Meet the Team: Matthew Adekponya
Here at Team Mills Foundation it is our goal to be as transparent as possible, from introducing our team to the work we are doing within communities worldwide. Our 'Meet the Team' segment is a way for us to allow those who are putting in the hard work through the foundation to express themselves and share their own experiences and projects. In the interview below, we speak with Matthew Adekponya, the creative director for TMF. Matty has been integral in not only the formation of Team Mills Foundation, but also the vision, strategy and execution moving forward. The interview below gives a bit of insight into his world.
1: Hi Matty, can you please introduce yourself?
Hey! Matthew Adekponya here, go by Matty and I’m an Australian-born Ghanaian. I grew up in a small town called Cairns in tropical north Queensland. After many years of hard work I was able to earn a full scholarship to study in the United States, and then started a career playing basketball professionally around the world. Using my lived experiences as an athlete, along with my passion for storytelling through culture and equality, I’ve been fortunate enough to work for Team Mills Corporation and Team Mills Foundation over the last few years since stepping away from full-time hoops.
2: The goal of these interviews are so that the TMF community can understand who is behind our foundation, doing the work in the community and involved in the decision making process. It's important for us to remain transparent while also allowing others to get a sneak peak into how we work. You were heavily involved with the creation of TMF- can you tell me a little bit about how that process came about?
The creation of TMF was right at the start of my full-time work for Team Mills. During the peak of the pandemic, while being mindful that it was a dire and traumatic time for many, it was tricky to navigate having an opportunity like this and allowing myself to be excited about helping establish a foundation. With the NBA season coming to a sudden halt, I got to spend a lot of time connecting with Patty & Alyssa over Zoom about their bigger plans and goals for something more official. We’d be spending 8-10 hrs a day building and planning – making the most of the time that is usually not available during a season. Understanding how they wanted to continue doing what they already do, but under the Team Mills Foundation banner. It was not reinventing the wheel by any means, but really doubling down on the values and beliefs in which they conduct themselves, the work that they do, then turning this more front and publicly facing - giving it the best chance to grow.
3: How had creating TMF differ from other projects you worked on with Patty and Alyssa?
This was the first project I had done with them that had no end date. We have done huge projects in the past, which are still being built on but there was always a point where that initial phase was completed until the next trip. The Foundation has no end point, runs 24/7, and is the first legacy piece I have worked on with them. I guess the difference is - this is the first project with them where the goal is for it to be around a lot longer than we are on this earth.
4: How would you see TMF evolving and growing?
I see Team Mills Foundation growing with the needs of the communities where we live and the countries we reside on. With sustainability becoming more front and centre, I see us doing more in that space to build off what we have done with the hydro-panels in remote Indigenous communities. I also think societal rights & equality for the world’s Indigenous peoples and people of all backgrounds will continue being a deeper topic of conversation since the Black Lives Matter movement. Meaning there are more opportunities for us at Team Mills Foundation to showcase culture and how it can bring people together to help minimise the divide - more people than ever are interested in this conversation. Our internal staff diversity makes me feel optimistic about our ability to evolve with it all.
5: How are you enjoying NYC?
New York and Brooklyn has been unbelievable! Never in my wildest dreams did I ever see myself living here when growing up in Cairns – the two places could not be more opposite. Having recently received my work visa for the US, this excitement continues to grow. The majority of Team Mills is also based here, here along with my partner, so it really gives the family feel needed to enjoy somewhere like New York.
6: What are you most surprised about living here?/ What do you enjoy doing in your downtime?
The pace of life has really surprised me and I’m still adjusting to it. Finding myself slightly more fatigued than usual due to the energy and understanding how life works here. In my downtime or to recharge I’ve been enjoying some markets around Brooklyn and simply walking around the neighbourhood.
7: Culturally, how do you feel Brooklyn feels, looks, and identifies in comparison to places you have travelled to or lived previously.
Brooklyn feels like a place where everyone can be themselves. If you walk around for 10 minutes, you’ll see all walks of life in different shapes and sizes. It’s unique due to how accepting the area is, not many people are staring and it’s one of the only places I’ve been where you don’t feel watched or monitored based on appearance. Compared to most parts of Australia and countries I’ve lived in Europe, it’s far more culturally progressive and understanding.
8: You always have multiple projects happening at the same time, Team Mills and beyond- what are some projects you have recently worked on or are working on now that you are most excited about?
This might sound silly, but I have really been enjoying TikTok recently and helping Patty grow a presence there. In two months we’ve already had a video go more than 2x the size of his biggest Instagram video (Spurs farewell video). It’s fascinating seeing how they’ve built a different algorithm and I’m really looked forward to summer and the possibilities that will bring. The Australian Boomers documentary is simmering away, along with options for long-form documentary style content with Patty over the coming years. Projects in this space take time and I’m looking forward to seeing what ones come to fruition! More recently, working on Indigenous Basketball Australia’s first NIBT was incredible. Seeing what it meant to the kids through their actions and emotions was a special feeling.