Entertainment Sports Inside Nike's Future 50 for Her Event in Los Angeles To celebrate the iconic brand's 50th anniversary, PEOPLE spent three days with Nike to explore all the ways they are redefining sport for a new generation of women By Diane J. Cho Diane J. Cho Diane J. Cho was the Features Editor of PEOPLE Digital from 2019 to 2022. She worked at the brand for nearly four years covering news, features, human interest, evergreen, holiday gift guides and more. She launched the How I Parent and What It's Really Like to Be …. digital series and has interviewed several celebrities and influential leaders within the entertainment industry. Prior to joining PEOPLE, Diane worked at Bustle, VH1 and Complex. She received her bachelor's degree in Journalism from Rutgers University and her master's degree from Columbia Journalism School. People Editorial Guidelines Published on May 26, 2022 11:13AM EDT Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos 01 of 11 Dining with Legends at Nike LAHQ Nike In celebration of Nike's 50th anniversary, the brand invited press, influencers and leaders of industry to join their three-day Future 50 for Her event, which kicked off with a welcome dinner hosted by Tunde Oyeneyin. The beautiful dining experience took place at the company's new Los Angeles headquarters based in Playa Vista. During the evening, guests enjoyed a three-course dinner prepared by Chefs Camilla Marcus and Jing Gao, and got to hear from Nike athletes — Alyssa Thompson, Tara Nicolas, Lisa Leslie, Michelle Wie West, Gisele Thompson, Rebeckah Price, Oksana Masters, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Chloe Kim, Joan Benoit Samuelson and Brandi Chastain — about their inspiring paths to the pros and their excitement over how women are helping drive the future of sport at Nike. 02 of 11 Meditation & Conversation at Blue Ribbon Sports Nike Day two was dedicated to mindfulness, design innovation and the future of fitness. The morning began with lattes and a grounding meditation session led by yoga athlete Rebeckah Price at the famous Blue Ribbon Sports, which was founded in 1964 and was renamed Nike, after the Greek goddess of victory, in 1971. The first BRS retail store opened its doors in 1967 in Santa Monica, and became a place where runners all across Los Angeles would come and find community and safety with each other. The space is still a safe haven and hub for runners today. 03 of 11 Panel with Joan Benoit Samuelson and Chloe Kim Nike After meditation, Vanessa Garcia-Brito, Nike's vice president of North America Communications, held a Q&A with Joan Benoit Samuelson — legendary marathon runner who set a women's world record at the 1979 Boston Marathon while attending Bowdoin College, and won gold at the 1984 Olympics — and Chloe Kim — snowboarder and two-time Olympic gold medalist — about the growing pains they experienced throughout their careers. Samuelson, who's been a Nike athlete for decades, shared how being in the right place and right time gave her the opportunity to pursue running as a career during a time when women were not accepted in the sport. "I was a first year student in a small high school in Maine, and that was the same year that Nike was founded," she said to the group. "So to be the beneficiary of Title IX legislation and to become a Nike athlete meant I was at the right place at the right time," she continued, referring to the federal law which prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. "Fortunately, I was afforded the opportunity to compete in the Olympics because of the women who preceded me in sport — which little was known because women just weren't given the time and exposure back then as they are today," she added. "We still have miles to go but we'll get there." For Kim, it was the lack of representation as an Asian American athlete that drove her to want to be the best version of herself as a person and athlete. "I wished that I had somebody that I could relate to, but in snowboarding [and winter sports] there weren't that many Asian Americans in general so I didn't know who to turn to," she shared. "I experienced a lot of struggle ... It was really, really hard." "As I got older, I started to understand why representation is so important," she continued. "I'm seeing so many more Asian American snowboarders come up, and it makes me so happy." "I know how hard I'm working to be a good role model for them, and I know how hard it must be for them, and so that truly inspires me to be the best version of myself." 04 of 11 Inclusive Design for Every Body Panel Nike Back at the LAHQ, Nike executives Karie Conner, Becca Kerr, Tania Flynn, Bridget Munro and Melissa Schirripa led a session on the brand's effort to create more inclusive designs for every body. "One of the biggest shifts you're seeing from Nike is we're embracing an expanded meaning of athletes," said Flynn, vice president of women's apparel design. "Nike's playing field has widened and [is] leading to a surge of meaningful women's innovation – from maternity to modesty to new bra and leggings for all body shapes and sizes." 05 of 11 Unveiling Nike's New and Simpler Bra Collection Nike Flynn went on to demonstrate the brand's new offerings that were shown on three different models. She explained that Nike's current bra strategy is focused on letting the athlete choose what style she likes first and then the support she needs — now with more than 70 cup sizes to choose from. 06 of 11 Future Fitness Workout with Tara Nichols Nike Inspired by the content available on the Nike Training Club app, Nike trainer Tara Nichols led the group in an all-levels HIIT workout. 07 of 11 Dance Workout with Dexter Carr Nike Shortly after, Nike choreographer Dexter Carr taught a dance class to Megan Thee Stallion's "Hot Girl Summer" to officially close out day two. 08 of 11 Unveiling a New Nike Exhibition at The Grove L.A. Nike Day three began at The Grove where Shannon Glass, vice president/GM of Nike North America, walked through new in-store exhibitions that showcased the history of the brand, athletes and shoes to inspire shoppers to be a part of the next generation of athletes. 09 of 11 Retail Partners Roundtable Nike Then back at LAHQ, Karie Conner, VP/GM of Nike North America Kids, led a panel of women-owned retail partners and pillars of their communities, featuring Sally Aguirre of Sally's Shoes in Los Angeles, Abby Albino of Makeway in Toronto, Beth Birkett of Bephie's Beauty Supply in Los Angeles, Jennifer Ford of Premium Goods in Houston and Julie Hogg of Wish in Atlanta. 10 of 11 Going Digital for Her with Lisa Leslie Nike Basketball Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie sat down with Nike executive Shannon Glass to chat about all new programming across the brand's digital ecosystem, including a Hottie Bootcamp with Megan Thee Stallion and a 48-week program designed for women during and after pregnancy. The panel ended with the viewing of a special Spike Lee project to celebrate Nike's 50th anniversary, which features "Zimmie," who talks up the unlimited potential around the next 50 years of the brand. You can watch the "Seen It All" video here. 11 of 11 Audio Guided Run in Santa Monica Nike To end the three-day experience, the group went on an audio-guided run through Santa Monica with the help of Nike's Run Club app, which features a wide collection of guided runs that will help motivate you to reach your next running goal.