Purple Partners with George Mason University Athletes Josh Oduro and D’Shawn Schwartz

Purple Strategies has entered into a name, image and likeness (NIL) deal with two members of the George Mason men’s basketball team, Josh Oduro and D’Shawn Schwartz. They will both serve the company as Transformation Ambassadors, sharing their personal transformation stories.

“Purple Strategies is dedicated to helping companies transform to become their best versions and sustain that transformation in a way that connects them to the future. As student-athletes Josh and D’Shawn have undergone their own personal transformations,” said Chris Durlak, a Partner at Purple Strategies and Trustee of the George Mason University Foundation. “They both created a vision of what they wanted to become and how that vision fits in with the future. They then executed a plan to fulfill that vision – plans that evolve to account for the changing conditions around them. We look forward to sharing their personal stories as we continue to help some of the world’s largest and most valuable companies and brands navigate change and transform.”

Josh Oduro is from Gainesville, Virginia, and is a junior at George Mason University majoring in business. Josh ranks second in the A-10 and 29^th nationally in field goal percentage (.596). He is one of just three players in the country this season to average 17 or more points, shoot 58 percent or better from the floor and tally at least 1.5 blocks per game.

“Personal development is a major passion of mine, and I’m excited for the opportunity to work with a leading firm like Purple to share my story,” Josh said.

D’Shawn Schwartz is from Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is a graduate student at George Mason pursuing his certificate in business analytics. Out of high school, he was rated the number one player in the state of Colorado. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado in business marketing with a minor in music technology. At Colorado, he helped lead the Buffaloes to the second round of the 2021 NCAA tournament. This season, D’Shawn has been named one of 30 candidates for the NCAA Senior CLASS Award, which recognizes student-athletes using their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

“I’m thrilled to be working with Purple Strategies. Having just earned a degree in business, there’s a lot of overlap between athletics and business and I can’t wait to explore and share that,” D’Shawn said.