NEXT
PLAY
High performance has a new pipeline.
Athletes are the most overlooked emerging business class in America.
While companies scramble to hire for resilience, adaptability, teamwork, and sound decision-making under pressure, athletes have been training these skills for years at elite levels.
Yet they remain one of the most underutilized talent pipelines—not because they lack ability, but because our systems haven't learned how to consistently translate athletic excellence into economic opportunity.
The Gap. 
Next Play is the bridge between athletic excellence and economic opportunity.
We translate the discipline, resilience, and high-performance mindset athletes
develop through years of competition into real-world leadership, career mobility,
and entrepreneurial success.
We don’t replace the athlete mindset — we activate it.
Who we are.
The bridge program
A multi-phase program that translates athletic excellence into leadership, career readiness, and entrepreneurial capability.
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Athletes learn the fundamentals of strategy, communication, decision-making, financial literacy, and entrepreneurial thinking.
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Each participant is matched with business leaders, founders,
and industry mentors. -
Athletes engage with employers, startups, and community partners, gaining insight into new pathways and opportunities.
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We build a supportive cohort model — connecting athletes to peers, alumni, and a growing national network of athlete-leaders.
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Athletes have access to ongoing resources, workshops, and a network for long-term career progression.
“
Next play is the bridge I wish I had.
I spent years training to perform at the highest level. When my playing career ended, I realized the system that built me had no plan for what came next.
Damien Wilkins
Next Play Executive Director
Former NBA Player
Meet the Board
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Damien Wilkins
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Anna Karefa-Johnson
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Kacy Keys
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Le’Sheala Dawson
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Rodney Bell
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Maya Guice
How you can support.Help us build the bridge.
We are seeking founding partners to help launch and scale Next Play’s first year of programming.
Your investment will:
Fund the first athlete cohorts and provide full access to the Bridge curriculum.
Build the foundational infrastructure needed for
long-term sustainability.
Expand mentorship,
internships, career pathways.
Accelerate the economic mobility of a massively overlooked talent pipeline.
Let’s start the conversation.
Your support does more than fund a program.
It unlocks a leadership pipeline that we can’t afford to ignore.