Sports & Society

Sports in the Public Interest

The Sports & Society Program occupies a unique place in the landscape of sports. Our mission is to convene leaders, facilitate dialogue, and inspire solutions that help sport serve the public interest. Since 2011, we have provided a venue for thought leadership where knowledge can be deepens and breakthrough strategies explored on a range of opportunities, from growing youth access to play, rethinking the model for college athlete pay and building healthy communities through sports.

We serve as an honest broker of ideas, sourced from the thousands of leaders, organizations and athletes who have engaged with our work. We produce research, reports, analysis and events that shape important conversations and help mobilize stakeholders for action, in the U.S. and other countries. Our signature initiatives are Project Play and the Future of Sports series.


Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does.

Nelson Mandela

Our Team


Ruby Avila

Program Associate

Jennifer Brown Lerner

Deputy Director

Tom Farrey

Executive Director

Marty Fox

Program Manager

Ashleigh Huffman, Ph.D

Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships

Sabrina McDonnell

Program Associate

Vincent Minjares, Ph.D

Program Manager

Katherine Quinn

Project Play Summit Director

Jon Solomon

Community Impact Director