Our Leadership

Nathaniel Donnell

Cofounder and Chief Executive Officer

Nathaniel is an entrepreneur, basketball coach and founder of We Rise Sports, our flagship athletic program that was the impetus of the We Rise nonprofit. Nathaniel is the cofounder of We Rise, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering kids in communities in need. The challenges within these communities are challenges Nathaniel knows well. As a bi-racial man born and raised in one of the most impoverished and socially and economically challenged communities in the nation, his story is the story of many. It’s the story of kids growing up in broken homes and facing sustained financial insecurity. The story of kids with few examples of academic success and a plethora of examples that labor jobs are the career glass ceiling. It’s the story that he wants to change.

We Rise was born out of a personal mission and designed to truly move the needle when it comes to children and planning ahead for their future. Growing up in one of these communities that did little to empower young kids to overcome the forces of privilege within modern society, Nathaniel’s mission became clear once he began working in the community he moved out from out of high school. Once he saw the need for club basketball in the Nanakuli-Waianae region of Oahu, he knew it was a gap that needed to be filled so that kids had a pathway to college scholarships. Within the first year the program tripled, and the needs of the children became clear. Athletics and academics were the new priority for helping the kids, and soon to follow was building up self-esteem and belief in themselves to strive for the same goals kids from other areas felt were obvious—college, good career with plenty of options, and most importantly financial security and breaking the patterns of generational poverty.

As a community leader, Nathaniel is hands-on in every way. From designing the programs to coaching the kids to building them up to believing in them before they find the belief themselves from within. Nathaniel is committed to the kids in the community where he grew up and is looking ahead to expand to other communities in need of the We Rise Empowerment Program.