Mass St. Collective Announces New Executive Director
University of Kansas and Jayhawk football alum Keon Stowers will spearhead the next phase of growth for Mass St. Collective.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (February 6, 2023) – Mass St. Collective, the NIL collective that serves student-athletes at the University of Kansas, announced today the appointment of its new Executive Director, former Jayhawk football captain and development professional, Keon Stowers.
“We’re pleased with the news that a great Jayhawk will be joining Mass St. Collective in this new role. Keon is an accomplished professional and a dedicated KU alum and we’re excited to see what he’s able to accomplish for our student-athletes in the age of NIL,” said University of Kansas Athletic Director, Travis Goff.
“There has never been a more critical time to support our student-athletes and their coaches at the University of Kansas,” Stowers said. “As a KU alumnus and letter-winner, I have witnessed firsthand how vital our fans and alumni are to the success of Kansas Athletics. I am incredibly humbled and equally excited by this opportunity to serve KU in this unique role.”
Stowers’ experience as a Jayhawk student-athlete and desire to advance NIL for all KU student-athletes has an immediate positive impact for all Jayhawks. Stowers has extensive working experience at KU in fundraising as well as time with KU Admissions that underscores his dedication to diversity and inclusion, having championed recruitment efforts targeting first-generation and underrepresented students. As a former captain of the Kansas football team (’15), Stowers demonstrated exceptional leadership on and off the field and has applied his high-powered work ethic to his professional development beyond football.
As Executive Director, Stowers will lead Mass St. Collective’s strategic vision and will drive fundraising initiatives, membership growth, and corporate partnership opportunities, all while fostering impactful relationships that will connect Jayhawk student-athletes with the Lawrence community and KU fanbase. He will also be managing the collective’s onsite team, the relationship with the KU athletic department, and the collective’s external communications.
Stowers joins Mass St. after working with KU Endowment as the Associate Development Director at the KU Alumni Association where he helped bring in major gift support for the Association, including commitments that funded the $29.5 million Jayhawk Welcome Center and Adams Alumni Center renovations. He previously worked for the Association as Assistant Director of Student Programs, helping the Student Alumni Network become the largest organization of its kind in the Big 12 Conference. Keon's unwavering dedication to advancing the mission of KU Endowment and the Alumni Association, coupled with his vision for the future, positions him as a formidable leader for Mass St. Collective, one that will continue driving impactful initiatives for Jayhawks.
Stowers began his career with KU Admissions, recruiting first-generation students and those from underrepresented groups. As a student-athlete, he led the Kansas football team as captain during the 2013 and '14 seasons. He now serves on the board for K-Club and is the finance and fundraising chair for the KU Black Alumni Network.
Stowers joins the Mass St. Collective team that will lead and develop NIL opportunities for Jayhawk student-athletes from all KU sports.
For more information about the collective, Stowers’ can be reached at keon@MassStNIL.com.
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ABOUT MASS ST.
Founded in July of 2021 after the NCAA passed its NIL policy, Mass St. Collective was created to assist KU student-athletes in building their brand and creating partnerships designed to produce permissible activities for them to monetize from their Name, Image, and Likeness. Mass St. Collective, named after the famous Massachusetts Street that runs through downtown Lawrence, helps student-athletes make positive contributions to our local communities while receiving compensation and growing their respective brands. A proud partner of Kansas Athletics, Mass St. works to create opportunities and build partnerships for its nearly 500 student-athletes to leave a lasting impact for generations to come. For more information about Mass St. Collective, visit MassStNIL.com and follow them on Facebook, Instagram and X.
