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This year the Sacramento Kings continued their steadfast commitment to social justice with the sixth installment of Team Up for Change. This award-winning initiative, initially launched in 2018 in partnership with the Milwaukee Bucks, is designed to inspire, unite, and activate around a call for social justice and racial equality.&nbsp; Since its launch, the initiative has grown to include multiple NBA and WNBA teams and expanded to directly reach youth and vulnerable communities.&nbsp;

The 2024 Team Up for Change: Mindful Hustle was attended by more than 50 local youth and focused on mental health awareness and entrepreneurial opportunities. The two-part program included a robust lineup of speakers, activities and workshops designed to foster tools needed to maintain mental health wellness while equipping the young minds with the resources needed to navigate challenges, build resilience, and explore entrepreneurial opportunities. Kings partners SMUD, CalHope and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s G-Unity Foundation supported the event with resources and more. Following the event, participants were invited to a Kings game to showcase their innovations, products, and services on the arena concourse for fans to view.&nbsp;

Mindful Hustle Event Encourages Youth and Promotes Entrepreneurship&nbsp;

On February 13, the team hosted a 4-hour event bringing together youth and changemakers in the Sacramento region with programing including mental health workshops, interactive panels, and hands on activities. The event consisted of three sessions titled Inspire You, Unite Us, and Activate the World, each focused on supplying tools needed to prioritize mental wellness and motivation designed to encourage them to pursue their passions.&nbsp;

The first session, Inspire You, was filled with interactive activities to empower youth to recognize their individual impact on the world. Participants had the opportunity to play video games with the Kings NBA 2K team, Kings Guard Gaming and learn how to make their own, unique tote bag. The session was emceed by Don Hicks, a junior at Encina High School and Sacramento Area Youth Speaks (SAYS) poet and Taejomn King and Edgar Yanez from CalHOPE spoke on the importance of prioritizing your wellness.&nbsp;

To highlight positive ways to relieve stress, participants also made plant basketballs, which uses a ball as a planter’s pot, emphasizing the importance of engaging your creativity as an outlet. Youth also took part in a meaningful discussion on personal growth led by Give and Grow CEO and Founder Olivia Ho.&nbsp;

“The purpose of the plant activity was this idea of new growth and new beginnings and being able to have youth plant the seed of intention for their futures,” said The Give and Grow CEO and Founder Olivia Ho.&nbsp;

Sacramento Kings Chief Operating Officer Matina Kolokotronis and SMUD Chief Diversity Officer Jose Bodipo-Memba provided remarks to inspire and encourage the youth before the participants took part in a wellness workshop. Author and motivational speaker Karega Bailey, M.Ed., led his Head. Heart. Hand: The Foundations for Building Healthy Relationships workshop with each attendee receiving a toolkit focused on creating daily affirmations.&nbsp;

The second session, Unite Us, served as an opportunity to further cultivate a sense of community and build effective conflict resolution skills. Byron Hughes, Chief Culinary Officer of the Last Supper Society, hosted a workshop on community and food, having the participants assist in creating a meal while discussing the many pathways to success.&nbsp;

“I have had an untraditional route, and it is empowering to show the youth to hear success stories, or different routes to success, the traditional path is not always the necessary path,” said The Last Supper Society Chief Culinary Officer Byron Hughes. “With the right passion, drive, and determination and a clear mind on your goals, it will give you endless routes for opportunities and keep you pushing towards your goals.”&nbsp;

The day concluded with Activate the World, designed to motivate the participants to think big. This session featured video remarks by G-Unity Foundation Founder Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and a G-Unity Foundation workshop led by Anthony Curtis, Senior Manager of Volunteer Programs Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), to emphasize opportunities available for youth to pursue their dreams.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“At NFTE, we believe in empowering young people about how they can own their futures and ignite the entrepreneurial mindset, and today was all about helping the students think about innovative and creative ways to think about mental health and physical wellbeing and how they can be a part of the solution,” said Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship Senior Manager of Volunteer Programs Anthony Curtis. “We truly believe the students here today can own their future and change the world with any of their ideas.”&nbsp;

Participants walked away with workbooks, full stomachs, new plants, and tools for how to manage mental health and encouragement to pursue their passion.&nbsp;

On April 11, as the Sacramento Kings hosted the Phoenix Suns at Golden 1 Center, the organization put “mindful hustle” into practice welcoming four dynamic young entrepreneurs to showcase their ventures inside the concourse. The entrepreneurs, selected from the participants in the Team Up for Change: Mindful Hustle event, were able to engage with fans and gain exposure for their businesses and products. From welding and hair services to nonprofit endeavors, each entrepreneur seized the opportunity to share their missions and hone their pitching skills. These participants included Alfaros Mobile Welding, Boys4Bikes, E Train Talks Inc. and Stylez by Sosa.&nbsp;

