Los Angeles Rams Press Release

Los Angeles, CA – Today, Sherri Francois has been announced as the Los Angeles Rams’ 2024 Inspire Change Changemaker – an annual award given to local leaders who are making a difference in their community across the NFL’s Inspire Change initiatives four pillars of education, economic advancement, police-community relations, or criminal justice reform.

Francois works with the SoLa Impact and SoLa Foundation to oversee the social impact strategy, operations and development of real estate efforts focused on preserving, refreshing, and creating high-quality affordable housing in low-income communities. Leading the organization’s work to improve the lives of South LA residents and provide educational opportunities, Francois is committed to improving the lives of underserved and under-invested youth in the company’s South LA community and has been making a difference since joining SoLa in 2017.

The Rams 2023 Inspire Change Changemaker, General Manager of the Watts Rams, Co-Founder of 4wrdProgress and Executive Director of Project Blue Marc Maye, Los Angeles Rams Executive Vice President of Community Impact and Engagement Molly Higgins and Los Angeles Rams Associate Manager of Social Justice and Football Development Noel Grigsby surprised Francois with the award and Super Bowl LIX tickets. The Rams also will recognize Francois during an on-field moment at their ‘Inspire Change’ game against the Seattle Seahawks.

In 2018 Francois established the SoLa Foundation and led the development of South LA’s first technology and entrepreneurship center to spur a new generation of technology entrepreneurs in the area. Together, SoLa Impact and the SoLa Foundation work to end intergenerational poverty in South LA through opening access to high quality affordable housing, education, jobs and capital and ownership.

The SoLa Tech Center was developed with Riot Games and opened at the SoLa Beehive in 2022. The center offers career training in tech, entrepreneurship, arts and media and esports, video game design and production. Now, The Beehive’s five acre opportunity zone campus has become one of the cultural centers of Los Angeles and the South LA community offering innovative cultural events, activations and community gatherings.

Prior to joining SoLa, Francois was an Emmy nominated television executive producer and director. She spent two decades overseeing television programs and documentaries, covering social issues throughout the world. Her work has been featured on major media outlets including CNN, NBC, and MTV. Francois also volunteers her time to other local nonprofit organizations including the Dream Street Foundation where she serves as a member of the board of directors.

Francois and the SoLa Foundation often say that they are creating “game changers” – empowering local youth by not only giving them a voice, but also providing access to career and life skills training to go out and create change, address social injustice, address equality, and address issues where there aren’t enough Black and brown people in positions of leadership on the boards that make up prominent companies.

The SoLa Foundation’s motto, “If You Can See It, You Can Be It,” is representative of Francois’ work to inspire the next generation of leaders. From SoLa’s skills-based education and certification opportunities, to scholarship funds for first-generation college students, they are working to provide access and opportunity for all in South LA. At SoLa’s core, is not only Francois’ leadership but her commitment to fostering equal access, personal mentorship and desire for positive change.

Francois was the first recipient of the Rams pLAymaker Award in 2022. The Rams launched the pLAymakers program to recognize 13 Angelenos each year for their efforts to fight injustice and pioneer with purpose in their communities as part of the NFL’s Inspire Change platform. Each month, a pLAymaker is selected for their impact on the Los Angeles community and showcased on the Rams website. Each “pLAymaker” receives a financial grant from the Rams to support their community work and is recognized on the field during a Rams home game at SoFi Stadium. Since launching the program, the Rams have provided over $160,000 to local pLAymakers.