Behind The Scenes

ESPN honored at Diversity Awards

NEW YORK — ESPN has long recognized that to serve sports fans — anytime and anywhere — our workforce must be a reflection of our audience.

Fans are better served when a variety of perspectives are represented in storytelling and decision making.

On Wednesday evening, the T. Howard Foundation for Diversity in Media honored ESPN with the prestigious Corporate Leadership Award at the 19th Annual Diversity Awards Dinner hosted by ESPN anchor Stuart Scott.

The Award recognizes ESPN’s long track record of leadership in creating a vibrant, diverse workplace. For nearly two decades, the T. Howard Foundation has increased the representation of minority young men and women within the entertainment industry through internships, professional development, career awareness and recruitment.

ESPN has proudly provided opportunities to dozens of T. Howard Foundation interns, many of whom eventually became full-time ESPN employees.

In fact, Rosalyn Durant, who sits on the foundation’s Board of Directors, first interned with ESPN in 1998 and currently serves as the vice president and general manager of ESPNU.

“The T. Howard Foundation not only influenced my career, but it launched my career,” Durant said in a video shared at the event.

To date, more than 30 T. Howard Foundation interns have helped to make ESPN a strong, more diverse media company. Many more will make their mark on the company in coming years.

““With an open door policy, great learning opportunities and a dynamic environment, ESPN is the ideal host company for any T. Howard intern,” said Monica Kumar, who interned with ESPN through the T. Howard Foundation in 2007 and 2008 and currently serves as a sales coordinator in Affiliate Sales and Marketing.

Kumar noted she was seated next to ESPN executive vice president, Sales and Marketing, Sean Bratches at her first T. Howard banquet, an opportunity and privilege she remains grateful for today.

“At ESPN, we have always felt that a diverse employee base will advance our business in ways that would otherwise be unattainable,” Bratches said in his remarks.

On Wednesday evening, Bratches — who also serves on the T. Howard Foundation’s Board of Directors — presented the Corporate Leadership Award to ESPN Executive Chairman George Bodenheimer.

The event was held at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.

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