The Sacramento Kings recognize the importance of nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs and believe in the power of community collaboration. By creating this safe space for youth, the organization hopes to inspire others to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams and contribute to the vibrant economic landscape of the Sacramento region.&nbsp;

The first Team Up for Change summit was held in Sacramento in 2019.&nbsp;

In February 2020, the Kings and Bucks hosted the second Team Up for Change in Milwaukee. The NBA recognized the Kings and Bucks for the initiative with the 2020 NBA Inclusion Innovation Award, which spotlights a program across the league that advances inclusive practices.&nbsp;

In October 2020, the Kings, in partnership with the Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, Indiana Pacers and Fever, Dallas Mavericks and Wings, and Cleveland Cavaliers hosted the third Team Up for Change virtually (full summit).&nbsp;

In January 2022, the Kings, in partnership with twelve NBA and WNBA teams hosted the fourth Team Up for Change which expanded and evolved to include The Huddle, a unique dialogue using basketball to connect with youth and a Week of Action featuring community activations across the country in each team’s market.&nbsp;

In March 2023, the Kings in partnership with the Milwaukee Bucks hosted the fifth Team Up for Change summit during Women’s Empowerment Month and highlighted the contributions of women leaders working in the social justice movement. The dynamic and thought-provoking summit also began the team’s Week of Action where the organization connected deeply with the community through several events including Kings female team members meeting with young women at the Youth Detention Facility for painting and mentorship, unveiling a community ROOT garden and volunteering at local women-focused and run nonprofit organizations. At the end of the of the month, the team debuted the second edition of The Huddle.&nbsp;

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RECAP: Kings Host Sixth Installment of Team Up for Change Focused on Youth Mental Health Awareness and Entrepreneurship

The&nbsp;2024 Capitalize: Technology&nbsp;competition has narrowed to 4 final contestants.

Yesterday, the Sacramento Kings hosted Pitch Day at Golden 1 Center presented by Dialpad, the City of Sacramento’s Office of Innovation and Economic Development and Consolidated Communications. During Pitch Day, the Top 8 companies presented their technology to a panel of successful entrepreneurs, executives and investors, including:

After deliberation, the panel announced the Top 4 companies that would advance to the final round of the competition. These entrepreneurs then went on to create pitch videos for fan voting. Starting Monday, April 1, fans can visit Kings.com/Capitalize to view each contestant’s video and vote for their favorite startup. Fans will have until halftime of the Kings vs Pelicans game on April 11 to submit their votes. The judges and fan votes will be tallied to determine the 2024 Capitalize: Technology winner. The winner will be announced during the game and awarded a $10,000 cash prize towards the development of their startup and two years of access to Dialpad communication services.

Birth By Us is a data-driven pregnancy and postpartum app for women of color, empowering them to navigate their journeys with personalized insights, while simultaneously providing valuable insights to healthcare providers.&nbsp;

Plum Identity uses behavioral analytics to detect fraud in government benefit programs, without the use of Personally Identifiable Information (PII).&nbsp;

Augmenting educator decision making through the power of AI analysis.&nbsp;

Unstructured transforms organizations' complex, unstructured data like PDFs, PPTX, HTML files and more into formats compatible with LLMs so employees can chat with their internal data.&nbsp;

How to Vote:&nbsp;Starting Monday, April 1, fans can visit&nbsp;Kings.com/Capitalize&nbsp;to view each of the final pitch videos&nbsp;and cast vote by filling out the voting form found on the Capitalize webpage.

The Capitalize: Technology contest is just one of the franchise’s commitments to support innovation and entrepreneurship in the Sacramento region and beyond. For more information on the Capitalize competition visit&nbsp;Kings.com/Capitalize.

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Sacramento Kings Announce the Top 4 in Capitalize: Technology Competition

Capitalize: Technology&nbsp;presented by&nbsp;Dialpad&nbsp;and the City of Sacramento's&nbsp;Office of Innovation and Economic Development, narrows down to 8 contestants who will participate in Pitch Day on March 27.

This year's Capitalize:&nbsp;Technology contest launched on January 29 with a competitive number of applicants. On February 16, after a review of applications, 16 contestants were selected to move onto an interview phase. Following the interviews, the top 8 applicants were identified. These innovators will now participate in a workshop and coaching sessions as they prepare for Pitch Day on March 27. At Pitch Day, contestants will present their companies to a panel of successful entrepreneurs, executives, and investors who will select the 4 finalists.

