Fighting The Status Quo

Nike’s Hannah Jones and soccer great Abby Wambach are finding powerful, targeted ways to foster respect for the planet and all who live—and play—on it.

- Jill Bernstein

Environmental protection and equal opportunity are two of today’s most pressing global issues. Nike sustainability head Hannah Jones and soccer star Abby Wambach talk with Fast Company’s Jill Bernstein about how international corporations and individuals alike can bring meaningful change to the world.

How did you two become challengers of the status quo?

ABBY WAMBACH : The thing that led me into activism is that I am a little different. I’m so lucky for that. I always try to fight for the little guy or the voiceless, because in certain parts of my life I’m the minority, whether because I’m gay or a woman. That’s where any true activism is born—my heartbreaks. Find out what breaks your heart and do whatever you can to fix it.

HANNAH JONES : When I was 16, I had a white Mohawk and I was a DJ on a pirate radio station that kept getting raided by police. Let’s just say that my parents didn’t think that was an entirely good career plan. But I had a mentor who sat me down one day and said, “Hannah, at some stage you’re going to have to work out for yourself whether you are more powerful shouting at the system from the outside or changing it from the inside.” That has guided everything I’ve done ever since.

Athletics is a powerful platform for change. It’s got a global reach, a workforce that spans from the factory to the playing field, and celebrity role models. How do these things help you with your current efforts?