Converse

Fueling youth leadership and creativity through positive youth development is core to Converse and the work of our Social & Community Impact team. To further this goal, our SCI team partners with non-profit organizations to create and fund programs that #support and engage youth across a variety of intersectional communities. Knowing an important part of this work is #collaboration, Converse created Community Conversations—a moment for all US-based partners to come together to meet, learn from each other, and celebrate the impact of their work. For its second year, Converse Community Conversations was held at our HQ in Boston. During the two-day experience, there were site visits to local non-profits and workshops that focused on inclusivity, fostering culture, intergenerational impact, and more. We also hosted 70-plus young people from our local community partners at Converse HQ for a celebration that included music, art, and a ton of Converse swag. A huge thank you to all the organizations that participated!

As part of NIKE, Inc., Converse is committed to shaping a better future for all through the power of community. Learn more about our progress toward People, Planet and Play targets in the FY23 NIKE, Inc. Impact Report, here: about.nike.com/impact.

Converse is honored to be recognized by the ANA AIMM and the Cultural Inclusion Accelerator™ as the most culturally inclusive brand of 2023 in their LGBTQ Category. 🌈 🌈 🌈   Last week, we took home gold for our 2023 Proud to Be campaign that celebrated those who are proud to be living in the power and joy of being themselves.   What started almost 10 years ago with the establishment of the Converse Pride Network—our LGBTQIA Employee Resource Group—and a grassroots effort from LGBTQIA employees and allies to show support for the community, has grown into a core belief that our brand has a responsibility to be a champion of #progress, #representation, and access to #opportunity.   As we look ahead to our upcoming Proud to Be campaign and collection, Converse will continue to stand alongside the LGBTQIA community through partnerships, grants, campaigns, and product that champion self-expression.   A huge thank you to the LGBTQIA teammates and allies who lead our efforts each year, the Converse Pride Network for being a committed resource and support system for employees around the world, and to our community partners—The Ali Forney Center, BAGLY, Inc., COC Nederland, Homotopia, It Gets Better, and The Theater Offensive—for working with us to build and maintain deep connections to the community.    Finally, a special thank you to Jessica (Jess) Collado-Aleman, Pride Brand Lead and Co-Chair of the Converse Pride Network, for accepting this award on behalf of our team.   Learn more about the global community of creatives featured in the award-winning campaign here: https://lnkd.in/ec-Dmf4b

Nearly 40 years ago, Converse debuted our most iconic basketball silhouette—the Converse Weapon—at NBA All-Star Weekend. At that moment, we introduced to the game of basketball a silhouette that would become the preeminent sneaker of choice for players of the era. Since then, the connection between Converse and basketball has been unbreakable, our unique histories forever intertwined. Earlier this month, our legacy and impact in the sport came full circle as we returned to NBA All-Star Weekend for the re-launch of the Converse Weapon, led by our Create History Not Hype campaign starring Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. On the ground in Indianapolis, Converse created a branded footprint in the streets with a one-of-a-kind pop-up experience, along with a tri-brand moment with Nike and Jordan as part of an activation with Foot Locker. But we weren’t done there… Converse hosted Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for a conversation on the re-launch of the Converse Weapon, the Create History Not Hype campaign, and his ongoing partnership with our brand, moderated by fashion and basketball journalist Speedy Morman. What a big weekend for basketball and an even bigger weekend for our brand. Check out some of the photos below! #CreateNext #WeCreateNext #NBAAllStarWeekend

Boston-based teammates sitting at Converse HQ—including Ilana Finley, VP, Global Communications and Social & Community Impact—participated in the 8th annual MLK Day College, Career, and Health Fair, hosted by local community partner The BASE.   A huge shoutout to the entire team who dedicated their time to connect with local youth. #LifeAtConverse #TeamConverse

As we wrap each year, the Converse Lovejoy Market is an opportunity for our teammates to showcase their creativity and how they #CreateNext by sharing and selling their personal creations at Lovejoy, Converse’s global headquarters. Check out the highlights from the festivities below. #LifeAtConverse #CreateLoveAndJoy

According to Sneaker News, the Converse x Martine Ali Chuck 70 De Luxe Wedge is the wildest shoe of 2023. Do you agree? We’re definitely here for it! Last week, Converse officially kicked off our partnership with three dynamic designers—Martine Ali, Isabel Marant, and Feng Chen Wang—to #CreateNext and introduce something unmistakably confident and unconventionally daring. First up: Brooklyn-based jewelry and accessories designer Martine Ali took the Chuck 70 De Luxe Wedge—our newest silhouette—and remixed it with her sleek, modular, and utilitarian aesthetic that evokes the 90s and early 2000s. Check out the full story below!

Happy #GivingTuesday2023!    Learn how Converse teammate Jillian Rolland is making impact on #GivingTuesday2023 for a cause she cares deeply about: empowering women and girls. A huge shoutout to you, Jillian. You make all of us at #TeamConverse so proud!    Our Converse team is the heart of community impact for our brand, volunteering and donating in the cities where we live, work, and play. As part of NIKE, Inc., our team joins the movement to give back by donating to organizations around the world on Give Your Best — our employee giving platform. Today — #GivingTuesday — all donations receive a 2x match, doubling the impact of our team!    Converse team, where are you giving today?! #GiveYourBest #LifeAtConverse

At Converse, we hold a long-standing relationship to music and the musicians that take the industry to new places. So, it should be no surprise that we love a music festival. We love discovering new artists, walking around the grounds, and—most importantly—scoping out what everyone is wearing.    When longtime brand partner Tyler, the Creator told us he was bringing back his iconic Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival—the first time since 2019—we knew we had to be there to celebrate the return and our connection to music, skate, and creativity.    We kicked off the weekend holding nothing back… Giant, inflatable One Star Pro? Check!    Our Converse CONS riders turning the venue into their personal skate park? Check! An immersive pop-up experience where attendees could customize some of our signature silhouettes? Check!    A big shoutout to the cross-functional team who brought this moment to life for our brand, especially our local LA Store team who made sure all attendees got the optimal Converse experience.    Check out some highlights from the weekend below.

At this month’s Brandweek—Adweek's premiere marketing conference—Converse CMO Sejal Shah Miller sat down for a fireside chat where she debuted our brand’s first Emerging Creatives Report. “As a brand with a longstanding history of championing creativity, we saw an opportunity to provide a look forward, through the eyes of the next generation of creatives and their perspective on the process, tools, access and creative industry structures,” said Shah Miller. Leveraging over 500 emerging creatives from our All Star Community—a global collective from around the world connected through immersive experiences, mentorship opportunities, commissioned work, and more—the survey offers insights into what is driving their craft, fueling their creative pursuits, and causing concerns.   Check out the findings from the Emerging Creatives Report by visiting https://lnkd.in/eCWQMad7