Strategic African American Retail Track (StAART) program: Explained

The StAART program was conceived by Darius Billings, the senior director of product and marketing for The Athlete’s Foot USA. He noted that while Black people are the primary consumers and influencers of sneakers and athletic apparel, they are not adequately represented in positions of leadership or profit.

The StAART program is designed to change this narrative by increasing African American representation and ownership within the sneaker industry, particularly through franchising. Through StAART, TAF directly recruits, develops, and mentors Black entrepreneurs using its retail franchise model.

The program provides StAART franchisees with access to resources, systems, relationships with strategic brand partners, and a mentorship network. This approach addresses many of the barriers that typically prevent Black entrepreneurs from launching and successfully sustaining their businesses.

In a remarkable move, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, an award-winning gospel musician and songwriter, became the first-ever recipient of TAF’s StAART program. Tasha Cobbs Leonard has built a successful career in music, winning numerous awards including a Grammy for Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music…