Ep.19 / Benjamin Anderson Bashein, CEO The Skatepark Project
Fueling Skateboarding Culture As A Force For Good:
Ben Bashein is CEO of The Skatepark Project, the nonprofit founded by legendary skater Tony Hawk, where he leads the mission to create safe, accessible, and inclusive public skateparks for youth in underserved communities across the U.S. and internationally. Ben is a seasoned social impact executive with more than 25 years of experience in leadership roles focused on public health, human rights, disaster relief, and youth development.
We talked about Ben’s journey from college to world of non-profits including Planned Parenthood to CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort), Sean Penn's disaster relief organization. His journey is interesting as he has specialized in collaborating with talent and influencers to advance philanthropic goals and is acutely aware of the role that culture can have in marketing and raising awareness and relevancy.
This conversation included:
The power of skateboarding for community and personal development
Leveraging culture to enhance nonprofit visibility and impact
The way to work with celebrity founders like Tony Hawk and Sean Penn
Using partnerships with brands to drive funding and awareness
Authenticity as key to successful nonprofit-brand collaborations
The role of storytelling vs. just marketing and fundraising
Investing in nonprofit infrastructure and the need for creative fund-raising strategies
Ben was professionally jealous of Laurent Claquin, one time Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, and now Chief Brand Officer at Kering, for the work that he has done for good within the luxury brand space.
Check out:https://skatepark.org/
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