The WRI Profile Spotlight is: Mori Taheripour, Senior Advisor, Sport for Development, US Agency for International Development (USAID)

PE: How long have you been in your current profession? Did you always see yourself doing this job, or something similar?

Mori Taheripour: I’ve been at USAID for almost three years. Before coming to USAID, my position didn’t exist, so having the chance to create the position provided an incredible opportunity to support our country’s efforts to more formally integrate sport into international development.

PE: What led you into your profession? 

Taheripour: My lifelong passion is sports, and while the path I have taken hasn’t always been traditional, it has allowed for greater clarity with respect to my specific interests. I began my career in cause marketing, pairing athletes and celebrities with social causes, helping them identify issues that they could support that had personal meaning for them. Being a part of the Wharton Sports Business Initiative (WSBI) from its inception gave me the chance to look at the sports business industry from several different perspectives, including the opportunity to be a part of the NFL Business Management and Entrepreneurship Program where I engaged in player development, from an academic perspective. WSBI allowed me to diversify and deepen my knowledge of the sports industry and allowed me to focus my interests on areas of specific interest such as players development and philanthropy. When I was offered the opportunity at USAID, it was not only a logical extension of my experience but it afforded me the unique opportunity to explore my interest in the impact of sports from an international perspective.  The journey is not over but every step of the way makes me more certain that I am truly pursuing my calling.

PE: What is the most satisfying aspect of your job?

Taheripour: The ability to validate the incomparable power that sports has to change lives, foster development, and bring communities together all over the world. I have the ability to leverage the power of sport to create positive social outcomes and that is incredibly gratifying. 

PE: On the other side, what has been the most difficult obstacle to overcome in your job? 

Taheripour: The sports industry operates very differently from government.  To blend the two has not always been easy, and I often feel like more of a “translator,” helping these two different industries understand how the other works and then explore common ground. When the process leads to the outcomes we have achieved, it is truly inspiring and rewarding.

PE: Is it tough being a woman in what is perceived as a “man’s job’’?

Taheripour: I have never considered my gender to be a disadvantage and have instead embraced its advantages. I am optimistic that the sports industry is changing and that there will continue to be more opportunities for women.  WE need to strive to have women in high-level, decision-making roles to make a true difference and see the ripple effect throughout the industry. I hope sports business executives heed the very wise words of Warren Buffett. "If obvious benefits flow from helping the male component of the workforce achieve its potential, why in the world wouldn't you want to include its counterpart?"

PE: Have you encountered any problems in doing your job, simply because you’re a woman?

Taheripour: No and certainly not in my current role at USAID. In fact in the work USAID has undertaken during the Obama Administration to ensure a fully inclusive work environment, it has proactively supported the empowerment of women across the agency and ensured gender-inclusion in its programs.  

PE: What advice would you give to young women trying to get into this field?

Taheripour: Understand the industry.  Be a “student” of it every day.  Let your passion motivate you on the good days and bad days because hard work has to be the fuel to keep you going.  Network constantly, be tenacious, bold and never let the idea of a “male-dominated” anything stop you from achieving your dreams.

PE: If you weren’t in your current position, what do you think you would be doing?

Taheripour: I’ve never been someone to wonder “what-if.” Five years ago I couldn’t have imagined I would be where I am today. The opportunities I have had throughout my career paved the way to this point, and the next chapter will write itself in the years ahead.

PE: Tell us about something regarding this job or an event in your life that had a very personal and powerful impact on you.

Taheripour: At the beginning of my second semester of business school, I was involved in a near fatal car accident. As anyone who has pursued an MBA knows, you can’t afford to miss classes without falling behind, and this was especially true at Wharton. Having to persevere through my classes while recovering from my injuries became a personal challenge that I was determined to not only meet but to exceed. Giving up was never an option!  I graduated with honors, and on graduation day, seeing how far I had come and how well I had done, I realized just how important hard work, resilience and determination are to achieving your goals. When you work hard and it pays off, success is just that much sweeter!

PE: What do you view as your goal in life; your contribution to your community, your family, to others, beyond the job?

