Stand Together pledges support for NBA's social impact initiatives

Stand Together, a philanthropic community based in San Francisco, CA, announced their support for the NBA's social impact efforts during NBA All-Star 2025 and beyond. Together with NBA Cares and the NBA Foundation, Stand Together will work to engage communities throughout the San Francisco Bay Area in acts of service to create positive change. This partnership will launch during NBA All-Star 2025, with a series of social impact initiatives focused on empowering members of the community through educational opportunities, entrepreneurship, and building strong and safe communities.

“The NBA and Stand Together are united by a shared commitment to making a positive impact and strengthening the ties that bind our communities. This partnership allows us to leverage our collective strengths to create lasting change, while also empowering those in the community to embark on acts of service that will have a positive rippling effect on generations to come,”

said Kathy Behrens, NBA President of Social Responsibility & Player Programs.

“We are excited to tip off this work at NBA All-Star 2025, a weekend that truly brings people together for the love of their basketball and community.”  

“The NBA and its players have long been committed to making lasting social impact in the communities

they touch. At Stand Together, we share the NBA’s commitment to empowering people to overcome obstacles and creating sustainable solutions to the issues

impacting

them,”

said Colette Weintraub, Head of Stand Together Music, Sports & Entertainment.

“We recognize that every person has unique gifts and a desire to make a positive contribution in the world, that people create lives of meaning when

they’re

contributing

and

empowering others to do the same—and

that’s

what we hope to do through this partnership. Basketball brings people together, from playgrounds, parks, and NBA arenas around the country, people gather and celebrate community. The NBA provides a unique and powerful opportunity to engage, inspire, and mobilize people year-round. We are grateful to the NBA for teaming up with us to create greater impact together than we could on our own.”

Additionally, throughout the partnership, the NBA and Stand Together will

collaborat

e with

Bishop T.D. Jakes

and

Good Soil Forum

by empowering under-resourced Black entrepreneurs. 

“Since its inception, The Good Soil Forum has been dedicated to increasing and maintaining the economic health and generational wealth in our communities. We are excited to partner with the NBA and the Stand Together community to plant more seeds of growth, success, and community building for small business owners. We look forward to welcoming the next generation of innovators presented by the NBA who advance to the Good Soil Pitch Competition in June,”

said Michael Phillips, COO of T.D. Jakes Enterprises.

Chairman T.D. Jakes, Chairman & CEO of T.D. Jakes Enterprises

, added, “Entrepreneurship is one of the most powerful tools for economic mobility and long-term wealth creation. The Good Soil Forum provides an invaluable platform to equip small business owners with the resources, connections, and knowledge they need to scale their businesses and impact their communities. This collaboration is a testament to our commitment to fostering sustainable growth and opportunity.”

The

NBA Foundation

, in collaboration with the Golden State Warriors and the

Kapor Center

, will host the 2025

All-Star Pitch Competition

,

an event that will provide diverse entrepreneurs with the funding for their ventures and the opportunity to gain valuable input from influential business leaders across the NBA Family. Seven Bay Area early-stage startups will compete and pitch their businesses for cash prizes.  

Chase Koch,

Executive Vice President – Origination and Partnerships at Koch and founder of Koch Disruptive Technologies & Stand Together Music

, along with

Chiney Ogwumike,

WNBA All-Star

& ESPN host;

Spencer Skates

, CEO and Co-founder, Amplitude Analytics;

Rebecca Quick

,

co-anchorwoman of CNBC’s

“

Squawk Box

”

and

“

On the Mone

y;”

and Angela Yee

,

host of

the

syndicated radio show “Way Up,”

will serve as judges for the event. 

“Stand Together is proud to team up with the NBA because they share our commitment to empowering people to overcome obstacles and realize their potential,”

said Brian Hooks, chairman and CEO, Stand Together

. “The challenges facing our country are great, but the capabilities of the American people to address them are far greater. And by working together with the NBA, we can inspire millions of people to focus on what they can do to be part of the solutions to the problems holding people back.”

In addition to the All-Star Pitch Competition, the organizations will collaborate on additional initiatives during NBA All-Star 2025 including:   

NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service

The Stand Together community and partners, including Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, as well as Sal Khan, Founder & CEO, Khan Academy, will come alongside the NBA community to help amplify educational tools that can support teachers and students at Pride Elementary and Bret Harte Elementary. Stand Together works with partners across the country to transform K-12 education so every student can discover and develop their potential and purpose in life. Education partners include Khan Academy, which offers personalized, mastery-based education for learners and educators everywhere. Along with access to Khan Academy, Stand Together community partner Empowered will offer training and professional development for teachers. Stand Together will also provide 20 volunteers from across its network to participate in the All-Star Day of Service. 

NBA HBCU Classic presented by AT&T

Stand Together

partner

,

Darryl “DMC”

McDaniels

,

will lend

his

support to celebrate emerging

 HBCU talent and the next generation of basketball legends during the historic match-up between Morehouse College and Tuskegee University.