Next person biography:
Wade Davis, a former NFL player, is a thought leader, writer, public speaker, and educator on gender, race, and orientation equality. He played for the Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins, Seattle Seahawks, and NFL Europe league teams.
After coming out as gay in 2012, Davis became the NFL's first LGBT inclusion consultant, leading training sessions and national engagement initiatives, including the Hi-Five project, to create affirming spaces for LGBT athletes. He has worked with numerous professional sports leagues, including the NHL, CFL, and MLS, to provide guidance on inclusion matters.
Davis has also worked as a special advisor for athlete engagement at RISE, a non-profit organization, and as a senior diversity and inclusion consultant at YSC, a global think tank and leadership-consulting firm. He has worked with Fortune 500 corporations to co-create transformative solutions to link diversity and inclusion goals to people and commercial strategies.
In addition to his work in sports, Davis has acted and consulted on American Crime, ABC's critically acclaimed series. He has given TEDx Talks, launched the #BlackMenAndFeminism campaign, and worked with Planned Parenthood on PSA campaigns.
Davis has also worked with Huffington Post Women, Mic.com, and the NCAA to address issues of sexism and homophobia in sports. He has spoken at universities nationally and internationally and has been a frequent guest on MSNBC, BBC, NPR, CNN, ESPN, and BET.
As an educator, Davis has taught at NYU and Rutgers University and has lectured on the intersections of race, sexuality, gender, and sports. He has written for various media outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, the Advocate, and the New York Times.
Davis has received an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from Northeastern University for his leadership and efforts to eradicate homophobia and sexism in athletics.
