Welcome back to the United Journey series! This week we focus on two leaders in the DC area. CJ Simmons is Senior Manager, Corporate Partnership Analytics at Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE). Micale Allen is the Director of NFL Athlete Relations at X10 Capital.
CJ is also president of the DC Chapter of Black Sports Professionals (BSP) and Micale is vice-president.
I got the opportunity to talk with these two experienced professionals about the landscape of the sports & entertainment industry in DC and the development of National Society of Black Sports Professionals.
Who is CJ Simmons?
CJ grew up in Harlem, New York. He attended Morehouse College in Georgia for undergrad and came back to NYC to get his master’s from NYU’s Sports Business program. While in New York, CJ gained experience in the sports industry through internships with the New York Mets, Madison Square Garden, and MLB’s Office of the Commissioner.
He spent a year as a Sponsorship Account Coordinator with the Yankees before moving to DC for the opportunity to take on a manager role in corporate partnership analytics with Monumental.
CJ has been in DC for the last four years and was promoted to the Senior Manager role in the partnership team in June 2019. Today, he continues his focus on analytics and corporate partnerships for all of MSE’s eight teams.
Who is Micale Allen?
United Journey readers are familiar with the relationships developed from the AIM Sports Conference. Micale Allen and myself have known each other since mid-2019. Micale attended AIM 2020 and participated in the networking and recruiting portion of the event, taking time to speak with aspiring sports industry professionals.
Micale has been an advocate for players’ rights his entire life with plans to be involved with the NFL. He earned his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Morgan State University, where he was also a member of the football team.
At Morgan State, Micale was a two-year letterman, served on the Leadership Council of the football team, and helped win the 2015 championship. He then went on to earn his master’s degree in Sports Management, with a certification in Athletic Administration.
After graduating, his opportunity in football came as an intern for the NFLPA in the Fall of 2016. In March 2017, he was promoted and took on the role of Player Services Coordinator where he ran events, managed partnerships, and built strategies on how to achieve the marketing and revenue goals set out by the NFLPA.
Micale recently took on the role of Director of NFL Athlete Relations at X10 Capital. X10 was “created in order to empower professional athletes with the tools and resources necessary to fulfill their goals by making smarter business decisions.”
National Society of Black Sports Professionals
The National Society of Black Sports Professionals connects, empowers, and works to advance its members within the business operations of sports to positions of leadership and influence within the industry.
BSP is a chapter-based organization. BSP-North Texas was one of the original chapters and has been leading the way along with BSP-DC in creating resources and driving change in the industry.
Other chapter locations include Philadelphia, Miami, SoCal, Atlanta, Las Vegas and Columbus, to name a few. The BSP Facebook group has been joined by over 3,600 industry professionals. In this time of need for sports and entertainment industry professionals, the group has been a very reliable network and resource.
BSP has been focused on expanding and continuing outreach to develop more chapters. As this growth has continued, a national office has taken form and is a driving force towards collective initiatives.
BSP-DC Development
The partnership world revolves around relationship building and knowing the community around you. As CJ got to know more and more about the DC professional community, he started to recognize “a void of black people in sports knowing each other. ”
CJ wanted to find ways to get involved. In August 2019, he started sending emails and messages through LinkedIn to all black sports & entertainment industry professionals in his network. He organized a meeting at Capital One Arena (Home of Wizards/Capitals) and hosted the first meeting of BSP-DC.
Micale and CJ had spoken on the phone previously but met in-person the day of the meeting. Micale helped break down the event and the two reflected on discussions about BSP-DC’s planned ideas and mission.
BSP-DC was able to develop through the relationships built by both CJ and Micale. CJ attended multiple conferences including the National Sports Forum, which opened opportunities to meet more industry professionals. Micale worked in his hometown of Philadelphia to spark the formation of BSP-Philly.
BSP Chapter Meeting: Breakout Sessions
CJ and Micale, as president and vice-president, have worked hard to have a strong impact and influence on the community through BSP. A key focus for them has been to find out what companies have and find out where they can make an impact. BSP-DC developed objectives through three pillars which include:
Networking - Serve as a medium to connect minority professionals in the DC area for mentorship and fellowship.
Education - Enlighten the younger generation about careers in sports.
Platform - Provide a platform for our voices to be heard and our successes to be shared
BSP Initiatives
BSP-DC has been very active throughout 2020. Prior to the onset of the pandemic, CJ was able to initiate a partnership with The Hustler’s Guild to bring DC kids on tours of Capital One Arena and get chances to speak to experienced professionals from MSE.
Every day in February, BSP-DC released shout-outs for black sports professionals through social media. These shout-outs created many new relationships and opportunities for new initiatives. Current BSP Treasurer, Nia Harrington and Secretary, Calvin Parson were introduced to the group through the Black History Month initiative.
“BSP gives us a chance to grow the network, provide a platform, and educate on what we do” - Micale Allen
Throughout the summer, BSP hosted virtual networking events that emphasized small and collaborative groups. The group breakout sessions gave many professionals a chance to meet and work with others they might otherwise not have met. BSP has been able to organize meetups safely during the Juneteenth march in DC and the March on Washington in August.
What’s Next?
Both CJ and Micale noted that their organizational goals align with the goals of BSP. BSP-DC thrives on collaborating with many of the organizations its members work for.
Everyday, CJ and Micale are learning more about running a 501(c)(6). Both take in knowledge like sponges and are always thinking outside of the box for how to improve. Neither has an ounce of complacency and they continue to push themselves and those around them.
“It is all about pushing forward and not getting complacent. We can use this time now to learn different tools and get better.” - CJ Simmons
This continued drive is evident through CJ’s completion of his personal goal of running in the TCS New York Marathon last year.
Long-term goals for CJ include managing an entire department and growing the reach and impact of BSP. Micale aspires to get involved with ownership of an NFL team. Both men intend to use their platforms to serve communities of color and to mentor the next generation of leaders.
Thanks for taking the time to learn about CJ, Micale, and Black Sports Professionals!
Baltimore United was formed to accelerate goals and increase engagement and partnership opportunities for organizations like BSP.
Please share and introduce yourself to CJ and Micale!
I want to thank Rob, Danielle, Sally, and LaToya for their participation in previous episodes! Thank you to all upcoming United Journey guests as well.
Special thanks to John Balkam for providing this Substack platform and continuously collaborating to drive change. I look forward to continuing this journey.