Wade Davis

Global Head of Inclusion Strategy at Netflix, Former NFL Player, Corporate Inclusion Advisor & Educator

Wade Davis

Global Head of Inclusion Strategy at Netflix, Former NFL Player, Corporate Inclusion Advisor & Educator

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Biography

Former NFL Player Wade Davis is a thought leader, public speaker, and writer on gender, race, and orientation equality. Wade is currently the Global Head of Inclusion Strategy at Netflix and has consulted for companies including Google, Procter & Gamble, Viacom, and others to co-create transformative solutions to build inclusive corporate cultures. Additionally, Wade coaches senior leaders to adapt and flex their leadership styles to meet the needs and develop their employee population.

Wade is a Global Champion for Innovation for UN Women, and serves on the boards of MeToo International, the Ms. Foundation for Women, the MAD Foundation, Promundo, the Peace Studio, and Sparks + Honey. Wade is also a Global Champion for Girl Up, a program of the United Nations Foundation.

Wade’s work to engage, educate, and help men understand what actions to take toward gender equality has included partnerships with the Ms. Foundation and Ebony Magazine where he launched the #BlackMenAndFeminism campaign and with the Ms. Foundation For Women’s #MyFeminismIs campaign. Understanding the importance of engaging men around gender equity and equality, Wade built a ‘Men’s Gender Equality Development’ leadership program that launched with the United Nations in 2018.

Wade was the NFL’s first LGBT inclusion consultant and has consulted for numerous professional sports leagues on issues at the intersection of sexism, racism and homophobia. Wade created league-wide inclusive leadership strategies, led inclusion-training sessions for coaches and players, as well as built and launched national engagement initiatives.

In addition to his work in sports and corporate culture and leadership, Wade consults with entertainment industry leaders, including Fox, Viacom, and NBC. A frequent guest on podcasts and as a commentator for various news programs, Wade’s work in media has also included consulting on Oscar winner John Ridley’s series, American Crime, where he also filmed a co-star role.

A former national surrogate for President Obama, Wade has been an Adjunct Professor at both the NYU School of Professional Studies Tisch Institute for Sports Management, Media, and Business and the Rutgers University School of Public Affairs and Administration. Wade gave his first TEDx Talk at the University of Florida entitled: The Mask of Masculinity, and works to engage men through a variety of vehicles to become more self-reflective and divest in patriarchal practices. He continues to lecture on the intersections of race, sexuality, gender, and sports at universities nationally and internationally.

Wade Davis was born in Little Rock, Arkansas and graduated from Weber State University in Ogden, Utah with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and received an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from Northeastern University for his leadership and ongoing efforts to eradicate homophobia and sexism in athletics. He is currently at work on his first book.

Speaker Videos

APB Presents: Wade Davis

TEDTalk: The Mask of Masculinity

LGBTQ+ & Sports

Make These Issues Personal

Men and Gender Equality

Wade Davis on American Crime

Intersections of Inclusion

Expand the Idea of Masculinity

Feminism Should end Patriarchy

Make It Personal

See Fewer Videos

Speech Topics

Title IX Program

Title IX is landmark legislation that works to ensure that men and women both have access to a quality education, free from discrimination. Under Title IX, many women and human rights advocates have brilliantly used protections to advocate against sexual harassment and assault on college campuses.

The statistics tell us that fraternity members and student athletes commit the majority of sexual assaults on college campuses. These unsettling statistics have caused the NCAA to mandate that all student athletes get sexual assault/harassment and consent training. Former NFL player and NFL/NHL consultant Wade Davis, with years of college training experience, has created a sexuality and consent training program.

Because of his understanding of athletes, masculinity and other forms of discrimination, Wade's Title IX program is highly interactive and engaging, and ensures that the information students receive is accessible, relatable and immediately transforming. Wade has provided workshops and training at the NCAA, Big Ten, SEC, Big Sky Conference, and colleges nationally and internationally.

LGBTQ+ & Sports: The Coming Out Process

As a former NFL player and one of the few openly gay former professional athletes, Wade shares his own coming out process and the work he does as an LGBTQ+ consultant for the NFL and as Executive Director of the You Can Play Project, an organization with partnership with including the NHL, MLS, CFL and others.

Intentional Diversity & Inclusion

Have we emptied the true meaning of intersectionality by only changing the optics of organizations, without understanding the structural and institutional challenges that go unnoticed? Through practical and tangible examples, see how Wade can help your business evolve into a space where diversity and inclusion becomes part of your organizational DNA.

