By Genius Sports Press 
At Genius Sports, we are one team and value the contribution every individual brings as we work together to achieve our shared goals. We’re committed to taking genuine and meaningful action to drive positive and lasting change.
We believe that innovation is intrinsically linked to diversity and inclusion and that by investing in diversity, we are investing in our collective future. Through our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Programme, Beyond the Lines, we give back to our communities by carrying out tailored initiatives that target our goals and embody our values.
One such initiative is our Externship Programme, established in collaboration with Howard University – an Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the United States.
Howard University Externship Programme
Launched in 2023, our HBCU Externship Programme was created to help to tackle some of the barriers faced by young black Americans within US and UK public companies.
Howard University is incredibly proud of their history as a HBCU. HBCUs were originally established at a time when African-Americans were unable to pursue degrees at historically white institutions and were specifically created to help equip students with a proper education.
We are delighted to partner with Howard University to establish our Externship Programme and help provide American law students with engaging and educational experiences within our dynamic and professional environment.
Under the programme, three second-year law students at Howard University completed a three-month externship with Genius within their chosen function. This included the Governance, Compliance & ESG; Commercial Legal; and Employment departments.
During their placements, each extern was tasked with completing legal work to assist their team and gain real exposure to life as an In-House Legal Counsel. Although the externships were based to be remote, the externs were invited to visit our New York office to meet with the members of the business in-person and spend time with other business functions including Investor Relations to gain further insight.
“As a second-year law student, I was thrilled to learn about an opportunity to extern at Genius Sports,” said Mena, extern within the Governance, Compliance & ESG department.
“I was immediately given interesting assignments that allowed me to get a deeper understanding of what compliance looks like for a sports technology company, and how the legal department contributes to the company’s mission and goals. I also received meaningful mentorship from my supervisors who constantly take time to explain the work they do and how their work impacts Genius Sports.
“I am so appreciative that I had the opportunity to come to Genius Sports to explore my interests and learn from professionals through hands-on work and look forward to the next stages of my legal career.”
All three departments enjoyed working with and training the externs and we were incredibly pleased to receive positive feedback from all participants at the end of the externship.
We look forward to running the programme again this year and are committed to developing it and continuing to make Genius an ever more inclusive place to work.
