Bündchen Joins DraftKings as Special Advisor to the CEO and Board for ESG Initiatives
21 Apr 2021
“Gisele Bündchen is a global icon who has utilized the platform she established in modeling, fashion, and entertainment, to lead and advocate for vital environmental and social causes,” said Jason Robins, co-founder, CEO and Chairman of the Board of DraftKings. “I believe that the strategic counsel and unique global perspective that Gisele brings to me and the board will be indispensable and, as evidenced by our Earth Day campaign, her impact will be immediate and far-reaching.”
As outlined in the company’s recently released inaugural ESG report, DraftKings is committed to fighting global sustainable development challenges, including climate change, in alignment with the U.N.’s sustainability development goals. In collaboration with Bündchen, DraftKings has set a goal of planting 1 million trees by Earth Day 2022. As an initial step, DraftKings has launched several opportunities for customers to directly support the effort, including through charity daily fantasy sports contests and free-to-play pools. In coordination with the Arbor Day Foundation, DraftKings has pledged to plant the first 100,000 trees in several U.S. states, including California, Florida, Michigan, Oregon, Vermont and Virginia.
“I look forward to working with the DraftKings board of directors in continuing to find ways to make the most positive impacts through meaningful social and environmental initiatives,” says Bündchen. "It is very important for successful corporations to make the necessary shifts in ESG initiatives to truly make a difference on a global level. In today’s world, in my opinion, it isn’t enough for companies to just be successful financially. Companies have to be successful in ALL areas, including social impact and sustainability initiatives that impact the future for all of us around the world.”
Bündchen has been recognized in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World and 100 Fashion Icons lists, appeared in hundreds of campaigns for the most prominent and iconic brands, graced more than 1,200 magazine covers worldwide and walked the runway in close to 500 fashion shows. She is a prominent supporter of numerous environmental and social projects, including Projeto Água Limpa (Clean Water Project), which implements sustainable environmental water management systems near her hometown in Brazil. In 2020, she launched the Viva a Vida initiative which raised funds to plant over 260,000 trees along the Xingu and Araguaia River in the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest. Bündchen has also served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environmental Program since 2009.
Bündchen’s status as special advisor to DraftKings’ CEO and board of directors for ESG initiatives is effective immediately.