Join us on the Sports Philanthropy Podcast as host Roy Kessel speaks with Jay Kaufman and James Stratford of Fan4Kids. In this eighth episode of the podcast’s seventh season, Roy, James, and Jay discuss how Fan4Kids is making a tangible impact in the NY/NJ area, the innovative ways they’re pursuing sustainable health education, and how Fan4Kids leverages their alumni network for good.

Jay Kaufman and James Stratford

JAY KAUFMAN joined National Research Group (NRG) in September 2021 as Executive Vice President & Head of Sports where he leads and formally launched the company’s growing sports research and consulting division. In his role, Kaufman oversees the direction and strategy of NRG’s sports business, providing thought-leadership and custom research to leading sports properties, rights holders and brands on a wide range of strategic initiatives that span fan engagement and segmentation, media and content strategy, brand and partner tracking, product innovation and critical issue management. 

His current client list includes Apple, Amazon, Netflix, ESPN, FOX Sports, WBD, Paramount, NBCU, NBA, NFL, PGA TOUR, MLS, FanDuel and EA Sports. A respected sports executive, Kaufman came to NRG after a 22-year career working at the NBA, where he most recently served as Senior Vice President, Global Research & Insights. During his time with the NBA, Kaufman was responsible for providing Commissioner Adam Silver and former Commissioner David Stern, as well as the full NBA senior leadership team, with data-driven, contextual insights to help influence the strategic direction of the league and drive critical business decisions including brand positioning, global fan growth, media and content strategies and viewership optimization. In 2014, Kaufman played an integral role in the NBA’s nine-year, $24-billion media rights deals with Disney and Turner, helping provide the league with data and analysis which ultimately served as the foundation of the agreement. 

Along with influencing business strategies, Kaufman’s team provided important analysis which affected on-court basketball items such as game flow, officiating, rules changes and regular- season and postseason structure. While with the NBA, Kaufman won the ARF David Ogilvy Award for Research Innovation and was recognized as a Talent Champion by the ANA Educational Foundation.  He also serves on the advisory board for Sponsorship Exchange – a tech platform that is redefining how brands and athletes identify, evaluate and execute sponsorship opportunities in real time and Front Office AI – a collaboration tool that streamlines communications, events, documents, and transaction operations for sports organizations. Kaufman, who earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Boston College Carroll School of Management, is based out of NRG’s New York City office, and resides just outside of the city with his wife and daughter.

JAMES A. STRATFORD, MPA (he/him/his) is a transformational change-maker and aspiring Global leader, recently appointed to his role as the Chief Strategy Officer & Senior Advisor to the CEO at FAN4Kids (Fitness and Nutrition For Kids) where he provides high level advisement, direction and support to the CEO, Board of Directors, and FAN4Kids org as a whole relating to organizational oversight, governance, programs, operations, strategic and succession planning.   

A 2023 American Express Global Leadership Academy Fellow and nationally recruited for his most previous role as a Senior Executive Leadership Consultant at A Second Chance Inc. (the largest provider of Kinship Foster care services in Pennsylvania). For the past 2+ years, James has been a critical member of their Senior Executive and National Leadership teams. Functioning in a Chief Strategy and Impact capacity, sharing overall leadership responsibility of the agency’s $50M annual revenue, leading a team of Executive Vice Presidents + Managing Directors, and assuming strategic and operational accountability for all program and performance areas while spearheading all new/existing special projects, partnerships, initiatives, and resources. 

James is a product of NYC public-funded youth programming and grew up and out of poverty while being instilled with a personal and professional passion for paying it forward through consistent service to at-risk communities like his own. A graduate of NYU Wagner’s Executive MPA program and former Executive for the same non-profit he was a childhood participant of for over 10 years (Phipps Neighborhoods), James is a resilient, enthusiastic and selfless leader who is proof of what is possible given access to resources and opportunity.

Fan4Kids

FAN4Kids (F4K) is a dedicated tax-exempt organization with a mission to educate children and families about healthy eating and active lifestyles. For over 20 years, F4K has consistently been a crucial force in reducing and reversing health problems in underserved communities, delivering lessons that last a lifetime. By focusing on communities with limited access to nutritious food and fitness opportunities, F4K empowers participants to make informed health decisions, breaking down barriers to well-being and equipping individuals with essential life skills for long-term health.

Established in 2004, FAN4Kids utilizes a comprehensive 3-pronged approach, incorporating classroom instruction, parent involvement, and community mobilization to instill healthy habits in children. The program runs for a full academic year, with students participating two to three years in a row, reinforcing the essential message of health and wellness. F4K instructors become integral to school environments, delivering engaging nutrition and fitness lessons while managing structured recess activities that encourage active play. The curriculum, created by experts with an emphasis on Social Emotional Learning and cultural awareness, is hands-on and grade-specific, serving students from Pre-K to 4th grade. Through advocacy training, F4K empowers students and families to tackle local health barriers, with additional support and educational resources.

Metrics are a fundamental indicator of FAN4Kids’ success, underscoring the program’s impact over two decades of consistent service. By using a data-driven approach, F4K tracks improvements in children’s nutritional choices, exercise habits, and behavioral outcomes, validating the effectiveness of lessons that last a lifetime. The program’s preventative nature plays a significant role in thwarting future health issues and their associated costs, addressing challenges such as childhood physical health and food insecurity, especially in underserved BIPOC communities. Through initiatives that engage families and communities, FAN4Kids creates supportive environments that promote lasting, positive change, demonstrating its commitment to nurturing healthier generations.

0:46 – How James became involved with Fan4Kids

1:51 – How Fan4Kids is making an impact in NY/NJ

2:54 – How Jay became involved with Fan4Kids

5:27 – What unites the board of Fan4Kids

7:19 – What is Fan4Kids?

8:18 – How Fan4Kids is innovating health education for children

8:54 – The tangible impact of Fan4Kids

9:37 – What sort of funding goes into Fan4Kids

10:55 – What’s the data saying about Fan4Kids

15:33 – The intentionality behind Fan4Kids

17:46 – How Fan4Kids leverages and utilizes their alumni network

21:15 – Just how many students does Fan4Kids reach in a year?

23:17 – What’s coming down the pipeline for Fan4Kids in the future

James's Social Media

Jay's Social Media

Fan4Kids's Social Media