HOW WE STARTED
WHAT IS W.O.K.E. ATHLETES?
W.O.K.E is an acronym that stands for Words of Knowledge Empower.
W.O.K.E. Athletes started as a student organization in 2018 at Bryant University co-founded by Matthew Caruso and two other student-athletes as a way to unite all multicultural student-athletes on campus who go through similar experiences but may never cross paths due to the demanding schedules of Division 1 athletics. By creating a safe space, W.O.K.E. Athletes gave its members a voice of influence on a campus that neglected their potential beyond their respective sports which allowed the organization to create monumental change to university policies, handling of racial bias incidents, and the academic/career development resources provided for student-athletes. The organization focuses on the holistic development of its members to help athletes realize their passions, skills, and interests beyond their sport to create a well-rounded identity that goes beyond their athletic status.
After graduation in May of 2021, Matthew wanted to continue the work started at his university and spread the vision far beyond students at Bryant. That led to him teaming up with his sister Jennifer, a former Brown University soccer player, to create W.O.K.E. Athletes LLC. A clothing brand pioneering a new wave of athletes that are aware of their influential platforms and use them to abolish stereotypes around athletes' identities being solely centered around their sport.
Mission
W.O.K.E Athletes is a company that was founded to empower athletes to use their platforms to change the narrative around athletes being silent on social issues or uneducated in areas outside of their sports. W.O.K.E Athletes is pioneering a new wave of educated, multicultural, and holistically well-rounded people whose identities and experiences transcend their respective sports.
Vision
Creating a generation of athletes who break through societally imposed limitations on their potentials and embrace the impact they can have in changing the world for the better. W.O.K.E Athletes wants to show athletes how influential they are and how to properly use their platforms for ground-breaking holistic change.
