OAK VIEW GROUP LAUNCHES DE&I CAREER READINESS PROGRAM, ASCEND, WITH HBCU NIGHT AND ASCEND BACKSTAGE AT CFG BANK ARENA IN BALTIMORE ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13

New OVG-led Career Readiness Program Aims to Equip Underrepresented Students with Skills, Mentorship, and Real-world Experience in Sports, Entertainment, and Hospitality

DENVER, Dec. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Oak View Group (OVG), a global leader in venue development, management, and premium hospitality services, proudly announces the launch of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) program, Ascend, dedicated to enhancing career readiness for underrepresented talent. The Ascend program aims to bridge opportunity gaps in the sports, live entertainment, and hospitality sectors, offering participants exposure, training, and networking through targeted recruitment and experiential learning.

Ascend offers specialized tracks, including Ascend HBCU, dedicated to career readiness for students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities; Ascend HSI, which recruits and provides career resources to students from Hispanic Serving Institutions; Ascend Women, focusing on women pursuing careers in sports and entertainment; Ascend Hospitality, for students from underrepresented groups in hospitality; and Ascend Backstage, for those interested in venue management. Each variation of the program is tailored to build valuable career skills amongst underrepresented groups.

To launch this initiative, OVG will host an Ascend Backstage and HBCU Night experience on Friday, December 13, 2024, at Baltimore's CFG Bank Arena from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., respectively. This event will provide 85 HBCU students from the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia regions with exclusive access to a behind-the-scenes look at venue operations, including expert insights, industry panel discussions, and a networking mixer. The day will conclude with "Nick Cannon Presents: MTV Wild 'N Out Live" in the arena, fostering engagement and professional connections in a unique entertainment setting.

At HBCU Night, over 70 students will hear from OVG leaders, Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott, Dr. Clara Ross Stamps - Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Dr. Tammira Lucas - CEO/Founder of The Cube, Cowork, Venture Growth Advisor for the Urban Business Innovation Initiative at TEDCO, and Professor at Coppin State University, Chanelle Reynolds - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs Lead at the Washington Commanders and Success Playbook Podcast Host with Revolt TV, and Nate Harris - General Manager of the Greater Richmond Convention Center, who will share insights on navigating a career in sports and entertainment and the unique value HBCU students bring to the workforce. Following the panel, a networking mixer will connect students with industry leaders before free admission to the show "Nick Cannon Presents: MTV Wild 'N Out Live." Additionally, Ascend Backstage will welcome up to 20 students for a day of shadowing CFG Bank Arena staff, providing hands-on experience.

In partnership with Fearless, Baltimore's largest minority-owned digital services integrator, the CFG Bank Arena experience will provide students invaluable insights into live event operations while building skills essential for future success. OVG will continue to expand Ascend initiatives across the U.S. to extend similar career opportunities to early talent from historically underrepresented backgrounds.

Applications for the Ascend HBCU Internship Program open on Monday, January 6, and close on Monday, March 17, 2025. Selected students will secure paid internships across OVG's corporate offices and venues in fields such as marketing, partnerships/sales, finance, HR, communications, and hospitality. Interns will begin in late May and work through early August, engaging in:

• Career Readiness Webinars: Workshops on essential workforce skills.
• Mentorship Program: Each intern will be paired with an OVG leader for career guidance.
• Capstone Project: Interns will collaborate on a project addressing real-world challenges in sports and entertainment, honing problem-solving and strategic thinking skills.

"This program has the potential to revolutionize our talent pipelines and provide incredible opportunities for students seeking to enter the live entertainment industry," said Dr. Debonair Oates-Primus, VP, of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at OVG. "We're particularly excited to launch Ascend at HBCU Night at CFG Bank Arena, where promising students will have the unique opportunity to work the show, experience the excitement firsthand, network with industry leaders, and gain invaluable insights into how to succeed in our dynamic field. This is what real access looks like. Our goal is to not just open doors for these students, but to build ladders that lead to their success and advancement. Through experiential learning opportunities, mentorship, coaching, and internships, we're committed to providing the support and resources they need to thrive in their careers." 

"My philosophy has always been that a building's employees should mirror the diversity of its community," said Frank Remesch, SVP and General Manager of CFG Bank Arena. "Baltimore is a diverse city, and the majority of our employees are Baltimore City residents, with 60% of upper management coming from diverse backgrounds. CFG Bank Arena is proud of our commitment to diversity and especially our minority-owned and women-owned enterprise programs. The natural next step is cultivating and incorporating the incredible talents of students attending and graduating from HBCUs."

Delali Dzirasa, CEO of Fearless, stated, "Events like this are one of the motivating drivers for establishing the Fearless Club. We want to leverage the space and our partnership with Oak View Group to provide students, entrepreneurs, and creatives with an inclusive community of mentors, advisors, and supporters, as part of the larger ecosystem in Baltimore."

Ascend is dedicated to empowering talent by providing transformative internships and early career opportunities in the dynamic industries of sports, entertainment, hospitality, and venue management. Through a combination of workshops, mentorship, networking opportunities, and practical experiences, participants will gain valuable insights and resources to navigate their career paths effectively. Ascend activities to include:

• Campus Takeovers: Career development programming through resume workshops, mock interviews, speaker series, career fairs, and more.
• Networking Events: Speed networking with OVG leaders and partners.
• Internship/Job Placements: Work with OVG departments to ensure talent pools are diverse and inclusive of people from varied backgrounds with distinct perspectives.
• Mentorship Programs: Utilize OVG Employee Resource Groups to connect employees from every part of the business with students.

These initiatives will strengthen the readiness of underrepresented students entering these dynamic fields. For more information, please visit OakViewGroup.com.

About Fearless

Fearless is an impact-focused digital services integrator building software with a soul, while creating the conditions for organizations and their people to thrive. Through human-centered digital solutions and organizational transformation, Fearless unlocks the power of people, organizations, and tech, focused on making government more efficient, improving and preserving human life, and building a more equitable world. Fearless works with some of the biggest agencies in the federal government – Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Small Business Administration (SBA), General Services Administration (GSA), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Department of Human Services (DHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Veterans Administration (VA), National Security Agency (NSA), United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and the Department of Defense (DoD), the U.S. Army and the U.S. Airforce – and with major private enterprises including the NFL, Exelon and Deloitte. For more information visit https://fearless.tech.

About CFG Bank Arena

CFG Bank Arena is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment venue located in the heart of downtown Baltimore. The Arena first opened in 1962, when it was known as the Baltimore Civic Center. Located at 201 W. Baltimore Street, the Arena has recently been transformed into a world-class facility by Oak View Group, now hosting world-class concerts, family shows, sporting events and more. The venue celebrated its grand opening weekend on April 7 & 8, 2023 with sold-out performances by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band and the Eagles. The $250+ million world-class modern Arena accommodates 14,000 guests and serves as a key anchor on downtown Baltimore's west side, helping to drive further investment and development in the area. CFG Bank Arena was recently ranked #4 Worldwide as the highest grossing venue (10-15K capacity) by Billboard Magazine. Visit www.cfgbankarena.com, and follow us on socials @cfgbankarena.

About Oak View Group

Oak View Group (OVG) is the global leader in live experience venue development, management, premium hospitality services, and 360-degree solutions for a collection of world-class owned venues and a client roster of arenas, stadiums, convention centers, music festivals, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions. Founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015, OVG is the leading developer of major new venues either open or under development across four continents. Visit OakViewGroup.com, and follow OVG on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.

SOURCE Oak View Group