Coyotes & Carlisle Companies Partner with DREAM Foundation in 2024 Mentorship Program

It’s time to DREAM once again.

The Arizona Coyotes and Carlisle Companies have partnered together with DREAM Foundation, a program that connects students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with professional sports organizations, including the Coyotes. Mark Clifford, the executive director of the DREAM Foundation, said it was initially started to provide opportunities to HBCU students that they didn’t typically have, and the results that have been nothing short of extraordinary.

DREAM experienced its biggest-ever semester in the Fall of 2023 due to Clifford’s efforts, and though a decision was made to scale back the Spring session due to space limitations, there were still 220 students from 41 different HBCUs that applied for the opportunity – well up from the 100 or so one year ago, which was the most they had experienced at the time.

Participation with DREAM Foundation will culminate for a number of this semester’s participants this week in Arizona, when they arrive to observe and learn about everything it takes to run an NHL team behind the scenes – from game operations to corporate partnerships, and everything in between.

The Vegas Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks are also participating in the program this semester.

“I'm thankful for the partners that we have, and continue to have, that support our students because it really all boils down to shaping the future of this industry with the next generation of leaders,” Clifford said. “It's all about being able to elevate others and provide an opportunity that, quite frankly, is tough to come by.

“It’s hard to put into words the pride I feel about this program because it has been so impactful.”

The genesis of DREAM Foundation began when Clifford recognized a trend among HBCUs – students there interested in a carer in sports had far less access to mentorship programs.

Just a few years later, Clifford’s work has helped elevate those students into the program, internships, and even career opportunities, forever changing the lives of those who have earned the opportunity to participate.

That’s something that’s near-and-dear to the Arizona Coyotes Foundation, which supports three main pillars within the community: Education, health and wellness, and economic advancement for underserved and diverse communities.

“We are very proud of our incredibly successful partnership with DREAM Foundation and are thrilled to work with them again to help open doors for diverse individuals to become part of our organization and the sport of hockey,” said Coyotes President and CEO Xavier A. Gutierrez. “This partnership highlights yet another opportunity to leverage this incredible platform of professional sports to make an impact, and we have seen the results in previous years with participants earning a position in their desired field of work because of the doors that are opened.

“This exposure may not otherwise occur, and our work with the DREAM Foundation is a perfect example of how we elevate diversity and inclusion, which aligns with our main pillars of service as an organization.”

Mubarak Maalik, who obtained his Master’s Degree in Sports Business from Hampton University, said his experience with DREAM and the Arizona Coyotes last year jump-started his career aspirations, and the program helped the Illinois native earn an internship with the Chicago Bears before ultimately securing a position in corporate sponsorship with a marketing company in North Carolina.

“The Coyotes and DREAM Foundation have blessed a lot of students with opportunities to showcase their skills in different environments where a lot of us never saw ourselves,” Maalik said. “This makes an impact. It makes a difference. They’re opening up a lot of doors for students that they otherwise wouldn’t have.”

This year’s program has been sponsored by Carlisle Companies, which is a leading supplier of innovative Building Enterprise products and solutions for more energy efficient buildings, according to its web site. Chris Koch, Chair, President, and CEO of Carlisle Companies, is also a member of the Arizona Coyotes Foundation Board of Directors, and approached the team about sponsoring this year’s initiative after witnessing how impactful it has been in the past.

“Carlisle is pleased to support the DREAM Foundation. In addition to integrity, trust, and accountability in the workplace, we also pride ourselves in elevating diversity, equity, and inclusion, which is why we are thrilled to partner with the Arizona Coyotes and DREAM Foundation,” Koch said. “This is an opportunity for us to assist in opening doors for students who otherwise may not have the connections to enter the work field that they’re truly passionate about, and we are thrilled to be part of that solution.”

Coyotes Chief Impact Officer and Executive Director of Foundation and Community Impact, Nadia Rivera, said the opportunity to elevate HBCU students and provide an additional avenue to network and collaborate is something the team, and the Foundation, put a high value on.

“Having representation in organizations at all levels is so important because the more people can see themselves in executive roles, it sets a path of opportunity or attainment,” Rivera said. “People tend to bring people along with them because you know you can relate to similar shared experiences.”

That logic has been on full display with past participants, as well. Carl Baylor, who graduated from Virginia State University in December, said students at HBCUs struggle to earn opportunities like what DREAM Foundation presents, and the experience he had is now one he encourages friends and other students to seek out.

It not only immersed him within the inner-workings of how a professional sports team is run, it introduced him to contacts and colleagues that have become lifelong connections.

That’s something that simply cannot be measured with typical metrics.

“It's hard for students at HBCUs to get that experience of any type,” Baylor said. “For [Clifford] to create an entire program about it, just to help us at any cost, it’s such a big thing.”

The Coyotes, meanwhile, are walking the walk when it comes to elevating diverse voices in the NHL, and the sporting world as a whole.

“Many leagues and teams have certain programs to help include minorities within their organization, but sometimes they fall short of that. It feels like they just have it for the public eye,” Baylor said. “But when I was in Arizona, I felt welcome. They were so in tune with us. You see how diverse it is within their front office, and it was just so refreshing.”

Clifford said a lot has been learned during the previous iterations, especially as it revolves around engaging participants beyond Zoom meetings from afar. He said DREAM Foundation is evolving along with students to ensure the proper tools can be provided to help them succeed in the sports industry.

Another key was finding the right partners to operate with – such as repeat clubs like the Coyotes and Golden Knights – and respecting students’ time to ensure they have the bandwidth to participate in everything associated with the program.

At the end of the day, the goal is to provide a meaningful experience while helping participants learn more about their desired field of choice. The Air Force veteran said he prides himself in his positions of service, and looks for every opportunity to elevate others.

“It's hard to put into words how much it means to see how impactful we've been on the overall sports industry,” Clifford said. “I'm thankful for the partners that we have, and continue to have, to support our program to support the students because it really all boils down to shaping the future of this industry with the next generation of leaders.

“I'm lucky to be in this position and I think it's always important to elevate others with your influence to help others. We're in a really great position to do that.”

Participants will attend two games this week – Wednesday against Vancouver and Friday against Vegas – while learning the ins and outs of how a professional sports team operates.

It’s an experience that the students will carry with them forever, and one that this year’s cohort can look forward to as they start their journey into a sports career.

“Before I had gotten to the DREAM program, I hadn’t had any internships that showed me around within professional sports organizations, or even collegiate sports organizations, so to have DREAM come through and help put me into the rooms that they put me in, it’s incredible,” Baylor said. “Them simply putting me in those rooms helped me secure different opportunities, because I'm pretty sure if I never would have went through them, I probably wouldn't have been so far along within my journey.”

Maalik agreed, and had a simple message for DREAM, the Coyotes, and Carlisle Companies.

“Please continue to do what you’re doing, because you’re opening up a lot of doors for students that they otherwise wouldn’t have,” he said. “We need more opportunities like that for HBCU students to be able to go out and experience these types of things. I never would have thought I’d be sitting by a player, or in a media room, and that never would have happened without DREAM.”