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Kevin Garnett Launches 4XL--For Excellence in Leadership®
Foundation prepares minority high school and college students for careers in business and entrepreneurship
Minneapolis, February 18, 2002 -- Five-time NBA All-Star and Olympic gold medalist Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timberwolves announced that he has launched "4XL--For Excellence in Leadership®", a program designed to expose minority high school and college students to business and help them develop the skills, experience, and relationships important to enter their desired careers. 4XL® has three components:
- Business Immersion: Students visit companies in a variety of industries to gain insight into their operations, interact with executives, and participate in meetings in different functional areas.
- Leadership Development: With 4XL's® assistance, business immersion participants create and implement strategies to share what they have learned to influence broader populations of young people within their schools and local communities.
- Technology-Based Guidance: Later this year, 4XL® will launch its web site, www.4XLKG.com, that will provide career guidance for students at different levels of education, chronicle the experiences of participants, and enable students to apply for future 4XL® immersions.
Kevin Garnett launched 4XL® at the 2002 NBA All-Star Weekend. Two Minneapolis area students, who had been selected based on their school-related achievements and leadership potential, traveled to Philadelphia to learn about the business side of the National Basketball Association. Romone Penny, an 18-year-old senior at DeLaSalle High School, and Andrew Porter, a 20-year-old junior at Macalester College, completed a three-day immersion into many aspects of the NBA, including:
- Sponsorship, merchandise licensing, television, and international marketing meetings with NBA league executives in addition to one-on-one question and answer sessions
- Behind-the-scenes operations tour of the NBA's Jam Session interactive fan showcase
- Strategy session with Timberwolves executives and their marketing partners
- Participation in the NBA's All-Star Technology Summit in which they learned how technology is shaping the future of the sports business
- Meeting with Garnett in which they shared their immersion experience and listened to his perspective on the business side of the NBA
- Attendance at the 2002 All-Star Game to watch Garnett start for the Western Conference
 Penny, Porter, and Garnett will be featured in a special business edition of NBA Inside Stuff, which will air Saturday, February 23rd on NBC. 4XL® will soon begin to select minority students from various US cities and expand its immersion programs to other industries--including advertising and public relations, banking and financial services, consulting, entertainment, manufacturing, marketing, non-profit, retail, and technology.
"So many young people hope for a bright future but need the roadmap to help them pursue their passions and realize their dreams," said Garnett. "One of my passions is apparel, and I am learning how to be a successful entrepreneur. 4XL® provides opportunities for young people to gain exposure, guidance, and access to the business world, and I am excited to learn along with them."
"With the leadership position that Kevin is establishing in the NBA, in professional sports overall, and in the mainstream business community, Kevin can teach and achieve so much through his foundation's visionary work in minority communities," said Chris Wright, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of the Minnesota Timberwolves. "Kevin has found yet another unique, high-impact path to give back to the communities in which he lives, works, and plays."
 Garnett has launched 4XL® in partnership with Management Leadership For Tomorrow (MLT), a New York-based non-profit organization. MLT works to increase the presence of minorities in graduate business schools in preparation for leadership positions in corporations, entrepreneurial ventures, and non-profit organizations. "Kevin has the unique ability to influence young people to pursue business careers as well as connect them with executives who can provide expert guidance and open doors to life-changing opportunities," said John Rice, 4XL® Director and MLT Founder. "4XL®, in conjunction with MLT, addresses the dramatic underrepresentation of minorities in business and community leadership roles."
For additional information about Kevin Garnett's 4XL-For Excellence in Leadership® program, please contact Ken Blacklow at (212) 686-2960 or ken@4XL.org.
Kevin Garnett, 25 years old, is a seven-year NBA veteran, perennial All-Star forward for the Minnesota Timberwolves, and member of the gold-medal-winning USA Basketball team in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. He entered the NBA in 1995 directly after graduating from high school at Farragut Academy in Chicago. Garnett has marketing partnerships with several leading international brands, including AND1, General Mills, Wilsons Leather, Upper Deck Company, and Japan Energy. He is currently featured on the cover of Wheaties cereal boxes nationwide.
Garnett has been a spokesperson for American Express, EA Sports' NBA Live 2001 video game, Humongous Sports' Backyard Basketball game, and appeared in the American Dairy Association's "got milk?" campaign. Garnett serves on the boards of Solonis Inc., a Minneapolis-based technology company, and Bold Outdoor Media, a San Francisco outdoor advertising concern. He is also developing his own apparel brand, Official Block Family (OBF). He is a native of Mauldin, South Carolina.
Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) is a national non-profit 501c3 organization operating since 1994 that has conducted educational workshops on over 30 college campuses, has paired 350 minority students with experienced professional mentors, and offers technology-based programming and career guidance tools on its web site, www.ML4T.org. MLT is currently launching a career planning and entry-level full-time job placement program for college seniors as well as a Pre-MBA Preparation program for prospective minority applicants. MLT has over 35 corporate and foundation partners, including the Boston Consulting Group, Deutsche Bank, McGraw-Hill Companies, and Credit Suisse First Boston. MLT is a founding member of the Diversity Pipeline Alliance and works collaboratively with many colleges, graduate business schools and other non-profit organizations. For more information about MLT, contact Monica Santana, Executive Director, at (212) 686-2960, ext. 1 or monica@ML4T.org. |
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