Converse will be opening its All-Stars youth mentorship programme to the public for the first time, with the aim to incorporate a more grassroots approach to supporting youth action.
For over two years,the brand has been engaging and building with a grassroots global community of more than 3,000 individuals from more than 27 cities, spanning LA to Lima, the Converse All-Stars. These emerging leaders champion change in sport and culture.The shoe company pledged a $1m investment over two years to a new accelerator programme that aims to fund All-Star ideas.
All-Stars youth mentorship programme hinges on a community-focused ecosystem of mentorship, commission and funding, with Converse’s global network facilitating capacity building that helps young creatives gain professional experience and opportunity.
Converse will now be opening this community to the public, inviting up to 250 creative individuals to join Converse All-Stars. New members will have the opportunity to engage with the All-Star Series, an ongoing experience of one-of-a-kind workshops, conversations and performances facilitated by Converse’s extended creative family.
Past All-Star Series sessions have included the likes of Tobe Nwigwe, Jefferson Hack, Virgil Abloh and Samuel Ross.
In October 2020, All-Stars will have the opportunity to submit individual proposals to Converse on ideas they believe will change the game. Beginning in 2021, the first annual class of Captains will each receive a year’s worth of funding to help bring their ideas to fruition along with mentorship opportunities from Converse.
This Captain’s class will also be directly and actively involved in providing feedback for and insights into Converse brand work, selecting future All-Stars and influencing experiences and programming for the community. Converse will share the collective progress made throughout the journey.
Converse All Star Captains was conceived for and by the Converse All-Stars community over the course of nine months, with a core group of thirteen individuals from nine countries steering its final format. The committee includes Harvard College Student Body president and vice president, James Mathew and Ifeoma “Ify” White-Thorpe, who unexpectedly went viral in November 2019 for their inclusive undergraduate council campaign.
