NBA Veteran Langston Galloway and wife Sabrina share experience building company after taking Sneaker Essentials course

Langston and Sabrina Galloway visited the Business of Sports School, a public career-based high school in New York City, to share their journey creating their sneaker brand, Ethics, and to hold a basketball clinic for students.

Langston started his NBA career with the New York Knicks in 2015 and has played for several NBA and NBA G League teams since, including three years with the Detroit Pistons. 

Just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns, Langston took the FIT x Complex Sneaker Essentials course which inspired him to launch his brand.

Learn more about how Langston and Sabrina are giving back to the community in the video below, produced by CloseUp360.

How FIT x Complex Sneaker Essentials helped launch Ethics sneaker brand

On his experience taking Sneaker Essentials, Langston says, “[Yellowbrick was] one of the experiences that changed my life in business for the better. While finishing up the program, we had a scheduled meeting with a school in NYC. And at that exact timing, our whole world shut down. Really made me realize that tomorrow isn’t promised, and that I want to leave a legacy behind that my kids will be able to be a part of going forward in their life. The idea was born of Ethics and building a new lane! Something different that the Underdogs In This World Can Believe In!”

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After going to law school, Sabrina switched gears and headed to business school to become better prepared for building their own company. Sabrina credits the FIT x Complex Sneaker Essentials course for teaching Langston shoe design and how to break down the different parts that go into each shoe.

What is FIT x Complex Sneaker Essentials?

Sneaker Essentials is an online certificate course from the Fashion Institute of Technology. The course features experts from Complex and other professionals across the sneaker industry. Sneaker Essentials helps students build expertise in all aspects of the sneaker industry.

The video-based course includes lessons on:

  • Sneaker design and functionality
  • Manufacturing and distribution
  • Brand strategy and marketing
  • Publicity and media
  • Sneaker law

Sneakers Essentials is 100% online and can be taken on demand from anywhere, so students can study at their own pace. Graduates earn a certificate of completion from Fashion Institute of Technology.

Career Spotlight on Former Nike Marketing Manager Les Green

The sneaker industry is full of career opportunities. While sneaker design is one of the most sought after paths, there is a huge variety of other jobs and careers to pursue. The Sneaker Essentials course was designed to give students an inside look at all of the possible career paths and help them capitalize on their unique skills to carve out their own path . From marketing to design to engineering, there is a career opportunity for everyone.

Sneaker Essentials recently sat down with Teespring’s Vice President of Marketing, Les Green, to talk about some of the things he has accomplished across the industry. Green has held down some key positions in the sneaker industry. He has worked with some of the world’s most influential brands for over 18 years. He served as Nike Africa Marketing Director, Nike Mexico’s Senior Brand Director, Senior Brand Director Nike By You, and Global Brand Director Nike Sportswear. He played a key role in some important campaigns and product launches. He worked on the Nike Tech Pack. the 2012 Olympics, and Nike by you (which most people may know as Nike I.D.).

“I don’t want that exclusivity of product to

translate into exclusivity of talent and opportunity”

Check out the clip above to hear Les talk about breaking down barriers to breaking into the industry. Visit Sneaker Essentials to find out if a career in sneakers is right for you – and for more knowledge from former Nike Marketing Manager, Les Green.

Yellowbrick Highlights Student Entrepreneurs for National LGBT Month

The Yellowbrick student community is a great place to find budding talent. Our diverse community is a solid blend of students looking to find their place in a career that they love and others who are looking to grow their skillset. Yellowbrick programs are designed to give students the foundation they need to start building towards a career they are passionate about.

In honor of LGBT History Month, we are highlighting the websites and businesses of our LGBTQ student community. We’ve created a space to highlight some of the businesses that were founded by students in our courses. The landing page for these brands can be found here and when you click on the select squares, you can visit the pages and engage in their services. These businesses offer everything from t-shirts to hoodies to recording studios to makeup. This landing page was created to amplify the businesses and services in our Yellowbrick community.

Please take the time to visit the page and take a look at what some of these brands have to offer. There is also a main student businesses page and we will be adding to that list as the year progresses. Be sure to check back in from time to time.

“So I Could…” | Miguel Feliz

Sneaker Essentials graduate Miguel Feliz gives his take on the course in his Testimonial video featured above. Press play to watch what he had to say!

Name: Miguel Feliz
Course: Sneaker Essentials
IG Handle: @spidermigz

I enrolled in Sneaker Essentials so I could..
continue to learn more about the industry I plan to pursue a profession in, regardless of whether my plan is successful or not.

Where are you working now?
Right now, I am a Seasonal Athlete at the Nike House of Innovation on 5th Avenue. Previously I had an unpaid internship at Staple Pigeon.

How did the course prepare you for working in the sneaker industry?
There wasn’t any rock that was left unturned really. The course covered everything that needed to be covered in the process of coming out with product, at least to my understanding. I learned about crucial aspects when it comes to the actual manufacturing of a sneaker, the history of footwear, and how to market a product alike. I came into the course knowing I love sneakers, but now because of the course,I now know that I love to tell stories and I want to use sneakers as the medium in which I tell those stories from a marketing perspective.

What assignment, course, and/or instructor sticks out in your mind or taught you something valuable?
The sneaker design project was really fascinating and nerve racking at first. I was afraid to tackle the challenge at first but eventually I came up with a great story to tell which was reflected on the design. Throughout the course of completing the assignment, I learned how to use Adobe Illustrator and found a new hobby in making sneaker templates to create custom colorways in my free time.

How did the partnership with the Fashion Institute of Technology for Sneaker Essentials affect your choice to take the program?
It played a big role. I actually wanted to attend FIT so to be involved with the school and sneakers alike is a good look for me.

Has your experience in Sneaker Essentials impacted your career at all yet, and if so, how?
It played a role in my interview process for Nike. It helped bolster my resume and show that I was really serious about getting involved in the industry one way or another.

What would you say to a friend or fellow sneakerhead about Sneaker Essentials?
If you really love sneakers as much as you say you do or want to learn something new, this course is for you. No question about it.

Reebok x Yellowbrick Want You to #WriteYourLegacy

“Legacy isn’t just what you leave behind, it’s what you create” – #WriteYourLegacy

Reebok silhouettes have a solid place in sneaker culture history. From the colorful 5411s that got their name because of their price plus tax to the Iverson legacy that followed him even after his career ended, their silhouettes and styles tell stories that will live on forever. There is so much to be said about creating something that’ll have a permanent place in the history of sneaker culture. Sneaker culture has been carefully curated for years. Whether it is a shoe design or an editorial written about a moment, playing a role in shaping the culture is epic. If you are a High School student with a design dream who wants to earn his/her spot in sneaker culture, this contest is for you. 

Reebok and Yellowbrick have teamed up to help give young designers a chance to earn their spot in sneaker history. Fifteen High School students will have a chance at a mentorship opportunity with Xavier Jones, one of Reebok’s leading designers. Aside from an amazing mentorship opportunity, the chosen fifteen will also have a chance at a two-month apprenticeship with the brand and a chance to reimagine an iconic Reebok Classics silhouette. The application is open until April 15, 2020 @ 5pm EST. If you are a high school student or know a high school student who is ready to get their design on, click here to apply.

If a career in sneakers is something that you are interested in, visit Sneaker Essentials for more information.