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Last month, our Stand Together team had the opportunity to discuss what it looks like when athletes, teams, and community organizations come together at the 2026 Sports Business Journal World Congress of Sports. We spoke with Miles Killebrew, Andrew Saltzman, and Chad Houser on how they bring these ideas to life showing how investing in athletes as leaders can strengthen teams, deepen fan engagement, and support mutually beneficial partnerships rooted in their communities. To read the full story and highlights, check out Colette Weintraub's post on LinkedIn.
Stand Together was proud work alongside NBA and Habitat for Humanity during All-Star Weekend for the NBA Cares Day of Service, supporting efforts to help families affected by last year’s wildfires and continuing to build momentum behind Be The People. To read the full story and highlights from the day, check out Colette Weintraub’s LinkedIn recap.
Exciting News from Stand Together Trust Over the past several years, our community has been evolving in how we approach some of the country’s toughest challenges. In addition to supporting impactful solutions, we’ve been working to help those solutions break through in culture — shifting mindsets and changing paradigms at scale. That kind of ambition requires us to continually rethink how we operate and build new capabilities to meet the opportunity ahead. As part of that evolution, Stand Together Trust has acquired Proto, a growth strategy and innovation consultancy that has already been a key partner in our movement-building efforts. Proto has played an important role in advancing work like Uniting Americans Around Our Founding Principles, and we’re excited to deepen our collaboration as we discover even more ways to work together. This step reflects our ongoing commitment to strengthening our ability to drive meaningful, lasting change. We’re looking forward to what we’ll build alongside our new colleagues at Proto. This news was shared publicly last week, and you can learn more on the Stand Together website or via Brian Hooks’ LinkedIn.
“My Cause My Cleats” Launches for 2025-26 Season Stand Together is expanding its partnership with the NFL through this year’s My Cause My Cleats initiative—an effort that’s helping transform powerful ideas into meaningful social change. Thousands of players across the league are showcasing the causes they care about most, including several supported by Stand Together community partners like Devoted Dreamers Academy, Café Momentum, the Travis Manion Foundation, CarePortal, and DBG Detroit. The campaign is already generating national attention. Pro Bowl linebacker Demario Davis and Stand Together chairman and CEO Brian Hooks coauthored an op-ed spotlighting how players are driving solutions in their communities, and the NFL has released a full announcement where fans can explore each player’s featured cause. At its heart, My Cause My Cleats celebrates people taking action to tackle the problems they know best. We’re excited to deepen this collaboration and continue supporting those leading change on—and off—the field.
Learning Lab Launches a New Podcast! Exciting news from Learning Lab Wichita — a collaborative hub in downtown Wichita dedicated to transforming K–12 education through innovative, student-driven models and community collaboration. Supported by the Stand Together community, Learning Lab empowers educators, families, and education entrepreneurs to design personalized learning experiences that help every student discover their unique gifts and potential. In the inaugural episode of the new podcast, “Let’s Get Personal: Real Talk about Reimagining Education,” Learning Lab Director Lydia Hampton and Community Director Kristin Bogner share how the Lab came to life and why individualized learning is key to helping every learner thrive. 🎧 Listen to the first episode now, and tune in for new episodes released each Wednesday!
Forbes Honors Charles Koch for a Lifetime of Principled Giving Our founder, Charles Koch, received the Forbes 400 Lifetime Achievement Award for Philanthropy. The honor recognizes more than $8 billion in giving over six decades — but even more so, it celebrates his lifelong commitment to sharing time, ideas, and principles that help people realize their potential. When presenting the award, Steve Forbes described Charles as someone “never content with surface answers… always seeking depth, truth, and better ways forward.” He added that Charles’s philanthropy “was designed not for headlines, but for enduring impact — guided by conviction, curiosity, and a belief that when people are trusted and supported, society moves forward.” At Stand Together, we see that belief in action every day — in how we partner with social entrepreneurs, empower communities, and work to remove barriers so everyone can live a life of meaning and contribute to others.
Exciting News! Stand Together in collaboration with La Mar Taylor has launched WAY (Who Are You?™), a long-term campaign challenging the outdated idea that traditional degrees are the only path to success. Built with No More Dreams Studios, WAY empowers young people to define success through their own talents, creativity, and passions. The campaign debuted during The Weeknd’s stadium tour with interactive “WAY Stations” and features leaders like Richard Branson, Killer Mike, Melissa Proctor, and Iddris Sandu sharing their unconventional journeys. At its core, WAY is about giving people permission to pursue meaningful, individualized career paths—and to ask the powerful question: Who are you?
On July 17th, Stand Together announced its collaboration in NextLadder Ventures — a $1 billion initiative built on the belief that every American has the potential to achieve economic prosperity. This effort is focused on advancing technology and tools that expand economic opportunity for low-income Americans. We’re proud to partner with Ballmer Group, Gates Foundation, Valhalla Foundation, and John Overdeck in this transformative venture. Together, we’re working to empower people to realize their potential — a core part of our vision for a society of equal rights and mutual benefit. You can learn more in the news release, on the Stand Together website, and in Brian Hooks’ LinkedIn post — plus see coverage in the Associated Press.
As we look ahead, it’s worth noting that one year from now, our country will mark a historic milestone: the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence — a document that affirms a profound and enduring truth — that every person is born with inherent rights, not granted by any government or group, but by virtue of being human. In a recent Wall Street Journal column by Andy Kessler, Stand Together CEO Brian Hooks reflected on this moment, citing the enduring relevance of America’s founding ideals: “Frederick Douglass called the principles in the Declaration of Independence ‘Saving Principles’ and implored Americans to do more to live up to them, promising that as we do, we’ll make progress as a country. The next year will be a time to look forward and recommit to the American experiment.” These “saving principles” remain central to our vision at Stand Together. They are not just part of our history — they are a living call to action. Guided by the values of Dignity, Openness, and Mutual Benefit, we each have a role to play in ensuring these ideas are reflected in how we collaborate, how we lead, and how we engage with one another every day.
From May 13–15, the Stand Together community development team hosted over 100 Stand Together Ventures partners in Austin, Texas, for our annual gathering. These partners—leaders and innovators across industries—bring their time, talent, and resources to help co-create bold solutions with our community. Founded by Chase Koch, the Ventures community plays a key role in shaping strategies that tackle society’s biggest challenges. Chase shared his reflections from the event. Highlights from the event included: ~Saneel Radia of Proto sharing insights on movement-building ahead of America’s 250th. ~Tech leaders collaborating on how AI can advance free speech and human flourishing. ~New partners joining our mission and exploring ways to contribute. A big thank you to all Stand Together employees who helped make this event a success—your work created meaningful experiences and lasting connections.
