The psychology of performance in athletic footwear and apparel is very real. Most athletes do not say, 'Just give me what works the best - I don't care what it looks like.' They're very concerned with what it looks like and how it makes them feel.

Mark Parker

The biggest sources of opportunity are collaboration and partnership. And today, with digital communication, there is more of that everywhere. We need to expose ourselves to that as a matter of doing business.

Mark Parker

Design is an iterative process. One idea often builds on another.

Mark Parker

In difficult times, it's important to speak up. We cannot change the past, but we can impact the future.

Mark Parker

When you work in a culture that thrives on innovation and is constantly moving into unchartered territory, you're going to hit dead ends. But to be successful over the long term, remember what you've learned and move on from it quickly.

Mark Parker

I always carry a sketchbook around with me, and I sketch whenever I can... I might be in a financial review and be sketching because I find that I actually listen better when I sketch. Truth be told, there are probably more sketches in my books than there are written notes.

Mark Parker

There is always an underlying spirit of invention at Nike - we love to create something that has never before existed. And not just new for the sake of new - it has to be better.

Mark Parker

Let's start with the athlete, Nike's original and most important collaborator. To us, everything starts with the insight. That's why we work with the deepest roster of athletes, to gain the most profound understanding of what's needed to perform.

Mark Parker

One of my biggest sources of angst is having people so comfortable with a formula that works that they are not challenging themselves or their ideas.

Mark Parker

Collaboration among individuals, brands, and industries will only continue to accelerate as technology facilitates and enables greater connection in real time from anywhere in the world. It's why we're experiencing such an unprecedented pace of innovation in every aspect of our lives.

Mark Parker

Observing is really the fuel to innovating, ultimately.

Mark Parker

Curiosity is life. Assumption is death.

Mark Parker

Nike is at its best when we focus on the future. Sport is in a constant state of progression. Athletes are expanding their potential every day - and so must we.

Mark Parker

I think a really great creative person is almost by nature incredibly curious and digging deeply into cultures and technologies and getting all this input and using it to make things better - basically, creating better solutions.

Mark Parker

I don't think you need a certificate to truly legitimize you or authenticate you as a designer. I think real innovation and creativity can come from everywhere.

Mark Parker

No one works harder at inspiring athletes all over the world than our team at Nike. Creating those experiences requires an amazing amount of energy, a steady flow of big ideas to excite and surprise people, and a constant dialogue that connects us on a personal level.

Mark Parker

I'm drawn to talented, creative people who often just don't know how to support themselves - they're more focused on their work than trying to figure that out. So I commission a lot of works with artists who I like personally or professionally, and through that process, I wound up collecting a lot of art.

Mark Parker

Our brands - Nike, Converse, Jordan Brand and Hurley - are loved by customers all over the world. But we never take that for granted; we know that every day we have to earn their trust - by serving them completely and adding real value to their lives through products and experiences.

Mark Parker

At Penn State, I ran distance and cross country as a walk-on. I wound up running a lot of marathons, 30-plus. I was okay. I won one in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. I think it was around 2:30. I could crank those out all day.

Mark Parker

Nike believes in a world where everyone celebrates the power of diversity.

Mark Parker

One of the challenges of innovation is challenging a set model. A traditional way to manufacture footwear existed for hundreds of years. Now we have a whole new way.

Mark Parker