Taheripour: No matter what I have pursued or accomplished in my life, I have fully devoted myself to it. My life’s goal is to devote myself to creating something that gives me purpose and meaning, and that has everything to do with serving others. As Albert Einstein once said “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.”

I’ve been at USAID for almost three years. Before coming to USAID, my position didn’t exist, so having the chance to create the position provided an incredible opportunity to support our country’s efforts to more formally integrate sport into international development.

PE: What led you into your profession? 

Taheripour: My lifelong passion is sports, and while the path I have taken hasn’t always been traditional, it has allowed for greater clarity with respect to my specific interests. I began my career in cause marketing, pairing athletes and celebrities with social causes, helping them identify issues that they could support that had personal meaning for them. Being a part of the Wharton Sports Business Initiative (WSBI) from its inception gave me the chance to look at the sports business industry from several different perspectives, including the opportunity to be a part of the NFL Business Management and Entrepreneurship Program where I engaged in player development, from an academic perspective. WSBI allowed me to diversify and deepen my knowledge of the sports industry and allowed me to focus my interests on areas of specific interest such as players development and philanthropy. When I was offered the opportunity at USAID, it was not only a logical extension of my experience but it afforded me the unique opportunity to explore my interest in the impact of sports from an international perspective.  The journey is not over but every step of the way makes me more certain that I am truly pursuing my calling.

PE: What is the most satisfying aspect of your job?

Taheripour: The ability to validate the incomparable power that sports has to change lives, foster development, and bring communities together all over the world. I have the ability to leverage the power of sport to create positive social outcomes and that is incredibly gratifying. 

PE: On the other side, what has been the most difficult obstacle to overcome in your job? 

Taheripour: The sports industry operates very differently from government.  To blend the two has not always been easy, and I often feel like more of a “translator,” helping these two different industries understand how the other works and then explore common ground. When the process leads to the outcomes we have achieved, it is truly inspiring and rewarding.

PE: Is it tough being a woman in what is perceived as a “man’s job’’?

Taheripour: I have never considered my gender to be a disadvantage and have instead embraced its advantages. I am optimistic that the sports industry is changing and that there will continue to be more opportunities for women.  WE need to strive to have women in high-level, decision-making roles to make a true difference and see the ripple effect throughout the industry. I hope sports business executives heed the very wise words of Warren Buffett. "If obvious benefits flow from helping the male component of the workforce achieve its potential, why in the world wouldn't you want to include its counterpart?"

PE: Have you encountered any problems in doing your job, simply because you’re a woman?

Taheripour: No and certainly not in my current role at USAID. In fact in the work USAID has undertaken during the Obama Administration to ensure a fully inclusive work environment, it has proactively supported the empowerment of women across the agency and ensured gender-inclusion in its programs.  

PE: What advice would you give to young women trying to get into this field?

Taheripour: Understand the industry.  Be a “student” of it every day.  Let your passion motivate you on the good days and bad days because hard work has to be the fuel to keep you going.  Network constantly, be tenacious, bold and never let the idea of a “male-dominated” anything stop you from achieving your dreams.

PE: If you weren’t in your current position, what do you think you would be doing?

Taheripour: I’ve never been someone to wonder “what-if.” Five years ago I couldn’t have imagined I would be where I am today. The opportunities I have had throughout my career paved the way to this point, and the next chapter will write itself in the years ahead.

PE: Tell us about something regarding this job or an event in your life that had a very personal and powerful impact on you.

Taheripour: At the beginning of my second semester of business school, I was involved in a near fatal car accident. As anyone who has pursued an MBA knows, you can’t afford to miss classes without falling behind, and this was especially true at Wharton. Having to persevere through my classes while recovering from my injuries became a personal challenge that I was determined to not only meet but to exceed. Giving up was never an option!  I graduated with honors, and on graduation day, seeing how far I had come and how well I had done, I realized just how important hard work, resilience and determination are to achieving your goals. When you work hard and it pays off, success is just that much sweeter!

PE: What do you view as your goal in life; your contribution to your community, your family, to others, beyond the job?

Taheripour: No matter what I have pursued or accomplished in my life, I have fully devoted myself to it. My life’s goal is to devote myself to creating something that gives me purpose and meaning, and that has everything to do with serving others. As Albert Einstein once said “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.”