There Is No Finish Line Podcast

Nancy MonsarratFounding MemberOregon Sports Angels---Former Nike Vice President and US Advertising DirectorPat Hellberg PrincipalPat The Wine Guy---Former Nike Director Nike Brand Studios Nancy Monsarrat and Pat Hellberg joined Nike at roughly the same time in the late 80s. The Swoosh was on the upswing, and they quickly felt the amazing power of a brand that spoke to human potential. Nancy and Pat recount their journey to Nike, speak to the energy of the company at that time, and share the lessons they learned along the way. Between them, they contributed an incredible body of Nike work in advertising, marketing, and design, but for us and so many of our guests, their mentorship is what will be their lasting legacy. Oregon Sports AngelsPERIOD.Pat The Wine Guy

Ellen Schmidt-Devlin Executive Director Lundquist College of BusinessPortland ProgramsUniversity of Oregon When Ellen Schmidt-Devlin chose the University of Oregon for her collegiate track and field career, little did she know that Bill Bowerman would personally send her on a 25-year career at Nike. She had no clue that she would become a tester of his prototypes, help expand his product testing program, move to Exeter, New Hampshire, and eventually move around the world to support the growth of a fledgling company that was taking flight. That path of becoming a Duck would take her to places she never imagined. Later in her career she would provide her alma mater with a plan for a graduate program that would help a new generation of students learn what she did at Nike. University of Oregon Sports Product Management Program

Kyna Williams Chief Marketing and Operating Officer Revel Real Estate Kyna Williams brought her tenacity and work ethic from her background as a collegiate runner to her experience as leader within the Brand Marketing organization at Nike. Her knowledge of the sport and her understanding of the athlete's mindset brought a much-needed refresh to how the category spoke to the consumer and reinvigorated their grassroots approach to running. Her insatiable desire for knowledge and understanding new innovative ways of marketing led her to mentors within the company that helped build her ethos and approach for how to empathetically lead others. In an effort to refocus on the needs and well-being of their family, a new adventure in Montana began, and Kyna's role in leading Revel Real Estate has brought her a whole new perspective on the importance of finding happiness in whatever you do. Revel Real Estate

Craig Lyon Vice-President, Head of Marketing Connected Cannabis Craig Lyon learned the importance of storytelling early in his high school experience through play-by-play broadcasting, and it carried through to his major in Telecommunications at Indiana University. As an intern starting out at Nike, he quickly learned the importance of putting in the time to absorb the category and how they were speaking to their consumer. This strong work ethic led to a lengthy career within Nike Basketball Brand Marketing, culminating in a role as Senior Director of Marketing for North America. Craig has begun a new chapter of his career at Connected Cannabis, where he will bring his exceptional strengths as a storyteller and brand marketer to an upstart brand in a rapidly growing industry. Connected Cannabis

Aric Rist Creative Director Groundworks Industries Aric Rist followed his gut and the map on the Nike shoebox to relocate from the east coast to Portland, OR. A contract position evolved into a full-time Nike role responsible for supporting production at the burgeoning Brand Photography studio. Following the Nike Maxim, “Do The Right Thing”, Aric's leadership and vision grew the capabilities of the team and created groundbreaking work in partnership with ambitious creative teams and powerhouse photographers. His experiences at Nike helped prepare him for his new role as Creative Director for Groundworks Industries, where he and his team are blazing new trails in a wide-open landscape with unlimited possibilities. Groundworks Industries

Dick OldfieldRetired Category Footwear Leader Nike, Inc. There is a maxim at Nike: “Listen to the voice of the athlete”In a company founded by athletes, Dick Oldfield follows in the footsteps of many that brought his own experience as an elite runner to his role in footwear development. His competitive insights helped inform foundational Nike footwear like the Air Max and iconic executions like Michael Johnson's gold shoe. Newly retired, Dick reflects with us on his 36 years with the Swoosh and imparts some wisdom to those who are just getting started. Dick Oldfield

Rudy Manival Product Creation Consultant Rudy Manival was born and raised in France, was entranced by Le Tour, and found a way to combine his insights of Tour riders and his love of Nike into a role that would set the course for a 23-year career. Obsessing over product and what the consumer demanded, he merged the why with the how and helped create some of Nike's most iconic products. Rudy Manival

