Sam McCracken

The Bio

A Lifetime of Building Health & Wellness in Indian Country.

Sam McCracken is a member of the Sioux and Assiniboine tribes in northeastern Montana on the Ft. Peck Indian Reservation, and the Former General Manager and Visionary of Nike's N7 programs and the N7 Fund. He also serves as the Chairman of the Board for the Center for Native American Youth.

McCracken began his Nike tenure in 1997 at Nike's Wilsonville distribution center. He was quickly asked to utilize his experience and passion to manage the revitalization of the Native American Employee Network, one of Nike's employee diversity groups. Shortly thereafter, McCracken proposed a business development strategy focused on Native American communities, with the goal of increasing health and wellness through physical activity.

He became the Manager of Nike's Native American Business in 2000 and led the development of the Nike Air Native N7 shoe, the N7 retail collection, and the N7 Fund, which supports access to sport, economic empowerment, education innovation and social justice for Native American and Indigenous communities in the United States and Canada. McCracken has also driven over 25 unique product collections and brand stories for the N7 product line.

In addition to ongoing N7 product collection and Fund oversight, McCracken's leadership with Nike's Native American Network fuels ongoing education, visibility and representation for Nike's Indigenous community, including a recruitment and retention strategy.

He was also instrumental in Nike signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Indian Health Services in 2003, and again in 2009, as well as the Bureau of Indian Education in 2010 — all signifying the company's commitment to continue to bring inspiration and innovation to Native American communities in the spirit of health and wellness, and access to sport.

Awards & Recognition

A Legacy Recognized.