[Winston-Salem, NC, Oct. 19, 2022]. Get In the Game announced today the appointment of Mame Annan-Brown and Matt Grimes to the board of directors. They will each help support the not-for-profit’s work to empower the next generation to create a more inclusive and equitable society. 

“My Mom's favorite saying is, ‘it takes a village,’” began Tom Walter, Founder and Board President of Get In the Game. “With Mame’s vast non-profit experience and corporate social responsibility expertise, and Matt’s unique blend of working in the public school system and leading the DEI initiative for the Cleveland Guardians, the Get In the Game village just got a whole lot stronger. With these two incredible mission-oriented people joining our Board, we are confident that we will be able to strengthen our brand, open more relationships with Major League Sports teams, and enhance the overall experience and opportunity for the GameChangers we serve.” 

Mame Annan-Brown serves as Executive Vice President of Global Communications, Public Affairs & ESG at Kontoor Brands, Inc. where she has responsibility for all aspects of global corporate communications, public affairs and ESG strategy. Additionally, Mame serves as President of the Kontoor Brands Foundation, leading Kontoor’s global philanthropic and charitable giving strategy. Mame holds a BA in Economics from McGill University and received a Masters in Development Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). An active member in the community, Mame also serves on the Board of Directors for the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce.

“It is an honor and a privilege to join Get In the Game to support its powerful vision of empowering the next generation of youth to create a more equitable future for all,” said Annan-Brown. “At a time when young people are increasingly leading the conversation on institutional racism and unintentional bias in our society, Get In the Game has created a meaningful space to discuss and understand those issues on a deeper level, while championing for change from a place of kindness, empathy, dignity and respect. I look forward to working with this stellar group of dynamic leaders on this next chapter of growth and impact.”

Matt Grimes is a multiracial-millennial, functional poverty survivor, education evangelist, and an award-winning DEI scholar-practitioner whose work centers on helping organizations develop a highly-skilled, culturally proficient, & racially diverse workforce at all levels. A former classroom teacher and school systems leader, Matt’s work and lived experiences center on inclusive leadership and cultivating psychological safety and belonging for marginalized identities. Currently, Matt serves as the Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Cleveland Guardians Baseball Organization, where he is charged with developing and implementing an organization-wide strategy to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Spanish & Multicultural Studies from Siena College and earned his Master’s Degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and is currently a Doctoral student at the University of Illinois studying leadership and equity. Matt is also a former United States Fulbright Scholar, Teach For America Alumnus, Harvard Equity & Inclusion Fellow, and recently received the Siena College Alumni Award for Excellence. 

“I often say that it is the game of baseball that got me into the field of education, and education that got me into the world of professional baseball,” remarked Grimes. “As a realist, I know our students are growing up in a world that needs healing. From entrenched institutional racism at a national level to a viral pandemic at a global level, it is too easy to lose hope. Programs like Get in the Game remind us of the power of youth advocacy to help us develop the future leaders we need to build a world that is more peaceful, just, and humane.”