The Positive Power of Sports
In his role as General Manager of the San Antonio Spurs RC Buford has enjoyed being part of four NBA Championship celebrations. In his work with kids in Africa and the Middle East Buford has literally changed hundreds of lives. For this session he is joined by Anne Buford, the executive producer of Elevate, and Taylor Smiley, managing director of PeacePlayers International. Join these three as they discuss the amazing impact basketball has had on boys and girls around the world.
Presenters
During a career which has included experience at the National Basketball Association, PeacePlayers International, Second Harvest Food Bank and Genesco Sports Enterprises, Taylor Smiley has leveraged the power of sports and entertainment to achieve positive social impact.
In his five years at the NBA, Smiley was integrally involved in the “Basketball Without Borders” program, which conducted basketball and community outreach events in South Africa, China, Brazil, France and Puerto Rico. In 2007, Smiley joined PeacePlayers International as Managing Director to lead the creation of a sport-based mentoring program for low-income youth in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward. In three years, the program achieved a 100% college matriculation rate for its participants, and continues to serve New Orleans youth on a daily basis. While in New Orleans, Smiley also lead “Harvest the Music,” a downtown concert series benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank.
Smiley received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Richmond. He currently serves as Director of Business Development for Genesco Sports Enterprises, and resides in Dallas, Texas.
Sunday, March 11
