Every issue, GRAZIA USA highlights 17 Game Changers, who inspire, educate, and celebrate individuality, beauty, and style. Meet Felicia Mayo, who leads Nike’s Talent, Diversity, & Culture Department while moving people into action to create a better world.
I was born in a small city, Rocky Mount, NC, to loving parents who focused on wanting more for their kids. My father was a mechanic at heart while working in the pharmaceutical industry and my mother was a stay-at-home mom. In hindsight, solving challenging problems was from the experiences of my parents and the dinner conversations.
You can see that my background set the path for my future. As I reflect on some of the experiences that I had in this small city that was predominantly Black, I found that it prepared me for my life’s work in diversity and inclusion at Nike. I always desired for ways to grow in my community but did not have resources like those we currently provide through the partnerships of grassroots organizations we partner with for our philanthropic initiative, the Black Community Commitment.
What attracted me to joining Nike’s leadership team is our unwavering commitment to purpose through the pillars of People, Planet, and Play. Nike is a growth company committed to innovation, purpose, and sport, where we believe that if you have a body, you are an athlete. Fifty years ago, Nike started with 30 employees and a dream to build the best running shoes in the world. Since Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman founded Nike on a handshake, we’ve been guided by our values and a commitment to doing the right thing for athletes. As we celebrate 50 years of breaking barriers this year, we are reminded of our hopes and dreams as a company and how much more we must do at the intersection of innovation, purpose and sport.
In the current landscape it is imperative that companies like Nike continue to focus on purpose. The power of Nike bringing purpose through the product and athletes gives so much hope to the same youth and causes the glimmer of hope in the youth’s eyes. I am also motivated by the impact that we are having by partnering with athletes in innovative ways to accomplish our purpose-driven goals. For example, we are incredibly proud of our partnership with Serena Williams on the creation and launch of the Serena William Design Crew (SWDC). As part of the SWDC, Nike designers and mentors worked with Serena to identify up to ten up-and-coming designers to create a new era where diverse perspectives are celebrated and empowered.
Consumers have a heightened sense of purpose and require it from brands like Nike. At Nike, we recognize that purpose is critical, and we take it very seriously. We set targets that are ambitious to continue to push boundaries in the industry and to push ourselves. We see the power that people have to move the world forward.
It’s important to create visual cues that keep you focused and hopeful during these unprecedented times. If you need to place reminders around your home, do it; speak it. Sticky notes on your mirror with sayings of hope. Meditations in the morning to set your intentions and incorporate health and wellness into your daily routine. For me, taking a walk provides space and the ability to focus on a hopeful future. Also, be good and do good always. That is positive change within itself. Being good and doing good accelerates hope for others and will in turn attract positive outcomes for you as well. Values and a focus on doing good for the world create a chain reaction, one that we at Nike hope we are a part of through our commitment to purpose.
— As told to Melissa Cronin
To read more Game Changers, pick up GRAZIA USA’s March 2022 issue on newsstands and email [email protected] to subscribe.
