Founded in 2015 by Stephen M. Ross, the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to harnessing the unifying power of sports to improve race relations and drive social progress. Led by an unprecedented alliance of sports leagues, organizations, educators, media networks, sports professionals and athletes, RISE will use sports as the vehicle to promote understanding, respect and equality. Through national public awareness campaigns and educational programming, RISE aims to spark enduring action.