Masai Ujiri, an award-winning and barrier-breaking NBA executive, is the team president and alternate governor for the Dallas Mavericks and co-founder of Zaria Group, a firm catalyzing sports, entertainment, and cultural infrastructure across Africa. Through the development, management, and commercialization of large multi-purpose venues and their surrounding ecosystems, Zaria Group drives growth across the continent’s sports and entertainment industries, creating jobs and fostering new businesses. As the first African general manager in North American professional sports to be named NBA Executive of the Year in 2013, Ujiri’s rise began in his native Nigeria and took him around the world as a player, scout, and executive, culminating in 2019 when he led the Toronto Raptors to become the first franchise outside the United States to win an NBA championship. Since 2003, Ujiri has led Giants of Africa, a non-profit organization drawing upon his unique basketball journey to uplift African youth through programs focused on empowerment and leadership. In 2025, the UN Secretary-General appointed Ujiri as a Sustainable Development Goals Advocate, using his platform to promote youth empowerment, education, equality, and sustainability. In 2026, he joined the WNBA’s Toronto Tempo as a Principal Owner, further supporting the growth of women’s basketball.