The final 4 will create pitch videos to share why their technology should win the 2024 Capitalize: Technology contest. The pitch videos will then be used for fan voting on Kings.com/Capitalize. Fans will have the opportunity to vote starting April 1 and until halftime of the Kings Tech Night game on April 11. Judges and fan votes will be tallied, and the Capitalize winner will be announced during the game and awarded a $10,000 cash prize towards the development of their startup and two years of access to Dialpad communication services.

2024 Capitalize: Technology Top 8 Contestants

To learn more about Capitalize: Technology, visit&nbsp;Kings.com/Capitalize.

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Sacramento Kings Select the Top 8 for Capitalize: Technology

On January 29, the Sacramento Kings announced their ninth annual Capitalize: Technology competition presented by,&nbsp;Dialpad&nbsp;and the City of Sacramento's&nbsp;Office of Innovation and Economic Development.&nbsp;This annual competition highlights the Kings ongoing commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in the Sacramento region.&nbsp;

Applications for Capitalize:&nbsp;Technology closed yesterday, and today, the Sacramento Kings notified the select 16, who will continue to the next round. Subsequent interviews will narrow the contestants down to the top 8, which will be announced on February 22. The top 8 contestants will receive coaching in preparation for Pitch Day on March 27. At Pitch Day, a panel of successful entrepreneurs, executives, and investors will judge each contestant's pitch and select the 4 finalists to move on to fan voting.

The final 4 finalists will create compelling pitch videos to be showcased on Kings.com/Capitalize for fans voting. Fans can vote from April 1 until halftime of the Kings game on April 11, Tech Night. Judges and fan votes will be tallied, and the Capitalize: Technology winner will be announced during the game and awarded a $10,000 cash prize towards the development of their startup and two years of access to Dialpad communication services. 

Meet the 2024 Select 16 Capitalize: Technology contestants:

To learn more about Capitalize 2024, visit&nbsp;Kings.com/Capitalize.

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Sacramento Kings Announce the Select 16 for Capitalize: Technology

Last month, the Kings&nbsp;launched&nbsp;the second contest within the team’s Capitalize platform,&nbsp;Capitalize: Food. Diverse food entrepreneurs from across the region participated in multiple rounds of competition, including a highly competitive Pitch Day. There are now four remaining contestants, one of which will be crowned the Sacramento Kings 2023 Capitalize: Food champion. To move forward in the contest, each food submission must meet the arena’s Food Charter criteria where 90% of the food is sourced from 150 miles from the arena.&nbsp;

On September 6, the remaining contestants composed of restaurants and entrepreneurial ventures, presented their concepts to a distinguished panel of judges during Pitch Day. These judges evaluated the contestants’ pitches, tasted a sample of their entry and selected the four finalists who earned a spot in the cook-off showdown.

Cook-Off and Winner to be Announced at Golden 1 Center&nbsp;

On September 14, the four finalists will show off their culinary skills during a live cook-off set inside Golden 1 Center’s kitchen. Following a deliberation, the judges will announce the winner of the Sacramento Kings Capitalize: Food contest, who will earn&nbsp;an opportunity for their brand to be featured at the Golden 1 Center&nbsp;during the 2023-24 NBA season and at the team’s Media Food Tasting in October.&nbsp;

Get to know the four finalists who will participate in the cook-off event.&nbsp;

To learn more about the Sacramento Kings 2023 Capitalize: Food competition, visit&nbsp;Kings.com/CapitalizeFood.

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Culinary Innovation: Sacramento Kings Announce Four Finalists as Capitalize: Food Contest Heats Up

In early August, the Sacramento Kings launched the inaugural Capitalize: Food contest – the second installment in the franchise’s annual Capitalize competition. Fast forward to August 21, the excitement spiked as the organization unveiled the 16 applicants who would move on to the next round. Now, the contest has intensified, with the pool of applicants cut in half, leaving eight exceptional contestants to vie for their opportunity be crowned the Sacramento Kings 2023 Capitalize: Food champion.

The remaining eight contestants – hailing from diverse backgrounds, including restaurants and entrepreneurial ventures – will receive mentorship and coaching to fine-tune their concepts as they prepare for Pitch Day on September 6. On Pitch Day, a distinguished panel of judges will evaluate the pitches and taste a sample of the contestants’ entry. Finalists selected from this pool will earn a spot in the cook-off showdown.

Culinary Excellence Unleashed: The Cook-Off

On September 15, the finalists' culinary expertise will be put to the test in a live cook-off. Set inside Golden 1 Center’s kitchen, the finalists will bring their concepts to life, aiming to secure placement inside the arena during the 2023-24 NBA Season.

