Discover your Genius: Disability & other abilities

A look behind the scenes at life as a Genius, this month in recognition of International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD).?

Our ‘Disability and Other Abilities’ D&I affinity group has organized a range of events, initiatives and workshops in the past year. From charity partnerships and fundraisers to staff training and awareness with The Sign Life and Business Disability Forum , we are committed to removing barriers and supporting inclusion across Genius.?

Read on for just a few of our highlights.?

Nikolai’s NFL experience?

Last IDPD, Nikolai, a Feed Assurance Analyst based in our Bulgaria office, volunteered to share his personal story with the company.??

In 2013, Nikolai survived an accident that resulted in quadriplegia. He went on to join Genius Sports in 2021, playing a key part in our team’s American Football projects and excelling in his role, all while using a games console controller and voice navigation to operate his computer.?

In recognition of his work and contribution to our D&I affinity groups, our Operations team recently arranged a very fitting prize: tickets to his first ever NFL match! After attending Carolina Panthers vs. New York Football Giants in Munich along with his family, Nikolai recounted his experience:?

“It was truly amazing to witness the intensity and passion of the game first-hand.?There was a little bit of everything – touchdowns, field goals, turnovers and an exciting finale in overtime!??

“Even now, my eyes are teary and I'm smiling thinking of the great memories that we created in Germany.?A huge thank you to Genius Sports for making a dream of mine come true!”?

Celebrating our different experiences??

Another Genius to share valuable insight on IDPD was Pablo, Senior Management Accountant based in our Medellín office.?

Pablo joined a number of staff in attending a global workshop we ran in October on British Sign Language. Having lived with a hearing impairment since the age of 10, he told us how he has overcome challenges in life and in work.?

“We are all very different, and it's about celebrating that and sharing our experiences. I have always found the openness in terms of D&I at Genius very cool, including disability, sexual orientation, ethnicities and more.??

“I have experienced rejections and discrimination at other companies, but Genius has consistently shown care, frequently checking in and supporting my wellbeing. I’ve had two promotions since joining and I'd like to think I've proved that by doing things well and with love, you'll see results.”

Paralympic Games 2024?

Highlighting a key aim to raise awareness and understanding around disability, our affinity group has backed Geniuses to attend events including the 2023 Invictus Games and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.?

This summer, we held an internal competition on disability awareness ahead of Paris 2024. The lucky winner was Emilie, Senior Marketing Manager, based in London, who explained how inspiring it was to witness the largest global sporting event for athletes with disabilities.??

“With a choice of attending any Paralympic event, I picked the athletics at the iconic Stade de France for the chance to see a whole range of track and field disciplines, from long jump to wheelchair racing.?

"The highlight of the evening was watching Team GB’s Dan Pembroke break the F13 Paralympic javelin world record (twice!) on his way to winning gold.??

“As a long-term fan of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, this was my first time attending an event. It was an amazing experience and privilege to witness the athletes up close and see what it takes to compete at the highest level.”?

Volunteering for Global Clubfoot Initiative?

Finally, this December around 25 Geniuses from our data and engineering teams donated their time and technical skills to take part in an internally organized charity hackathon. Using their volunteer day, our teams aimed to create data visualization solutions to help Global Clubfoot Initiative (GCI) achieve their RunFree2030 strategy and scale up access to clubfoot treatment worldwide.???

John, Head of Data & BI based in London, and Aleksandr, a project manager in Tallinn, were part of the organizing team.??

“We hope we have shown how our expertise with data could really help GCI and their network of NGOs make more informed decisions,” said John. “Especially when it comes to deciding where to build more treatment centres around the world for example.???

“It was fantastic to see involvement everywhere from London and Tallinn to New York and Medellín and at all levels of the organization too.”?

Following an initial briefing with GCI to understand the challenge, our teams were invited to participate in the hackathon either as individuals or teams over a few days.???

“The quality of the proposed solutions went beyond our expectations. It was great to see what improvements could be made quickly and at little or no cost too,” added Aleksandr.??

“Winning first prize is always going to feel good, but I think everyone who participated is grateful that they were able to use their volunteer day in such an appropriate way. Using their knowledge and skills to make a difference like this is incredibly rewarding.”?

To learn more about D&I at Genius head to our company newsroom.

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