is you never know when you will be challenged - they just pop out somehow, even you think you are doing the best. So don’t take challenge as monster, always be positive and do whatever you can.

Pavlina Koleva UX/UI Designer, Pixum To be a designer means you give people better experience, you help people and you try to see things through their eyes. Creating flexible products even for people with disabilities is great achievement. Design was and always will be part of people's life.

Leslie Peterson Coordinator - Center of Excellence, NBCUniversal One of the hardest parts of my journey was moving to New York City from a small town and learning how to navigate the corporate world. Everyday I am learning something new and need to be okay with not knowing everything.

KeNisha Ruff Founder, Marie Hunter Beauty Less than 1% of luxury beauty founders are black. I am laying the groundwork for black founders to enter the prestige sector and using my company to inspire, break the stigma surrounding mental health, and fight climate change.

John Paul Endab Physical Education Teacher, Joppa High School As an educator, I truly believe that learning is a continuous process. It give us an opportunity to satisfy our curiosity, pursue our interests, or try new things.

Elena Takmakova Manager - International Production, Universal Music Group The thing that keeps me on track is remembering how far I've come. Just that simple feeling of being proud of myself can make miracles.

Deyonte Fashion Designer, DWC Project Runway Season 16 Contestant Everyone has challenges and obstacles they face in the industry. It's what you do with those minor situations that help you become better if you allow it. You have to fight for your vision and be relentless.

Bill Carroll

Production Director, Centennial Broadcasting

I'm most proud of taking the courage to start a music foundation and help musicians with any kind of disability and who are on the spectrum. It's something close to me and very important to nourish.

B. Danielle Watkins

Chief Programmer, iElevate Media Group

Writing is my passion, creating is my heart, and telling stories gives me an escape I've never found anywhere else, so to be doing that for the masses is what success looks like for me.

Timothy Clarke

Mixshow DJ/Personality, Radio One/Urban One, Sirius XM

I want to be able to help upcoming artists be heard and seen on a global level, and be known as one of the biggest DJs turned A&R in hip-hop culture.

Sabrina

Assistant Project Manager, Dirt Rock Empire

For me, success means continuing to learn and grow everyday. Next, I hope to become an even bigger voice in the industry and help encourage positive change.

Rebecca Lu

Business Development, Joes Footwear

The biggest challenge is you never know when you will be challenged - they just pop out somehow, even you think you are doing the best. So don’t take challenge as monster, always be positive and do whatever you can.

Pavlina Koleva

UX/UI Designer, Pixum

To be a designer means you give people better experience, you help people and you try to see things through their eyes. Creating flexible products even for people with disabilities is great achievement. Design was and always will be part of people's life.

Leslie Peterson

Coordinator - Center of Excellence, NBCUniversal

One of the hardest parts of my journey was moving to New York City from a small town and learning how to navigate the corporate world. Everyday I am learning something new and need to be okay with not knowing everything.

KeNisha Ruff

Founder, Marie Hunter Beauty

Less than 1% of luxury beauty founders are black. I am laying the groundwork for black founders to enter the prestige sector and using my company to inspire, break the stigma surrounding mental health, and fight climate change.

John Paul Endab

Physical Education Teacher, Joppa High School

As an educator, I truly believe that learning is a continuous process. It give us an opportunity to satisfy our curiosity, pursue our interests, or try new things.

Elena Takmakova

Manager - International Production, Universal Music Group

The thing that keeps me on track is remembering how far I've come. Just that simple feeling of being proud of myself can make miracles.

Deyonte

Fashion Designer, DWC Project Runway Season 16 Contestant

Everyone has challenges and obstacles they face in the industry. It's what you do with those minor situations that help you become better if you allow it. You have to fight for your vision and be relentless.