On September 19, the Sacramento Kings Capitalize: Food champion will be announced and receive a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have their food and/or restaurant brand featured at Golden 1 Center during the 2023-24 NBA Season. In addition, the winner’s creation will be showcased during the Kings 2023 Media Food Tasting event this fall.

Get to know the semi-finalists who will participate in Pitch Day, vying for a spot in the finals.

To learn more about the Sacramento Kings 2023 Capitalize: Food competition, visit Kings.com/CapitalizeFood.

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Culinary Innovation: Sacramento Kings Unveil Semi-Finalists for Capitalize: Food Contest

On August 1, the Sacramento Kings unveiled the second contest of the annual Capitalize competition – Capitalize: Food. The contest aims to provide exceptionally skilled and creative food entrepreneurs from the region with a unique opportunity to demonstrate their culinary expertise and bolster their brand equity and exposure.

Capitalize: Food applications opened on August 1 and saw a diverse response before the application window closed on August 18.

Today, the Sacramento Kings notified the pool of applicants who will advance to the next stage of the contest. Throughout the coming days, applicants will engage in interviews to share more about their concepts. A select number of these applicants will be chosen to receive mentorship and coaching as they prepare for the contest’s Pitch Day.

On Pitch Day, September 6, a panel of successful executives, investors and industry leaders will evaluate the ideas and pitches of the contestants. Finalists will be selected from the remaining pool of contestants, earning a spot in a cook-off event on September 14. During this culinary showdown, finalists will bring their concepts to life in Golden 1 Center’s kitchen for a chance to win placement inside the arena.

The contest winner will be announced on September 19 and will receive a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have their food and/or restaurant brand featured at Golden 1 Center during the 2023-24 NBA Season. In addition, the winner’s creation will be showcased during the Kings 2023 Media Food Tasting this fall.

Introducing the Capitalize: Food Contestants:

Get acquainted with the talented pool of applicants competing in the 2023 Capitalize: Food contest, each bringing their unique vision to the competition.

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Culinary Innovation: Sacramento Kings Narrow Down Contestants for Capitalize: Food

Nikki Nicholson

Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox keep stacking accolades.  

De’Aaron Fox always knew everything meant more in Sacramento.&nbsp;

Before No.5 was drafted by the Kings in 2017, he said he embraced the idea of going to the Kings in hopes of restoring the franchise to greatness.&nbsp;

“Imagine being one of the players who's on a team that hasn’t been to the playoffs in over a decade, almost two decades, and then being the first team to actually get to the playoffs,” Fox told J.J. Reddick two years ago on The Old Man and The Three podcast. “Obviously, it's hard as hell, but just being able to be a part of that would be something special.”&nbsp;

Fast forward, and No.5 made sure Sacramento’s 2022-2023 was nothing short of special, combining his personal success, including a first All-Star appearance and Clutch Player of the Year award, with team progress, featuring a Pacific Division Championship and postseason berth.&nbsp;

“I’m extremely proud of this group,” Fox said in his postseason exit interview. “It was a remarkable season for us from where we have been in the past. This is a big step in the right direction.”&nbsp;

With a beamin’ season comes well-earned accolades, as Sacramento’s All-Star duo of Sabonis and Fox was named to the All-NBA Third Team on Wednesday, giving the Kings their first All-NBA tandem in the Sacramento era.   

According to StatMuse, the Kings franchise has&nbsp;had the fifth-most All-NBA selections in league history, while the last teammates to earn All-NBA together were Oscar Robertson and Jerry Lucas during the 1967-1968 season with the Cincinnati Royals.&nbsp;

After leading the NBA in double-doubles and rebounding, Sabonis proved to be one of the most dominant interior forces in the league, earning his third All-Star selection and first All-NBA nod, as he racked up regular reason averages of 19.1 points, 12.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists.&nbsp;

Alongside him was the team’s starting point guard, who received his first All-NBA selection as well, after averaging 25.0 points and 6.1 assists during the regular season.&nbsp;

Together, the young stars helped Sacramento finish second in field-goal percentage (49.4), third in assists (27.3), fifth in 3-pointers made (1,128), and net the highest offensive rating in NBA history (118.6) with the squad scoring the most points per game by a team in 40 years. 

“Because of the way it ended,” Fox said following the Kings first-round loss to the Golden State Warriors. "You want that sting to last a little bit. You don’t want to feel that again."

“I feel that’ll help you build toward the future.”&nbsp;

 The last time No. 5 had a vision for creating something special in Sacramento, he delivered — and the Kings Pacific Division reign has just begun. 