At Risk vs. At Promise: Defining Inner City Youth

When working in marginalized communities, the words and the language that we use matters, and how we talk about the young people we are trying to impact can determine how we show up – as social justice advocates or as saviors. Do we see their promise? Do we see them as we look at ourselves in the mirror? While working with marginalized youth at the Hetrick-Martin Institute, teaching at the Harvey Milk High School, and creating the country's only inner city LGBTQ+ sports camp, Wade explains how to embody this idea of fictive kinship and see the promise in young people.

Masculinity: An Imaginary Friend

How do you define masculinity? Wade defines masculinity as an imaginary friend, and if left unchecked, masculinity can be highly toxic. Through his teachings and training, he’s learned we must do the work to unlearn the seductive nature of sexism and toxic masculinity, and move to create space for all without stigma and shame being attached. Wade talks about the work he's done to undo the constraints of perceived masculinity, and move forward in a positive way.

Sexism: How Ending Sexist Oppression Will Free Men

Far too often we imagine that ending sexism impacts only women. Yet if we re-imagine the gender roles and expand our understanding of masculinity and femininity, men benefit from the expansion: how they can show up in world without the pressures of performing toxic forms of hyper masculinity. Wade explores his own dialog with feminism, tools to be pro-active about ending the sexist dialog, and leads conversation around the topic.

Testimonials

“Our Pride Month event with Wade Davis was amazing! He is one of the best speakers we’ve had here at Juniper. He is really candid and knows how to balance that with what’s appropriate for a corporate audience.”

- Juniper Networks

"Wade Davis offered us at Syracuse University both an invitation and a promise. By inviting our attendees to imagine a better world, he promised that we would indeed receive opportunities to make it all so. Through his dynamic ability to turn event spectators into participators, he illuminated a new vision for masculinity and nourished the spirit and soul of our campus community. I highly recommend Wade Davis as a speaker for those seeking to invite diverse learners into the fullness of life."

- Dean of Hendricks Chapel at Syracuse University

"Wade is a delight! He was so open and thoughtful when responding to questions, and sparked good conversations! Wade is very articulate and engaging, and I know attendees got a lot out of his remarks."

- Altria

"Wade was AMAZING! He had much insight to offer on the topic of Diversity & Inclusion, and our students and staff were so engaged in his presentation. He is an excellent speaker and we hope to bring him back to Penn State Harrisburg again in the future!"

- Office of Student Engagement, Penn State Harrisburg

"Wade Davis is a wealth of information, honesty and passion for his work which he delivers on each time. Each time I have had the opportunity to be in Wade’s presence I am impressed with his articulate and captivating nature as he shares his story. Wade’s impact on the LGBTQ sports community is authentic and BETRUE in every way."

- NIKE Inc.

"Your perspectives on what it means to be an active male feminist (focusing on purpose vs praise) and approaches to breaking down patriarchal systems made a huge impact on me."

- AppNexus Inc.

"Wade just wrapped up his event -- WOW!!! He is such a good speaker, and a delightful human being. I was amazed. We filled up our event venue and had to bring in extra seating."

- St. Olaf College

"Wade is very articulate and engaging, and I know attendees got a lot out of his remarks. Our CEO had a chance to briefly meet Wade before the event and even asked a question after Wade’s remarks—we noted that it was the first time our CEO attended a Pride event!"

- Altria Client Services

"We were thrilled to have Wade on campus, and I've heard nothing but glowing responses from all of the people who attended his talk. He was so easy to work with, and we would love to find opportunities to bring him back to Bentley University in the future."

- Bentley University

"The students truly enjoyed listening to Wade’s incredible story and I believe they took away valuable lessons about diversity and inclusion in the workforce. Once again, thank you for an enlightening Keynote Address and we hope you had a great visit to Columbia Business School."

- Columbia University

"Wade was amazing! Those who attended said it was the best IDEA session they've been to."

- Canadian Football League

"It was an absolute pleasure working with both Wade Davis and American Program Bureau. Wade spoke so powerfully about issues like masculinity, sexual violence, and more but in a way that was still very much relateable to our students and others in the auditorium. Given the line of people waiting to speak with him afterward, his talk, which was very interactive and pertinent to so many issues impacting people today, definitely left a positive, lasting impact on those in attendance."

- Penn State University-University Park

“….the event was terrific, and Wade did an amazing job. So far the feedback has been very positive….Thanks also….great collaborators.”

- Magna International