Jason Mayden grew up during one of Chicago’s darkest periods. The 1990s were rife with violence and murder. But he was also fortunate enough to witness one of sports’ greatest dynasties: The Chicago Bulls. From an early age, Jason channeled the positivity of the Bulls. He had the goal of one day designing for “His Airness,” Michael Jordan. His dream came one step closer to reality when he took an internship at Jordan Brand. Through years of dedication, Mayden achieved a major milestone when he put his mark on the Air Jordan 2009. Jason would continue down this distinct path of growth and success during his tenure at Jordan Brand. Further stops along the way included a Master’s degree in management as a Sloan Fellow at Stanford University. He subsequently returned to the Nike family as the Global Director of Innovation for Digital Sport.

Despite all the accolades and opportunities that welcomed him, Jason had new challenges to tackle. Following his time in Beaverton, he left for Silicon Valley in hopes of taking his design abilities to new frontiers. Currently, he’s a Designer at Accel Partners alongside co-founding a new start-up, Slyce. It was created between Jason, former Nike colleague Bryant Barr and one Steph Curry — yes that Steph Curry.  It’s a new app that aims to connect fans and athletes on social media all without the noise. But there’s something arguably even bigger.

Trillicon Valley.

Trillicon Valley is about linking diversity, youth culture and the tech sector. It’s about empowerment and belief. The members of Trillicon Valley have their own day jobs but come together to collaborate on social good. The members include Olatunde Sobomehin, Brandon Middleton, Khristopher Sandifer, DeVaris Brown, Naithan Jones, Brice Butler, Bryant Barr and Khristopher “Squint” Sandifer.

In a time when diversity is a hotly discussed topic, there’s more to it than just a hiring quota. Trillicon Valley is about involving people of all walks of life and providing them an opportunity to be heard and achieve more.