Full Name
Joel Katz
Job Title
Vice President of Community Impact
Company
San Diego FC
Speaker Bio
Joel Katz is a passionate leader with over 15 years of experience driving social change through sports teams, leagues, athletes, non-profits, and communities across America. As the Vice President of Community Impact at San Diego FC, he is dedicated to harnessing the power of sport, leveraging football (soccer) as a vehicle for positive social transformation among young people and families throughout San Diego. He is a recognized force in cross-sector partnerships, adept at driving social innovation and entrepreneurship to move the needle for communities nationwide.
Throughout his career, Joel has developed and led strategic partnerships and managed high-performance accounts at purpose-driven companies. His diverse experience includes overseeing fundraising and communications as Head of Marketing and Development at StolenYouth, a Seattle-based organization dedicated to ending child sex trafficking. He also served as the founding Executive Director for Over Under Initiative, a New York-based organization that creates multi-sport play spaces in parks nationwide. As a Board Member for Memphis Inner City Rugby, he created opportunities and drove upward mobility for marginalized youth across the Mid-South. Additionally, he provided strategic guidance for nearly a decade to Project Backboard, where he helped revitalize public play spaces through art and basketball. His career began in Memphis, Tennessee, where he spent nine seasons building and forging multiple partnerships and impactful youth mentoring initiatives for tens of thousands of young people with the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies.
Joel excels in fostering robust strategic partnerships and driving social innovation to maximize impact. His commitment to advancing the field is further highlighted by his thought leadership included in the publication "Why Trauma-Informed Sport is Vital." He is deeply committed to building resilient communities and healing-centered environments for young people, empowering individuals and businesses through the power and potential of sport.
Throughout his career, Joel has developed and led strategic partnerships and managed high-performance accounts at purpose-driven companies. His diverse experience includes overseeing fundraising and communications as Head of Marketing and Development at StolenYouth, a Seattle-based organization dedicated to ending child sex trafficking. He also served as the founding Executive Director for Over Under Initiative, a New York-based organization that creates multi-sport play spaces in parks nationwide. As a Board Member for Memphis Inner City Rugby, he created opportunities and drove upward mobility for marginalized youth across the Mid-South. Additionally, he provided strategic guidance for nearly a decade to Project Backboard, where he helped revitalize public play spaces through art and basketball. His career began in Memphis, Tennessee, where he spent nine seasons building and forging multiple partnerships and impactful youth mentoring initiatives for tens of thousands of young people with the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies.
Joel excels in fostering robust strategic partnerships and driving social innovation to maximize impact. His commitment to advancing the field is further highlighted by his thought leadership included in the publication "Why Trauma-Informed Sport is Vital." He is deeply committed to building resilient communities and healing-centered environments for young people, empowering individuals and businesses through the power and potential of sport.
Speaking At
