During WNBA All-Star Week in Chicago, Pinterest partnered with The Obama Foundation, Nike, , the WNBA’s Chicago Sky, and a broad coalition of civic and community leaders around a shared goal: creating a safer, more supportive future for young people—online and off.
At the center of this work is a new $500,000, two-year investment in the Move Fund through the Pinterest Forward Fund. The Move Fund is a pooled philanthropic initiative focused on play equity and youth sport, recognizing movement and team environments as powerful protective factors for youth mental health. Pinterest’s support will help local coalitions expand access to quality sport experiences—especially for young people who have historically been left on the sidelines.
In partnership with The Obama Foundation, Pinterest co-presented the Girls Health & Confidence Summit at the Obama Presidential Center’s Home Court. The day brought together Chicago teen girls for programming focused on holistic wellbeing, confidence, and leadership. Through conversations with health practitioners and youth leaders, hands-on labs and workshops and interactive moments shaped with young female athletes in mind, the Summit created space for participants to explore their strengths, aspirations, and support systems. Pinterest employees from the Chicago community volunteered on-site throughout the day to help ensure every touchpoint felt welcoming. The summit also marked the start of deeper engagement with The Obama Foundation’s Girls Opportunity Alliance as we work together to support girls’ health and confidence in Chicago.
As a member of the Chicago All-Star 2026 Host Committee, Pinterest helped convene leaders at the Host Committee’s inaugural WNBA All-Star Media & Innovation Summit, also held at the Obama Presidential Center’s Home Court. There, Pinterest’s Chief Legal & Business Affairs Officer, Wanji Walcott, moderated a conversation with Natasha Cloud, Chicago Sky player and Pinterest partner, during “Safe, Seen, and Supported: Online Safety for Girls and Female Athletes,” a session about ways platforms, teams, and policymakers can work together to address online harassment and build digital spaces that prioritize safety, agency, and wellbeing for girls and women.
The week culminated in a breakfast and “Beyond the Court: Women, Sport, and a Safer Future for the Next Generation” panel, where Walcott joined Nike’s VP and Chief Impact Officer, Vanessa Garcia-Brito and the Chicago Sky’s Chief Marketing Officer, Tania Haladner, moderated by sports reporter Kalia Butler. Together, they discussed how women’s leadership across sport, technology, and community impact can accelerate opportunity and safety for young people—and how cross-sector partnerships can help turn that vision into lasting change.
Throughout WNBA All-Star Week, Pinterest’s brand and athlete partnerships helped fans turn inspiration into action—from styling studios and custom merch to Pinterest-powered looks with Liberty, TOGETHXR, Coach, and WNBA players. Across these moments, the throughline was clear: celebrating women’s sports while reinforcing that the best things people find online should lead to more confident, connected lives offline.
Pinterest’s presence in Chicago reflects a broader commitment: pairing product choices focused on wellbeing with long-term investments in youth sport, movement, and trusted partners. By working alongside organizations rooted in community, Pinterest aims to help build environments where the next generation can feel safe, inspired, and supported—on and beyond the court.