Les Green Vice President of MarketingSpring Les Green found his way to Nike through Battlegrounds. The legendary blacktop basketball battle exposed him to the power of Nike grassroots marketing and solidified a growing desire to work at the company that could put that kind of spectacle together. When faced with the choice of working at its main competitor or at its agency of record, Les chose the Nike path and embarked on a more than 10-year journey that would take his family around the world. Spring

Mark Thomashow ConsultantDoubleday & Cartwright--- Former Senior Director Nike Global Business Affairs In our first conversation with Mark, he reminisced on his 30-year career and his part in helping to create Nike advertising. John and I knew we were just scraping the surface, so we had to have Mark back on. So begins our first installment of Thomashow Tales. Mark's stories about the incredible talent that contributed to the iconic Nike advertising we've all come to know and love.

Tesa Aragones Chief Marketing Officer Discord Tesa Aragones was raised in Detroit, and she embodies that same hardworking and humble spirit that the city is known for. Her early love of storytelling merged with a curiosity for a nascent digital form of communication that brands were just starting to integrate into their marketing plans. Tesa's groundbreaking work at Volkswagen and Nike paved the way for how those brands became vanguards in the digital landscape, and has brought her to a new challenge leading Discord through a period of incredible growth and transformation. Tesa AragonesDiscord

Merryn Roberts-Huntley Owner Made To Hire / FIXX Consulting-Adjunct Professor University of Oregon Merryn Roberts-Huntley didn't plan on becoming a professor or starting a career coaching company when she left Nike, but her experiences in marketing and a strong network led her into a new phase of her professional life she would never have imagined. Merryn recounts that leap of faith and tells us how she discovered her strength in helping others develop their individual brand and find fulfillment in a new career. Made To Hire

Rahshiene Taha General Manager and Vice President Rock The Bells Inc. Rahshiene Taha had aspirations of following his athletic passion to play basketball in college, but instead he quickly fell in love with the west coast life at Stanford. That California love led to careers in music promotion and marketing, before sending him on a journey to get his MBA and eventually landing him at Nike as part of the prestigious Marketing Development Program. It was an opportunity that lead him away from the rain of Beaverton back to the sunny agency world of LA and eventually culminating into a career centered around hip hop, bringing his love of music and culture together again.

Ken Black Chief Creative Officer GMR Marketing Ken Black wanted to pursue dreams of playing basketball, but instead leveraged his talents for drawing and design to start working at a studio out of high school, and eventually attend the ArtCenter College of Design. That rigorous experience prepared him for what would become a lengthy career working in senior design roles at Nike, and would give him the foresight to help develop SPARQ Training. Ken's ability to bring teams together in pursuit of better products for athletes and the application of critical thinking to design intent would eventually lead him to a new role as Chief Creative Officer at GMR Marketing. Ken reflects on his career and the work that put Nike at the forefront of design.GMR Marketing

Micha Cooper-Edwards Founder/CEOSoleil Entertainment As a volleyball player at Howard University, Micha Cooper-Edwards knew the importance of teamwork and the work ethic it requires to excel at your sport. It would prepare her for working at Nike, and joining the Jordan Brand at the moment Michael Jordan would finally retire. Her leadership and strategic vision led her to other roles at Nike, but her home country of Trinidad and Tobago would call her back and set her on a path of elevating other voices from the Global South diasporas and providing them a platform to tell their story.Soleil Entertainment

Eric Toda Global Head of Social MarketingFacebook As a kid growing up in the 90s, Eric Toda was buidling his sneaker collection and immersing himself in basketball. He fell in love with the cultures that surrounded both, and a dream of working at Nike started to grow. After college, he started at Facebook during its infancy, leading business and brand partnerships. It was hard to leave the largest social media company in history, but Eric followed his dream and helped lead a digital marketing revolution at Nike.Eric Toda

