Nike’s mission is to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world: if you have a body, you are an athlete. Nike started in the 1950s, before there was the Swoosh, before there was Nike. Instead there were just two visionary men who pioneered a revolution in athletic footwear that redefined the industry: Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight.

Bill Bowerman was a nationally respected track and field coach at the University of Oregon, who was constantly seeking ways to give his athletes a competitive advantage. He experimented with different track surfaces, rehydration drinks and – most importantly – innovations in running shoes. Phil Knight was a talented middle-distance runner from Portland, who enrolled at Oregon in the fall of 1955 and competed for Bowerman’s track program. After meeting, the two took a chance, and formed Blue Ribbon Sports, which eventually became Nike as we know it today.

Today, Nike is now the world’s leading innovator in athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories. As well as this they are committed to corporate responsibility and improving communities around the world.

The Nike Foundation works to improve the lives of adolescent girls. The Nike Foundation takes the power of potential to a new playing field to combat one of the most pressing worldwide issues: global poverty. When the Nike Foundation started in 2004, they traced the symptoms of poverty back to their roots, and it led them to an unexpected solution and a catalyst for change: adolescent girls. When a girl in the developing world realises her potential, she isn’t the only one who escapes poverty - she brings her family, community, and country with her, which is why adolescent girls are Nike’s exclusive focus.

Nike recently partnered with Llamasoft to achieve sustainable supply chain innovation. Nike is using the power of their brand, the energy and passion of their people and the scale of their business to create meaningful change. Nike ranks highly on Climate Counts scorecard of companies addressing sustainability and climate change. In 2012, for the sixth year running, they won the no. 1 spot in the apparel/accessories sector.

For more details please visit http://www.nike.com/.