Bigger than a store: Corporate, Bigger Than Sneakers, and launches that give back

Some stores sell sneakers. CORPORATE built a community around them.

The Cincinnati-born retailer, with locations in Hyde Park, Dayton, and Indianapolis, has spent years acting as more than a shop. It spotlights local brands and artists, opens doors for young creatives, and supports Bigger Than Sneakers, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit co-founded by CORPORATE owner Matt Tomamichel that shows kids the full ecosystem behind the culture they already love.

Now, every launch CORPORATE runs through EQL will help fund that work. A portion of the Run Fair® fee from each launch goes directly to Bigger Than Sneakers. Fans enter for the products they care about, and the community gets a cut of the moment.

What Bigger Than Sneakers does

“Bigger Than Sneakers is a nonprofit based out of Cincinnati, Ohio,” says Tomamichel. “The work that we do is very important because it gives kids an access point into the industry that we all love, through music, fashion, and footwear. Everybody wants to learn more about the processes, but sometimes they just don’t have those answers. BTS is a gateway to those answers.”

That gateway runs through workshops, events, youth-focused community initiatives, and a mentorship program that doesn’t end when the calendar says it should.

“BTS Academy is so much more than a two-week summer program, it’s the beginning of a lifelong community,” says Crystal Hooper, who leads the program. “We’re committed to walking alongside these students long after graduation, connecting them with mentors from the CORPORATE and Bigger Than Sneakers teams, as well as the incredible industry professionals who generously volunteer their time. We want every student to know they have a network of people invested in their success.”

And it’s deliberately local. “This is not a nationwide program. This feeds right back into Cincinnati, Dayton, and Indianapolis,” Tomamichel says. “That’s why we take super pride in providing this service for our community.”

Inside BTS Academy

The flagship program is BTS Academy, a free, two-week summer program for students in grades 9 through 11. Each student receives an iPad loaded with creative tools they keep after the program ends, so the work doesn’t stop when the summer does.

Over two weeks, students hear from guest speakers across fashion, footwear, and the wider industry, then put the lessons to work. Split into teams, they build their own brands and products from scratch: budgets, marketing plans, the lot. It all culminates in a final presentation day where each team pitches their brand to a panel of judges, with a stipend for the top team and a scholarship for the top student.

The demand for BTS Academy continues to grow. This year, the program received 44 applications for 15 available spots.

“Choosing this year’s cohort was incredibly difficult because every application reflected passion, potential, and a desire to learn,” Hooper says. “While we wish we could accept everyone, the overwhelming response confirms what we’ve always believed, that there’s a real need for programs like BTS Academy.”

While students spend the two-week program learning about branding, design, and entrepreneurship, one of the most meaningful transformations happens on a personal level.

“We’re not just teaching business and creative skills. We’re helping students believe in themselves,” Hooper says. “Many of our students are still developing the confidence to navigate everyday challenges, speak up, and take risks. Watching their confidence grow is one of the most rewarding parts of BTS Academy. By the end of the program, they’re presenting their ideas with pride and realizing they’re capable of so much more than they imagined.”

In their own words

The real measure of BTS Academy is what the students walk away with. A few of them talked with EQL and shared what the program meant to them.

For Timothy, it was a chance to build something that matters. His team created a project called Preventing Social Isolation, taking on how hard it can be to ask for help. “A lot of people really seek out help, and they either get made fun of, people don’t know how to help, or they tell you to toughen up,” he said. “That’s why this is so important to me and to our group.”

Jelani, a sophomore who already runs his own business, valued the practical side. “My favorite part was how Matt organized it for us to learn how to manage our money when we start a business, how to market, what your brand identity is,” he said. “That really helped me, especially since I already have my own business.”

Teon, a junior and a barber, came looking for connection and mentorship. He left inspired by the program’s guest speakers and hoping to keep building the kind of relationships that help him grow in his craft.

For one of the program’s juniors, Laiyonna, it was about exposure and perspective. “I’ve met a lot of different people who’ve given me advice and shared their stories and experiences, and I’ve been able to relate to them,” she said. “The people who put their energy into this really want to see you do better and progress in your life. I’m kind of sad it’s about to be over.”

Savannah, 15 and going into 11th grade, put it simply. “Bigger Than Sneakers taught me to get out of my comfort zone,” she said. “I wanted to have something to do with my life. Bigger Than Sneakers did that.”

How the partnership works

The mechanics are simple. CORPORATE runs its high-demand launches through EQL, giving every fan the same fair shot at the products they’re after. Every launch powered by EQL is certified Run Fair®, and from each of CORPORATE’s launches, a portion of the Run Fair® fee is donated to Bigger Than Sneakers, funding programs like BTS Academy.

For fans, nothing about entering changes. You enter, you get a fair shot, and if you’re selected, you complete your purchase. The difference is where part of that moment goes: back into the community that built the culture in the first place.

For retailers, it’s a model worth watching. Launch moments concentrate a lot of passion in one place. CORPORATE is proof that a launch can do more than sell through. It can fund the next generation of the people who’ll keep this culture alive.

“It doesn’t feel like work,” Hooper says of the nonprofit. “I’m pretty lucky that I get to call this a job, and hang out with these amazing kids.”

What’s next

BTS Academy is just the start of Bigger Than Sneakers’ calendar, with community events running throughout the year. You can learn more about the organization, its programs, and how to support them at biggerthansneakers.org.

To catch CORPORATE’s next launch, follow CORPORATE and keep an eye on their launches powered by EQL. Your entry is part of something bigger than sneakers.