Kenyon Ponce ‘26 , Kuna, ID, has always been passionate about purpose-driven business, which is exactly what led him to pursue the internship opportunity he had last summer with Nike’s N7 initiative.
“For 10 incredible weeks, I gained real-world business experience, learned from and worked alongside world-class leaders and supported the N7 team in igniting the dreams of Native athletes,” says Ponce, a triple major in business and management, economics, and Native American and Indigenous studies at UMN Morris.
Nike’s N7 initiative celebrates Indigenous cultures through special collections of apparel and footwear inspired by Native art, cultures, and heritage. Additionally, the N7 Fund — supported by Nike’s broader social and community impact efforts — provides grants to organizations that advance sport and physical activity opportunities for Native American and Aboriginal youth to promote health, confidence and leadership.
Ponce, an enrolled member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, played an integral role on the team, identifying opportunities to partner with professional sports leagues and expand sport access for Native American youth. Throughout his summer internship, he built and executed a 10-week plan to design and deploy an adaptive survey to those external partners, analyzing their response data to develop a strategy for future N7 programming.
“Beyond highlighting a new market of previously overlooked consumers and driving profit, N7 is actively fostering lasting, community-level impact for Indigenous peoples,” Ponce says. “This alignment not only drew me to the internship but also motivated me to show up fully committed and ready to contribute every day.”
The biggest highlight of his internship was his final presentation, which he gave to Nike leaders and innovators from across the company.
“That moment not only validated my work, but also cemented a plethora of lasting professional relationships that I continue to maintain today,” he says.
Ponce originally chose UMN Morris for the pre-medicine program but quickly shifted focus to business and economics. He also played soccer for the Cougars, starting in 21 matches from 2022-24 and achieving academic all-UMAC honors all three seasons.
He says Morris has helped prepare him not only for his internship experience, but for his career goals after graduating.
“[The] well-rounded education [I received] prepared me for both the rigorous technical work I was tasked with while also giving me a competitive edge through the strong communication, collaboration, and critical-thinking skills it has allowed me to develop,” says Ponce.
After graduating from UMN Morris this spring, Ponce will return to Nike as a product business integration intern, during which time he will continue to build experience in large-scale business operations and complex data analytics. He also plans to pursue a master’s degree in business administration and is exploring other post-baccalaureate programs that align with his long-term career goals.