Nike's Newest DEI Chief

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Nike has named its newest DEI chief (its fifth since 2020) and a woman's cleat brand got a new investment. Plus, we take a look at Pharrell’s new dog-inspired Louis Vuitton men’s collection.

Here's what you need to know.

Nike Names Its Fifth DEI Chief Since 2020

Nike has named Kizmet Mills as its new DEI chief , making her the fifth person to fill the role since 2020.

Nike elevated Mills, who has been with the company since 2016, from her role as senior director of global diversity equity and inclusion at Nike, the company confirmed to FN. Her promotion to vice president, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, is effective Nov. 11. She succeeds James Loduca , who announced his departure from the Swoosh in a Thursday LinkedIn post. He left the company after a nearly two-year tenure to spend more time with his family.

“At Nike, we strive to be leaders in fostering a strong culture of belonging and believe that the work of our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team is critical to helping us achieve this mission,” Nike said in a statement . “Having held senior leadership roles within the company for more than eight years, Kizmet is well positioned to continue advancing Nike’s goals of championing all athletes.

Zoom out: With her appointment, Mills becomes Nike’s fifth person to fill the role of DEI chief at Nike since 2020. When Loduca joined Nike from Twitter in March 2023, he replaced Nike’s former?DEI ?chief Jarvis Sam, who?left the company ?in November 2022, just six months into his role as chief DEI officer. Sam left at the time to launch his own DEI consulting and strategy group, The Rainbow Disruption. Prior to Sam,?Felicia Mayo ?served as the company’s chief talent, diversity and culture officer for two years until August of 2022. Kellie Leonard was named Nike’s first head of diversity in 2018 and served in the role until 2020.

Ida Sports Receives $2M Investment to Grow Women-First Cleats Brand

Ida Sports has received a $2 million investment as it looks to grow its production of cleats designed for women and girls.

Kynisca, a new organization devoted to commercializing and investing in women’s sports across the globe, led the seed round investment , which also included participation from Elysian Park Ventures, Firebird Ventures and Tipt Ventures. Michele Kang launched Kynisca during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Female first: Ida Sports, which launched in 2018, describes itself as the sole cleat brand that offers shoes exclusively designed for women . Its shoes are based on the shape of a woman’s foot as opposed to adapted from a male last, which, until recently, was standard practice in the industry. In the last few years, more athletic shoe brands like Lululemon and Under Armour have started to tailor their manufacturing processes to offer women more exact fits in their shoes. Last year, Under Armour launched the UA Magnetico, the brand’s first soccer cleat made from a women’s last.

Ida cleats offer a wider toe box, more arch support, a narrower heel cup and other elements meant to improve performance and mitigate injury risk for female athletes on the field.

Pharrell’s New Dog-Inspired Louis Vuitton Men’s Collection Includes Dalmatian Print Shoes and a $60,000 Kennel Trunk

Pharrell Williams is back with his latest men’s collection for Louis Vuitton , and this time, it’s for the dogs .

According to the French luxury house, the spring/summer 2025 men’s pre-collection by Williams is an ode to “the cosmopolitan culture of dogs and the humans that walk them.” The offering in this collection is “a study of the discerning mentality of the canine-keeping city lifestyle,” the company added in a release on Thursday.

As for the collection’s shoes, Williams adapted elements of the dog’s wardrobe into an array of eye-catching details. Standout styles include the LV Trainer Maxi that’s rendered in bright green tennis-ball suede as well as Dalmatian-print ponyskin, a motif echoed in the intarsia shearling of an LV Footprint low boot .

Other dog-gone styles include a Dog Collar Loafer in black or burgundy glazed leather that’s adorned with a metal dog-collar buckle, and the return of the Mary-Jane that features aged leather with stud adornment inspired by those of dog collars and a Damier-infused LV Checker sole.

Read more about the collection, here.

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