Strategic Brand & Community Growth for Cole Anthony & The 50 Ways Foundation
The 50 Ways Foundation, co-founded by NBA star Cole Anthony and Bryce Council, successfully established The Playbook, an event Infue proudly co-created and produces. The event’s core mission of arming future stars with tools to thrive financially, mentally, and athletically was validated at the highest level when Cole Anthony was named the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award October Winner for his dedication to this work. This momentum grew even further when the NBPA Foundation matching grants program highlighted Cole Anthony and the foundation for their efforts to uplift underserved youth through mentorship and access in New York City. Having the backing of both the league and the players' association made it clear that it was time to take things to the next level by transitioning from a singular, high-impact event to a sustainable, year-round strategic enterprise.
Involvement:
Brand Strategy
Content Strategy
Social Media Strategy
Partnership & Collaboration Strategy
Creative Direction
Social Media Management
Social Media Content Production
Experiential Strategy & Planning
Live Event Production
Brand Activation
The Opportunity: Instilling Purpose and Maximizing Impact
The foundation needed to evolve its operations while maintaining authenticity and excellence. Infue was tasked with embedding purpose into the organizational structure, turning a one-off event into a replicable model capable of delivering consistent impact for youth and corporate sponsors alike.
Our Solution: Embedded Strategy and Program Development
Infue partnered with the 50 Ways Foundation, expanding our initial support to lead Business Development and Strategy initiatives. Key initiatives included:
1. Strategic Infrastructure and Corporate Alignment
The Playbook Production: Infue manages logistics and leverages the full-spectrum curriculum including financial literacy with Morgan Stanley Global Sports & Entertainment, securing a long-term corporate partnership.
Event Expansion: Bolstered the annual signature event into the 50 Ways Weekend series, assisting with their Pro-Am & Giveback to boost community engagement and donor participation.
2. Launching The Pathways Program
Program Design: Infue structures and develops the Pathways Program to connect youth organizations with corporate partners, providing perspectives and opportunities unavailable in day-to-day life.
Operational Execution: Infue creates and maintains backend tracking systems and operational procedures to manage the complex flow between youth organizations and corporate partners, ensuring the program operates sustainably and
scales effectively.
The Impact: A Sustainable Legacy and Accelerated Growth
Infue’s strategic work delivers measurable results:
League-Wide Recognition: Recognition through Cole Anthony’s NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award, reinforcing the foundation’s credibility.
Sustained Partnerships: Secured a multi-year corporate anchor with Morgan Stanley GSE (Global Sports & Entertainment).
Year-Round Programming: The Pathways Program provides a scalable, repeatable model, enabling consistent, high-impact engagement across youth and community partners.
Strategic Vision: By helping define the foundation's long-term goals, Infue positions the 50 Ways Foundation to accelerate its pursuit of major grant funding, realizing a long-term vision of sustained community impact.
