Skip to main content

Alibaba.com Teams Up with the IOC to Propel Athletes into Entrepreneurship

                                            

At a grand launch event in Paris today, Alibaba.com, a leading platform for global business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce, will announce it has become the first worldwide Olympic and Paralympic e-commerce partner to join the fourth edition of the Athlete365 Business Accelerator program (“Business Accelerator”)—an IOC-led initiative to support athletes with dual-career and career-transition opportunities by empowering them to become entrepreneurs.

 Alibaba.com connects buyers and suppliers from over 200 countries and regions, offering innovative services and technology-driven business tools to help SMEs start and grow their businesses. This simplifies global trade for buyers and sellers, offering opportunities for all aspiring entrepreneurs to – including athletes – to get ahead in business.

 According to new data from Alibaba.com*, nearly two thirds (63%) of former sportspeople struggle to find a new career after sport. Despite 76% of former sportspeople thinking they have the transferable skills relevant for business, just over half (52%) are now running their own business.

 The Athlete365 Business Accelerator program is a business incubator that aims to equip current and former professional athletes with the skills needed to create and manage their own businesses. As the first partner to join the program, Alibaba.com will create an e-commerce and global-trade-focused multi-phase training scheme designed to build participants' knowledge of business-critical areas such as the use of AI tools, global sourcing and B2B export through digital marketplaces.

 Through the program, Alibaba.com is aiming to empower more than 1,000 global athletes and former athletes with training. In addition, Alibaba.com will also offer 50 promising candidates Business Accelerator packages worth $10,000**, which will provide a combination of logistics, operational and sourcing training and credit to help candidates unlock long-term, sustainable growth opportunities.

 Kuo Zhang, President, Alibaba.com, said: "At Alibaba.com, we have witnessed many individuals without a business background become highly successful SMEs using our services and tools. Athletes, known for their courage, determination, and positive mindset in sports, bring these same essential traits to the business world. Their focus and resilience give them an edge as entrepreneurs. We at Alibaba.com are keen to support athletes in harnessing their skills to achieve success in their entrepreneurial pursuits.”

 Kaveh Mehrabi, Director of the Athletes' Department at the International Olympic Committee, said: “We’re excited to bring Alibaba.com on board as a partner for IOC’s Athlete365 Business Accelerator program. By equipping athletes with the right training and skills through Alibaba.com’s mentoring program and digital tools, together, we will give aspiring athlete and Olympian entrepreneurs the boost they need to start their own businesses. The initiative serves as a strong demonstration of our shared commitment to build on the expertise of our TOP partners to empower athletes to build successful second careers.”

 To help bridge the divide between sport and commerce, Alibaba.com will offer participants of the Business Accelerator program mentorship opportunities with senior executives and global teams from Alibaba.com, as well as with its Global Ambassadors—all of whom have successfully transitioned from sport to entrepreneurship. The Alibaba.com Global Ambassadors include Tony Parker, a two-time Olympian; Elias Schwärzler, a professional mountain biker; and Simona Galik Moore, a former professional tennis player.

 Like Tony, Elias, and Simona—who all use Alibaba.com in their respective businesses—SMEs around the globe can benefit from Alibaba.com's unique offers.


 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Huawei and OPPO Sign Global Patent Cross-licensing Agreement

            Huawei and OPPO announced the signing of a global patent cross-licensing agreement, which covers cellular standard essential patents, including 5G. "After more than 20 years of continuous innovation, Huawei has developed multiple high-value patent portfolios in the global marketplace in domains like 5G, Wi-Fi, and audio/video codecs," said Alan Fan, Head of Huawei's Intellectual Property Department. "We are delighted to have reached a cross-licensing agreement with OPPO. The mutual recognition of intellectual property value between companies is a major step towards fostering a positive cycle of innovation and research in high-value standards: investing, receiving returns from investment, and then reinvesting. This will enable our industry to keep innovating and provide consumers with more competitive products and services." "We are very pleased to enter into patent cross-licensing agreement with Huawei. It clearly demonstrates that the two compa...
Post a Comment
Read more

Peshawar Zalmi Releases "Zalmi Raalal" Official Anthem Powered by TCL

             TCL, Pakistan's No.1 LED TV Brand, in collaboration with Peshawar Zalmi, has released their most awaited anthem for PSL 8, " Zalmi Raalal ". Directed by the maestro Hassan Dawar himself, "Zalmi Raalal" is a star-studded, power-packed amalgamation of music, fashion, and sports, the three foremost passion points of Peshawar Zalmi. Produced by Naughty Boy, who has worked in the global music industry with the likes of Beyoncé, Wiz Khalifa, and Sam Smith, the music video features cricket's biggest superstars Darren Sammy and Babar Azam, as well as Pakistan's biggest celebrities Mahira Khan and Hamza Ali Abbasi. Peshawar Zalmi's official anthem for 2023, "Zalmi Raalal", is an ode to passion, a story entailing the beauty and power of the KP region and its people. The anthem has crossed one million views on all online platforms since its release, and the number is increasing fast.   The star-studded and narrative-centric anthem feature...
Post a Comment
Read more

Economic confidence among finance professionals edges higher globally despite big fall in North America

                                            The latest ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and IMA ®  (Institute of Management Accountants)  Global Economic Conditions Survey (GECS) suggests that confidence among accountants and finance professionals edged slightly higher in Q2 2024 and is just above its historical average.  For chief financial officers (CFOs), all the key global indicators rose, with sharp gains evident in the New Orders and Capital Expenditure indices.   There were some notable regional differences . Western Europe-based accountants reported another decent increase in confidence as the euro area and UK economies continue to stage recoveries. Even Asia Pacific saw a small rise off the back of a huge gain previously, and the New Orders Index increased strongly. The region is benefitting from improvements in the global economy...
Post a Comment
Read more