RECAP: Kings Host Sixth Installment of Team Up for Change Focused on Youth Mental Health Awareness and Entrepreneurship

This year the Sacramento Kings continued their steadfast commitment to social justice with the sixth installment of Team Up for Change. This award-winning initiative, initially launched in 2018 in partnership with the Milwaukee Bucks, is designed to inspire, unite, and activate around a call for social justice and racial equality.  Since its launch, the initiative has grown to include multiple NBA and WNBA teams and expanded to directly reach youth and vulnerable communities. 

The 2024 Team Up for Change: Mindful Hustle was attended by more than 50 local youth and focused on mental health awareness and entrepreneurial opportunities. The two-part program included a robust lineup of speakers, activities and workshops designed to foster tools needed to maintain mental health wellness while equipping the young minds with the resources needed to navigate challenges, build resilience, and explore entrepreneurial opportunities. Kings partners SMUD, CalHope and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s G-Unity Foundation supported the event with resources and more. Following the event, participants were invited to a Kings game to showcase their innovations, products, and services on the arena concourse for fans to view. 

Mindful Hustle Event Encourages Youth and Promotes Entrepreneurship 

On February 13, the team hosted a 4-hour event bringing together youth and changemakers in the Sacramento region with programing including mental health workshops, interactive panels, and hands on activities. The event consisted of three sessions titled Inspire You, Unite Us, and Activate the World, each focused on supplying tools needed to prioritize mental wellness and motivation designed to encourage them to pursue their passions. 

The first session, Inspire You, was filled with interactive activities to empower youth to recognize their individual impact on the world. Participants had the opportunity to play video games with the Kings NBA 2K team, Kings Guard Gaming and learn how to make their own, unique tote bag. The session was emceed by Don Hicks, a junior at Encina High School and Sacramento Area Youth Speaks (SAYS) poet and Taejomn King and Edgar Yanez from CalHOPE spoke on the importance of prioritizing your wellness. 

To highlight positive ways to relieve stress, participants also made plant basketballs, which uses a ball as a planter’s pot, emphasizing the importance of engaging your creativity as an outlet. Youth also took part in a meaningful discussion on personal growth led by Give and Grow CEO and Founder Olivia Ho. 

“The purpose of the plant activity was this idea of new growth and new beginnings and being able to have youth plant the seed of intention for their futures,” said The Give and Grow CEO and Founder Olivia Ho. 

Sacramento Kings Chief Operating Officer Matina Kolokotronis and SMUD Chief Diversity Officer Jose Bodipo-Memba provided remarks to inspire and encourage the youth before the participants took part in a wellness workshop. Author and motivational speaker Karega Bailey, M.Ed., led his Head. Heart. Hand: The Foundations for Building Healthy Relationships workshop with each attendee receiving a toolkit focused on creating daily affirmations. 

The second session, Unite Us, served as an opportunity to further cultivate a sense of community and build effective conflict resolution skills. Byron Hughes, Chief Culinary Officer of the Last Supper Society, hosted a workshop on community and food, having the participants assist in creating a meal while discussing the many pathways to success. 

“I have had an untraditional route, and it is empowering to show the youth to hear success stories, or different routes to success, the traditional path is not always the necessary path,” said The Last Supper Society Chief Culinary Officer Byron Hughes. “With the right passion, drive, and determination and a clear mind on your goals, it will give you endless routes for opportunities and keep you pushing towards your goals.” 

The day concluded with Activate the World, designed to motivate the participants to think big. This session featured video remarks by G-Unity Foundation Founder Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and a G-Unity Foundation workshop led by Anthony Curtis, Senior Manager of Volunteer Programs Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), to emphasize opportunities available for youth to pursue their dreams.  

“At NFTE, we believe in empowering young people about how they can own their futures and ignite the entrepreneurial mindset, and today was all about helping the students think about innovative and creative ways to think about mental health and physical wellbeing and how they can be a part of the solution,” said Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship Senior Manager of Volunteer Programs Anthony Curtis. “We truly believe the students here today can own their future and change the world with any of their ideas.” 

Participants walked away with workbooks, full stomachs, new plants, and tools for how to manage mental health and encouragement to pursue their passion. 

Mindful Hustle Live Activation 

On April 11, as the Sacramento Kings hosted the Phoenix Suns at Golden 1 Center, the organization put “mindful hustle” into practice welcoming four dynamic young entrepreneurs to showcase their ventures inside the concourse. The entrepreneurs, selected from the participants in the Team Up for Change: Mindful Hustle event, were able to engage with fans and gain exposure for their businesses and products. From welding and hair services to nonprofit endeavors, each entrepreneur seized the opportunity to share their missions and hone their pitching skills. These participants included Alfaros Mobile Welding, Boys4Bikes, E Train Talks Inc. and Stylez by Sosa. 

The Sacramento Kings recognize the importance of nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs and believe in the power of community collaboration. By creating this safe space for youth, the organization hopes to inspire others to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams and contribute to the vibrant economic landscape of the Sacramento region. 

About Team Up for Change 

The first Team Up for Change summit was held in Sacramento in 2019. 

In February 2020, the Kings and Bucks hosted the second Team Up for Change in Milwaukee. The NBA recognized the Kings and Bucks for the initiative with the 2020 NBA Inclusion Innovation Award, which spotlights a program across the league that advances inclusive practices. 

In October 2020, the Kings, in partnership with the Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, Indiana Pacers and Fever, Dallas Mavericks and Wings, and Cleveland Cavaliers hosted the third Team Up for Change virtually (full summit). 

In January 2022, the Kings, in partnership with twelve NBA and WNBA teams hosted the fourth Team Up for Change which expanded and evolved to include The Huddle, a unique dialogue using basketball to connect with youth and a Week of Action featuring community activations across the country in each team’s market. 

In March 2023, the Kings in partnership with the Milwaukee Bucks hosted the fifth Team Up for Change summit during Women’s Empowerment Month and highlighted the contributions of women leaders working in the social justice movement. The dynamic and thought-provoking summit also began the team’s Week of Action where the organization connected deeply with the community through several events including Kings female team members meeting with young women at the Youth Detention Facility for painting and mentorship, unveiling a community ROOT garden and volunteering at local women-focused and run nonprofit organizations. At the end of the of the month, the team debuted the second edition of The Huddle.