At GoSprout, we’re extremely blessed to watch as our leadership team forms. So we couldn’t be more excited to welcome NBA great Tony Allen to our Advisory Board. Tony brings a wealth of experience and a huge network to the team, and shares our passion for improving equity and creating career pathways for our nation’s youth, especially in historically underserved communities. So here’s Tony sharing his thoughts on what got him excited about GoSprout and what he’s looking to accomplish over the next few years.
Q: Tony, before we talk all things apprenticeship and GoSprout, let’s rewind way back before your NBA career. Where are you from? What was your childhood like? Who was your support network?
I’m from the South Side of Chicago, a neighborhood that was tough, to say the least. It was a place marked by violence—shootings and drug activity were a constant reality.
My mom worked tirelessly to support our family, but my dad wasn’t around, and there wasn’t really a support network outside of the streets.
I had to figure things out for myself, and for many kids growing up in that environment, it’s easy to get caught up in the cycle. But that experience is what drives me today to help others find a better path.
My main support came from my mother. There weren’t other strong adult influences in my life. She worked, so I was on the streets a lot.
Unfortunately, my dad was not around.
Q: As a kid, obviously sports were a big deal but what else were you into? What were your friends into? What were the aspirations of your less athletically gifted friends?
Sports were my way out, but for a lot of my friends, they didn’t have that option. Many of them became products of their environment, getting involved in the streets because it seemed like the only way to survive or make a living.
It’s a cycle that’s hard to break, especially when you don’t see any other options around you.
I was blessed to have basketball, but I know not everyone is that lucky.
Q: Where do you think you would have ended up if you hadn’t been able to play sports professionally?
Honestly, I think I would have pursued a career as a principal or educator—I actually studied and earned a degree in education. The reality for a lot of athletes, is that many leave before they can complete their degree.
If I hadn’t made it in basketball, maybe I would’ve tried to make it in the music industry or, worst-case scenario, found myself back in the streets.
Getting the opportunity to travel through sports opened my eyes to the world beyond my neighborhood, and I wish more kids could have that experience. So many people I know never even got to leave their block.
Q: Are you still in touch with any folks from your childhood neighborhood?
Not really. Unfortunately, a lot of the folks I grew up with are still doing the same things. We grew apart as our paths diverged.
When I go back now, it’s all about trying to teach a better way to live—showing that there’s more out there if you’re willing to work for it and seek opportunities like those offered through GoSprout.
Q: So now that you’re on the other side of your professional career. What are you focused on? What causes are you supporting?
I am focused on three pillars:
- Workforce development – helping them disenfranchised
- Safe communities – preventing violence and the precursors to violence
- Affordable housing – keeping people off the streets and creating environments where our youth can blossom
Joakim Noah Talks About Tony’s Impact at One City Basketball
In addition to GoSprout, I am currently partnered with Cure Violence and One City Basketball.
My own initiatives drive impact and awareness around those pillars.
GoSprout is a big part of that because it aligns with my mission to provide economic stability and opportunity for people in disenfranchised communities. We need to offer paths for people to build careers and safe, sustainable lives.
Q: How has name recognition helped in that regard?
Having a name that people recognize gives me a platform, and I’m fortunate to have developed that through hard work, determination, and resilience on the court.
My goal now is to build the same brand capital in the social impact space, to be a thought leader who understands the struggles of those growing up in similar situations.
With GoSprout, I see an opportunity to leverage my story and influence to help others realize their dreams of economic empowerment and the fundamental right to security.
Q: We were extremely lucky that you ended up connecting with us here at GoSprout…How did you first hear about us? What caught your attention?
Luckily, I heard about GoSprout through a friend.
What caught my attention is that GoSprout is an apprenticeship management tool that supports both the employer and the apprentice, who is a future full-time employee. It is like a dating app for companies, connecting the right people together, the right drive, determination and work ethics.
Employers being able to solve their own for-profit challenges in a way that benefits our communities is powerful.
Q: You even become an advisor for us, and we’re extremely grateful for that. What will you be steering us to accomplish?
Not that the team is already working on it, but I want to steer the team to help our brown and black communities, our ex-convicts and our vets to find long term employment.
The United States is an economic super power. There is no reason why we cannot support various paths into the workforce. Not everyone is meant to attend 4-year college program; however, everyone does have the right to feed their families through hard work.
Q: For our nation’s youth, there’s before GoSprout and after. We know that pre-apprenticeships (high school programs) are just coming into existence and registered apprenticeships are starting to get attention, but way too few programs exist overall. What transformation would you like to see GoSprout enable over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, I’d like to see GoSprout partner with the state and federal governments, municipalities and high schools to create alternative paths for young people to achieve financial success.
We need to build a system where apprenticeships are as common as college pathways. By doing so, we can provide students with tangible skills and job opportunities right out of high school.
This approach not only fills the skills gap but also empowers young people with a sense of purpose and economic freedom early on.
Q: If similar programs had been available in your community when you were a kid, what do you think that would have accomplished for the area?
It would have been a game-changer.
Instead of seeing so many people fall into the cycle of drug dealing or violence, there would have been opportunities for growth and legitimate employment.
People wouldn’t have had to turn to the streets to survive.
With pathways to real jobs and financial independence, the entire community could have transformed: less violence, less crime, and more hope.
Q: For other celebrities or folks with influence and/or income, how would you recommend getting involved?
Start with awareness. Like many of my childhood friends that have never left a “tough neighborhood,” many celebrities have never set foot in a tough neighborhood.
I would recommend that they get into the communities find opportunities to meet those are dealing with insurmountable odds and doing their best everyday to give their family the basic needs of life, home, food and clothing.
I would then ask them to put their money and influence at work to support those who revere them and understand that it is our responsibility to help our local governments and communities to thrive.
Partner with organizations like GoSprout that are already creating solutions. It’s our responsibility to work alongside local governments and community leaders to create programs that uplift and empower.
Q: Anything else you’d like to share until we check in with you next time?
I just want to say that this work isn’t easy, but it’s necessary. Apprenticeships and alternative pathways are the future of our workforce, and it’s time we invest in them at every level—businesses, governments, and communities.
If we do, I know we can change the lives of millions of people and build a stronger, more equitable society.
