NFL Senior Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Sam Rapoport: Biography at a Glance
- Sam Rapoport is a 20-year executive with the National Football League who currently serves as Senior Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
- She is changing the face of football to enfranchise marginalized populations by shifting diversity hiring practices in football.
- Rapoport’s efforts have helped over 225 female coaching, scouting, and operations candidates get hired in a six-year period and led the NFL to having more female coaches than any professional male sports league in history in 2022.
- Prior to this role, Rapoport spent 6 years on the leadership team at USA Football where she created the Women's World Football Games, the largest women's tackle football event in the world.
Videos
Biography
Sam Rapoport is a 20-year executive with the National Football League. Rapoport has dedicated her career to changing the face of football to enfranchise marginalized populations into the most popular sport in America. With this focus, she has worked to shift and progress diversity hiring practices in football.
Rapoport catalyzed a movement for women in sports by creating a new diversity platform for the NFL, which has since been replicated by other professional sports leagues. Through this effort, over 225 female coaching, scouting, and operations candidates have been hired in the six-year period; a record number. In 2022, the NFL had more female coaches when the season started than any professional male sports league in history.
Prior to this role, Rapoport spent 6 years on the leadership team at USA Football where she created the Women's World Football Games, the largest women's tackle football event in the world.
Rapoport was recently named one of Sports Illustrated's most Powerful, Most Influential, and Most Outstanding Women in Sports and was included in The Athletic’s NFL 40-under 40. Rapoport was awarded the NFL Commissioner’s Award selected by Commissioner Roger Goodell, Fortune 40 Under 40, and was named one of People Magazine’s 25 Women Changing the World. Rapoport has played football since the age of 14 as quarterback of several women’s tackle and flag football teams. She is a graduate of McGill University in Montreal, Canada and resides with her wife, Rebecca, and children Jordy and Tobin in the New York area.
Topics
How I Changed the Future of the NFL
Sam provides the blueprint for how the NFL went from no women in coaching, scouting, and officiating positions to rapid progress and record numbers. Fifteen women held coaching positions in the 2022 NFL season; a world record for any male professional sport.
These strategies can be implemented to help any organization drive change. Audience will:
- Ignite their passion to identify opportunities, and create change
- Learn how the NFL achieved progress in such a short timeline
- Learn how to apply these principles in your organization
- Leave the session feeling inspired – like you could run through a brick wall
How Inclusive Environments Build and Propel Organizations
Sam Rapoport explains how she struggled with her identity and overcame adversity as an NFL executive who is a member of the LGBTQ+ community. She provides an inspirational perspective and actionable plan on how organizations can create the most inclusive environments that bring out the very best of every employee.
Allyship: Help me help you!
The most common question Sam Rapoport is asked is “how can I help women thrive?” It's a nuanced challenge to solve. Sam delves into her experience in professional football to provide actionable takeaways to help men truly champion women and change company culture for the better. Sam has over two decades of success rising through the ranks of the NFL and is an inspiration and powerful storyteller motivating audiences to become the change agents.
