Dr. Neftalie Williams

Our Team / Board of Directors

Director

Dr. Neftalie Williams is a sociologist and USC Provost’s Post-Doctoral Scholar at the Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, who investigates global issues of race, diversity, identity, and youth empowerment, using the lens of action sports culture. His 'Beyond the Board' Study in partnership with USC and The Skatepark Project was featured in the New York Times and is the first national effort to study the impact skateboarding has on young people and their educational and career trajectories.

As the first ‘Ambassador of Skateboarding,’ and envoy for the US Department of State, he introduced the concept of skateboarding as a tool for cultural diplomacy in both theory and practice. He co-founded the College Skateboarding Educational Foundation (CSEF), a non-profit dedicated to creating scholarships for young skateboarders to pursue higher education, and serves on the Boards for The Skatepark Project (formerly Tony Hawk Foundation), Skateistan, McKinnon Center for Global Affairs, and chairs the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for USA Skateboarding.

Dr. Neftalie Williams serves as Chair of the Programs & Grants Committee.