Updated: Nike executive coming to Nistler College for fireside chat with Dean Amy Henley

Sam McCracken, general manager of Nike N7 programs, to speak with Dean Amy Henley on Tuesday, April 22

Note: This release has been updated to reflect that the fireside chat with Sam McCracken now will take place with Amy Henley, dean of the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration.

Join Amy Henley, dean of the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration, as she sits down for a conversation with business leader Sam McCracken, general manager and visionary of Nike N7 programs. The fireside Q&A-style chat is set for 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 22, in the Barry Auditorium of UND’s Nistler College of Business & Public Administration. Media members and members of the community are welcome to attend the chat.

This event is sponsored by the UND Indigenous Student Center and the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration.

More about Sam McCracken:

Sam McCracken is a member of the Sioux and Assiniboine tribes in northeastern Montana on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, and the general manager and visionary of Nike’s N7 programs and the N7 Fund. He also serves as the chairman of the board for the Center for Native American Youth.

McCracken began his Nike career in 1997 at Nike’s Wilsonville, Ore., distribution center. He was quickly asked to use his experience and passion to revitalize the Native American Employee Network, one of Nike’s employee diversity groups. Shortly thereafter, McCracken proposed a business development strategy focused on Native American communities, with the goal of increasing health and wellness through physical activity.

He became the manager of Nike’s Native American Business in 2000 and led the development of the Nike Air Native N7 shoe, the N7 retail collection and the N7 Fund, which supports access to sport, economic empowerment, education innovation and social justice for Native American and Indigenous communities in the United States and Canada. McCracken has also driven more than 25 unique product collections and brand stories for the N7 product line.

In addition to ongoing N7 product collection and Fund oversight, McCracken’s leadership with Nike’s Native American Network fuels ongoing education, visibility and representation for Nike’s Indigenous community, including a recruitment and retention strategy.

He was also instrumental in Nike signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Indian Health Services in 2003 and again in 2009, as well as with the Bureau of Indian Education in 2010 – all signifying the company’s commitment to bringing inspiration and innovation to Native American communities in the spirit of health, wellness and access to sport.

McCracken has been recognized through multiple awards for his passion and work:

• Nike’s Bowerman Award in 2004, named after Nike co-founder and revered track and field coach Bill Bowerman.
• George Washington Honor Medal in 2004, by the Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge for his commitment to Native communities’ health promotion programs.
• One of the 20 most innovative “Intrapreneurs” in the world in 2007 by sustainability.com.
• U.S. Department of Education’s National Advisory Council on Indian Education in 2010, appointed by President Barack Obama.
• President’s “Leadership Award” from the National Indian Gaming Association in 2010 for Nike’s commitment to Health Promotions Disease Prevention with Native tribes across the U.S.
• National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development’s 2019 Corporate Business of the Year award.
• Montana Indian Athletic Hall of Fame induction in 2020.
• Schwab Foundation’s Social Intrapraneur of the Year in 2022 at the World Economic Forum.
• “Leadership for System Change: Delivering Social Impact at Scale” course completion in 2023 from the Harvard Kennedy School of Business in collaboration with the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.

Media contact: Adam Kurtz, adam.kurtz.1@UND.edu