Mike Nakajima Founding Director and EVPBaseLine Performance Financial Former Nike Tennis Sports Marketing Manager The DNA of Nike is always listening to the athlete. For 29 years, Mike Nakajima made that his priority as the face of Nike Tennis Sports Marketing. Working with legends of the game like Sampras, Agassi, Federer, Nadal, and Serena, Mike ensured that they and other athletes in the Nike Tennis family were heard. Mike joins us to recount his journey from the employee store to sitting Centre Court at Wimbledon.Baseline Performance Financial

Megan Carle Principal, Carle Consulting Former Nike Vice President and General ManagerChris Carle Brand Strategy ConsultantFormer Nike Senior Director In the second part of our conversation with Chris and Megan Carle, we discuss Nike in the 90s, weathering newcomers in the sneaker space, and discovering the secret sauce.Carle Consulting

Megan Carle Principal, Carle Consulting Former Nike Vice President and General ManagerChris Carle Brand Strategy ConsultantFormer Nike Senior Director Chris and Megan Carle's combined 50-year career at Nike took them around the world, gave them experience in all facets of the business, and taught them how to lead. From the first moment they met at a sweltering sales meeting, to a fortuitous jump shot, the Carles join us to reflect on their time at Nike, what makes it such a special place to work, and what they've learned from the place that helped them find their soulmate.Carle Consulting

Monique Van Hummel Brand Marketing Consultant Former Head of Marketing MICHELE, Fossil Group Monique Van Hummel was raised in Dallas, Texas but she and her career were born in the Netherlands. Her unique perspective as an American living in Europe allowed her to see the differences in cultures and better understand the global consumer. That experience landed her a dream job at Nike in 2008. Through her work on the 2010 World Cup, she saw firsthand how the power of sport could change the lives of young people, and it fueled her passion for helping others. Monique Van Hummel Consulting

Melvin Lenzy Senior DirectorGlobal Brand Marketing 2K The path that took Melvin Lenzy from Canton to Beaverton was long and winding, but the lessons he learned along the way helped prepare him for a 13+ year journey at Nike where a mentor like Kobe Bryant would show him the importance of preparation, another would help him find his superpower, and he would come to understand the importance of knowing your true self. Melvin Lenzy's career has led him to 2K where his love of the game helps enrich experiences for gamers young and old. 2K

Mark Thomashow ConsultantDoubleday & Cartwright--- Former Senior Director Nike Global Business Affairs Mark Thomashow had two distinctly different careers before joining Nike in 1984. His background as a teacher and lawyer benefitted his role leading Nike's Business Affairs department for over 30 years. Educating Nike leadership and Wieden and Kennedy creative teams on what was possible, provided the least amount of legal risk, and how to get the deals done. Imagine Bo Knows without Bo Diddley, Lil Penny without Chris Rock, Revolution without…Revolution. Mark's negotiating prowess lead to some of Nike's most iconic advertising, and we go deep on how it all came together. Doubleday & Cartwright

Jana Panfilio Co-Founder Nike Global Alumni Network Jana discusses her nearly 30-year career at Nike that saw tremendous growth for the company. She takes us on her Nike journey through the creation of an evolved consumer analytics team, a Brand Innovation organization, and the development of a transparent global sustainability message that dramatically changed how the company spoke to their environmental efforts. Now retired, Jana's efforts are focused on connecting a global Nike Alumni network and harnessing the potential of those that have left the berm.Nike Global Alumni Network

Jabari Hearn Founder Monday Night Mentorship Collective Jabari takes us on his journey from collegiate basketball player, to advertising, trying to make it in Hollywood, to eventually landing at some of the world's biggest brands. At Lyft, his LyftUp initiative has provided transportation to millions living in underserved communities. He is now setting out on an entirely new journey with the Monday Night Mentorship Collective, looking to help others find their way through difficult career transitions.Monday Night Mentorship

Kerri Hoyt-PackFounder The Liberty Collective Kerri takes us from her beginnings as a college student, to advertising, to a respite in the Alaskan wilderness, to a lengthy career at Nike responsible for some incredible campaigns. All experiences which led her to start her own company with her sisters, The Liberty Collective. We learn about their goals and how they want to help companies rethink what they consider leadership. Links: The Liberty Collective The Liberty Collective Vision