2022 Marcom Trends - Magazine - Page 44
DIVERSITY/PRO BONO SPOTLIGHT
Creating an Opportunity To Be SEEN
Andrew Richman, Associate, ajrichman@dglaw.com
The sports and entertainment industries, while one of the most coveted industries to break
into, have long been one of the most difficult to enter, particularly for black and brown
professionals. These industries have lacked diversity, making it difficult for black and brown
individuals to gain the exposure and experience needed to succeed in the business.
This combination has provided for a disparate impact, and one
that Sports and Entertainment Equity Network (SEEN), a 501(c)(3)
non-profit, is looking to break.
Led by industry veterans and co-founders, Melcolm Ruffin and
Tristan Mitchell, SEEN has made lasting impacts on 1500+
professionals as it strives to close the diversity, equity and inclusion
(DEI) gap prevalent in the business of Sports and Entertainment.
Through advancement, community building and giving back, SEEN
aims to offer its members the opportunity to accelerate their careers
and build authentic relationships, providing them with impactful
opportunities to reinvest their time and resources into the next
generation of diverse sports and entertainment leaders.
While initially founded in 2015, amidst the global pandemic, SEEN
and its leadership team decided to register as a non-profit to help
its growth and promote its mission. With the legal assistance of
Davis+Gilbert attorneys, including Davis+Gilbert associate and SEEN
board member Andrew Richman, SEEN was able to successfully
register and organize as a 501(c)(3) organization, and receive the
expertise needed to begin the journey of a sustainable organization.
Davis+Gilbert has supported SEEN in its grassroots origin and has
provided legal assistance in building the young organization from
the ground up, providing support from a trademark perspective,
advising on employment issues relating to SEEN’s first full-time
employee, providing risk assessments and analysis, drafting contract
templates and participant releases, and helping launch their website
SEENTogether.org. “Davis+Gilbert’s pro bono consultation has been
truly invaluable as we laid SEEN’s foundation for sustainable, longterm growth” — Melcolm Ruffin, SEEN’s President.
Making a Difference
To learn more about the organization, donate and find ways to
support their mission, visit their website and connect with them on
Instagram and LinkedIn.
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• Executed the SEEN Career Showcase, in which
over 125 black and brown professionals were able
to network and connect with recruiters from eight
of the top sports and entertainment organizations,
including the NBA, MLS, CAA and Overtime.
• Launched the SEEN-McCormack Fellowship in
partnership with the University of Massachusetts
Amherst to annually provide two individuals in the
SEEN network scholarships covering all tuition
and fees for the McCormack Department of
Sports Management’s top-ranked MS or MS/ MBA
program for the next three years.
• Executed several digital panels (including Black
Activism in Sports: Athletes Leveraging Their
Platform for Social Justice and Women Driving
Change: A Celebration of Women in the Sports and
Entertainment Industry) and various networking
events attended by more than 500 members.
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In the past year, SEEN has:
• Formed a highly successful mentorship program —
“SEEN NextGen” — which pairs young black and
brown professionals with two mentors each and has
already led to several new career opportunities for
its mentees.
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