CLEVELAND -- The McLendon Foundation and underdog venture team announced a strategic partnership rooted in each organization's shared mission to expand opportunities for underrepresented communities in the sports industry. The focus of the partnership is to elevate the Foundation through expanded marketing and brand development, partnerships and strategic organizational enhancements to make a lasting impact. 
The McLendon Foundation, administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), is dedicated to the educational advancement and cultivation of minority administrators. "Since the beginnings of the McLendon Foundation with NACDA's first Executive Director Mike Cleary, the Association has been dedicated to upholding the values of John McLendon and supporting the Foundation in his name," said Bob Vecchione, CEO, NACDA. "Bringing the McLendon Foundation and underdog venture team together will heighten awareness and enhance efforts across the board in growing the pipeline of talented minority athletics administrators in the collegiate and professional space."
The McLendon Foundation was established in 1999 by NACDA to honor the legacy of Hall of Fame coach John McLendon who was a pioneer in the field of athletics, the game of basketball, and the civil rights arena. The McLendon Foundation's mission is to empower and develop minorities who aspire to be principled leaders in athletics administration by providing educational resources and access to a life-long community of mentors. All organizational planning for the Foundation directly aligns with the values of Coach McLendon: Integrity, Education, Leadership and Mentorship.
underdog, experts in brand building within the sports and entertainment industries, brings its full suite of capabilities to bolster the important work being done by the McLendon Foundation. "We are thrilled to work alongside the McLendon Foundation to amplify John McLendon's meaningful and significant story," said Nicole Jeter West, CEO, underdog venture team. "The opportunity to expand and elevate the Foundation's Scholarship and Leadership Initiative programs is one we embrace and take very seriously. The Foundation's support of young people from underrepresented communities is significant and aligns with underdog's mission and commitment."
"The McLendon Foundation has made great strides in a short amount of time over the last few years, and our reach continues to expand," said Adrien Harraway, Director, McLendon Foundation and Vice President, NACDA. "Together with the expertise of underdog venture team, the programs within the Foundation will be able to attract, retain and develop dedicated and passionate young minority administrators, making a profound and lasting impact on them both professionally and personally."
The Foundation offers two programs with one goal: Create access and opportunity for minorities. The Minority Postgraduate Scholarship Program offers eight (8) $10,000 postgraduate scholarships to minority candidates who are planning to pursue a master's degree in athletics administration or sport management. Over $1,245,000 in scholarship funds have been awarded since the Foundation's inception. These individuals are known as McLendon Scholars.
The Minority Leadership Initiative (MLI) started in July 2020 as a coach-driven program to create access and opportunity for meaningful employment experience for minority candidates and enhancing their career options. Originally funded by collegiate coaches (MLI Ambassadors), the MLI is a one-year program open to candidates with a Bachelor's degree. The initiative has drawn more than 80 coaches nationally from a variety of sports to serve as both ambassadors and the primary source of funding. In less than two years, the MLI eclipsed $1.5 million in funding to fuel the significant growth of the participants (MLI Future Leaders). This financial commitment, coupled with strategic professional development networking and educational sessions, has resulted in over 98 percent of MLI Future Leaders advancing to full-time jobs following their participation in the program. For the 2022-23 academic year, the MLI features 60 Ambassadors supporting 50 Future Leaders working at 44 different schools/organizations.
"The success of the McLendon Foundation is due to the tireless efforts of a handful of supporters connected to NACDA and college athletics over the last 20 years," said Glenn Horine, Partner, underdog venture team. "The entire team at underdog is excited to leverage our collective resources to elevate the McLendon brand, broaden its reach, and attract more organizations who want to support a Future Leader or endow a Scholarship program."
The goal of the partnership is to establish the McLendon Foundation as the destination for curating diverse, best-in-class, career-ready talent for the sports industry. To get involved as an organization or coach, please contact Adrien Harraway (AHarraway@nacda.com).
About the McLendon Foundation: The McLendon Foundation, established in 1999, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded and administered by NACDA. Through the scholarship program and leadership initiative, the McLendon Foundation provides minorities educational resources, practical experiences and serves as a vehicle for networking, career advancement and advocacy on behalf of the profession. More information regarding the McLendon Foundation can be found at minorityleaders.org and @McLendonScholar.
About underdog venture team: underdog venture team, launched in March 2022, specializes in brand building through an integrated mix of strategy, marketing partnerships, public relations, experiential services, advisory and investment and its in-house venture studio. Leveraging the combination of a diverse leadership team with its unique service offerings, underdog offers its partners the opportunity to invest in early stage, ahead of the curve, startups to bring new technology and services to the sports and entertainment industry. With social impact at its core, underdog advocates for representation in the early-entry stages of business and a company pledge that 66% of investment is dedicated to BIPOC and woman-owned companies. For more information on underdog, visit us at underdogteam.com and follow us @underdog.
