Sneaker Royale Sustainable Sneaker Ball

The Delaware State University College of Business hosted its first sustainable Sneaker Ball, Sneaker Royale, on November 6 in Room 309 of the Bank of America Building. The event brought together 36 students and faculty for an experience that combined sneaker culture with meaningful conversation around sustainability and responsible consumption.

Sneaker Royale was created and led by Dr. Carrie Awadzi (Dr. A), Professor in the College of Business, who envisioned the event as a way to meet students where they are while introducing important sustainability concepts. By using sneaker culture as the foundation, Dr. Awadzi created a space where students could engage openly with ideas about environmental responsibility, consumption, and collaboration in a way that felt relevant and approachable.

Event planning and coordination were supported by Thomas Johnson III, an Accounting and Finance major in the College of Business.

The title sponsor was Dr. Jalaal Hayes, the youngest PhD graduate in Delaware State University history at age 22. Dr. Hayes is the founder of Evince, Inc., a clean energy technology company focused on developing innovative and sustainable energy solutions. Through Evince, Inc., he provided $2,000 in sponsorship support, helping make the event possible while reinforcing the connection between sustainability education and real-world business leadership.

The program featured a keynote address by Sean Williams, co-founder and program lead of SOLEcial Studies, who spoke about the relationship between sneaker culture, entrepreneurship, and social responsibility. His message encouraged students to think more carefully about how everyday choices connect to larger economic and environmental outcomes.

Sneaker Royale aligned with three United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Responsible Consumption and Production (Goal 12), Climate Action (Goal 13), and Partnerships for the Goals (Goal 17). As part of the event’s sustainability focus, 14 pairs of sneakers were collected and donated to Soles4Souls, extending the impact of the program beyond campus.

By blending culture, conversation, and business principles, the event gave students a practical look at how sustainable thinking can be applied both now and in their future careers.