Howard Little, 37, is the manager of brand and influencer marketing for the Chicago Bears. A quote from his nomination: "His career reflects a commitment to innovation, leadership, and driving results through strategic brand storytelling and consumer connection."
My career journey: "My career journey was a bit untraditional. After college, I decided to play basketball overseas, which I enjoyed tremendously! When I completed basketball, I came back home and started door-to-door retail sales for ADT. This was a humbling experience for me, but I loved every bit of the grind you had to have to make finances successful.
I transitioned into customer services at Grubhub in its early years, [and then] AT&T retail sales. At this time, I knew what I was missing in my life, and that was being around sports. I had a friend approach me about a unique opportunity at the Nike retail store. ... After almost two years, I was able to take the role as a marketing basketball specialist in Chicago. Here, I was able to create some of the most impactful moments in the city from a basketball lens. I was fortunate to work with a great team and some of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen.
From Nike, I wanted to gain some experience from the team side—and I was fortunate to secure a role as the manager of brand and influencer marketing. As a current employee for the Chicago Bears, it has been a complete honor to represent this team as I look to bring excitement for the season to come."
My greatest career accomplishment: "Landing the Chicago Bears role. Being able to represent a team that I enjoyed watching with my family—and being able to lead our marketing initiatives that connect with our fans—is a full-circle moment for me.
Also, when I was at Nike, being able to connect with the inner-city kids and giving safe access, knowing I was providing an experience, meant the world to me." 
What advice would Little give his younger self? "Leap and never look back," he says. "In addition, cash in on the true and authentic relationships that you make."Photo: Courtesy of Howard Little
My most memorable event: "When our Nike Basketball marketing team was able to create the Just Do It HQ at the Church. Here, we were able to gather an insight that turned into this basketball mecca destination for the summer. We were able to get some of the top high school kids under one roof to prepare for the season by giving them access to trainers, nutritionists, motivational speakers, pro athletes, and more."
My leadership style: "Being in a position where you are a people manager is highly important, and having the trust means everything. My leadership style has always been heavy on communication, challenging team members and helping others grow their careers. I’m also a people person. I am always open to talk about anything, within guidelines. I usually carve out time to start Monday off by talking about our weekends. Totally optional, but having a conversation and then going into the work just seems like a better flow."
Some impressive stats I'm responsible for: "The Chicago Public School basketball city championship has a rich tradition in the city. Knowing that the championship dates are very close to the NBA All-Star, when All-Star 2020 came to Chicago, it was only right to align it with the city championship. With some strong research on the location of the championship and working with Chicago Public Schools (CPS), we were able to create an atmosphere like no other. As a result, it became the largest attendance in the history of a CPS basketball championship for men and women.
In addition, in the same location we created a segment called 'Chicago Undiscovered,' where college seniors were able to work out with trainers to showcase their skills in front of college scouts. As a result, we were able to see scholarships given out to participants."
My ideal day OOO: "Spending time with my wife and two little girls. We are a traveling crew and love to get out of the house every now and then. If I’m not doing that, you can find me working out, on the golf course, on the basketball court, and my new love, a pickleball court."
