INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Harvard University men's soccer sophomore
Phoenix Wooten participated in the inaugural NCAA Legacy Lab – a four-day event that welcomed 41 Division I student-athletes from NCAA member schools to the NCAA national office from Feb. 26 to March 1.
Legacy Lab is a first-year program designed to help sophomore and junior student-athletes explore entrepreneurship while still competing for NCAA member schools. The programming seeks to equip learners with experiences to enable them to turn their ideas into sustainable ventures. Student-athletes left the four-day themed sessions with the tools to successfully plan and pitch their potential ventures, as well as a strengthened purpose to build their legacy beyond athletics.
"Legacy Lab gives learners the rare chance to slow down, reflect and redesign their path with intention," said Ashley Jocelyn, associate director of leadership development programs and initiatives. "This program is built with the foundational concept of allowing the learners a space to understand their story, so that they can build something substantial and do it in their own way. In the Legacy Lab, we don't just talk about legacy, we practice it. The conversations, the challenges, the breakthroughs … they all shape leaders who are built to last far beyond this program. Our learners can be elite in everything they put their minds to; this is just a platform where they can feel comfortable in doing so."
Learners engaged with members of the NCAA staff and professionals across various industries through breakout sessions, panel discussions and networking opportunities. Each breakout session and panel discussion covered a different entrepreneurial topic like financial literacy, legal basics, pitching and more. Learners also heard from Kodi Brenner, Sophia Groth Davila, Kate Fitzgerald and Demitra Carter who led The Athlete Entrepreneurial Panel — all former student-athletes who've built businesses; crafted name, image and likeness deals; or focused on the profit-for-good sector.
Across the four days, learners had several opportunities to "choose their own track," allowing them to select one of three sessions that covered a specific entrepreneurial topic. The track options included NIL risk management, building a strong business plan, learning how to build a purpose-driven venture, branding in a social world, marketing a brand and purpose-driven marketing.
