ATLANTA -- On Thursday, June 23, Atlanta Hawks Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer Nzinga Shaw will be a recipient of The Network Journal’s “40 Under Forty Achievement Award” at the magazine’s annual gala in New York City. Shaw and her fellow award recipients will be recognized as young African-Americans who have proven to be exceptional performers in their industries and committed contributors to the advancement of their communities.
“We are amazingly proud of Nzinga and this honor is well deserved,” said Steve Koonin, CEO, Atlanta Hawks & Philips Arena. “Her tireless work in diversity and inclusion has not only been invaluable to our organization, but serves as a blueprint for the NBA and professional sports.”
The alumna of Spelman College and the University of Pennsylvania recently completed her second season with the Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club, where she serves as the first CDIO in the NBA and develops best practices and strategies for the company. During the 2015-16 NBA campaign, Shaw and the club’s Diversity & Inclusion Council increased the company’s outreach efforts to the LGBT community and participated in the 45th Pride Parade. Later in the season, to celebrate Black History, Shaw and the council launched the Model Of Shaping Atlanta through Inclusive Conversations (MOSAIC), an on-going vehicle for the Hawks to facilitate effective discussion around acceptance across all socio-economic strata.
Shaw joins a class that includes, among others, executives from prominent global corporations, legal and medical professionals, and leaders in the field of higher education. This year’s honorees will be profiled in the SUMMER 2016 issue of The Network Journal.
Founded in 1993, The Network Journal is a quarterly print and online business magazine for Black professionals and business owners.