Reaching Beyond the Sphere of Sports With Matt Aaron, President and CEO of Special Olympics Pennsylvania

Matt Aaron is the President and CEO of the Special Olympics Pennsylvania, a nonprofit organization that uses the power of sports to transform the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. Over the course of 13 years working for this statewide nonprofit, Matt has more than tripled annual revenues by fostering a strategic vision to expand and regionalize the organization. Matt has positioned the Special Olympics Pennsylvania as an innovator and a next-level performer.

Prior to joining Special Olympics Pennsylvania, Matt established a career in the US Navy, gained valuable marketing experience within the Strategic Planning Division of Procter and Gamble, and honed his business skills through management consultancy work with Booz Allen Hamilton. He completed his MBA with a concentration in nonprofit management from Yale School of Management.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

• How Matt Aaron navigated event challenges during the pandemic 
• Matt explains how he turned a difficult situation into an opportunity for innovation 
• How Matt’s military background impacted his business career 
• Advice for organizational leaders to inspire connection
• Strategies for embracing change to prepare for the future
• Matt’s role models

In this episode…

As a sports organization, how do you allow athletes to engage in a meaningful way during the pandemic? When the dust settles, is it possible to build for the future to better engage and serve athletes across the globe?

While the pandemic brought many challenges for businesses, it provided Matt Aaron the opportunity for innovation and reinvention. He and his team took action to effectively serve their athletes in the Special Olympics by implementing virtual events, challenges, and races. And after emerging from the lockdown, Matt knew that to boost the impact his organization brings to the community, he needed to create a new formula to rebuild. 

In this episode of Level Up, Nick Araco sits down with Matt Aaron, President and CEO of Special Olympic Pennsylvania, to discuss how to better serve the community and athletes with higher-quality programs. Matt talks about grappling with the challenges of the pandemic, strategies for embracing organizational change, and innovative ways to connect athletes across the globe.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Nick Araco on LinkedIn
• AchieveNEXT  
• Matt Aaron on LinkedIn  
• Matt Aaron’s email: maaron@specialolympicspa.org 
• Special Olympics Pennsylvania  
• Regina Black Lennox on Level Up
• Stu Benton on Level Up
• Emma Pollard on Level Up
• Dr. Yung Lie on Level Up
• Results: Keep What's Good, Fix What's Wrong, and Unlock Great Performance by Bruce Pasternack

Sponsor for this episode...

This episode is sponsored by AchieveNEXT, subscription-based peer advisory networks for emerging and C-Suite leaders from across North America, and includes The CFO Alliance and The CHRO Alliance.

Join the Network  that has connected more than 8,000 Modern Finance and HR leaders representing middle and emerging enterprises from diverse industries and markets. 

If you are an HR or financial leader with a need to connect to your peers and share ideas while learning best practices and market trends, visit us on the web at www.achievenext.com or check out our blog for more resources on how to take the next step in your journey.