The startup called Square is bringing a celebrity sports name to its board of directors. Former basketball player Magic Johnson will sit on the board of directors for Square starting in the summertime. It is not the first time Earvin “Magic” Johnson has been involved in businesses; you might even call him a leader in it. He is more than solely an NBA star.
In terms of his business experience, Johnson has run Magic Johnson Enterprises, which is a multi-billion-dollar organization that continues to thrive with his help. He also is a major force in the Magic Johnson Foundation, which is a philanthropic company that works in urban areas.
Johnson explained in a recent press release that he will sit on Square’s board of directors to help a company be able to compete and win. His involvement is part of a strategy to help Square reach a larger and more varied audience, extending beyond just New York and Silicon Valley to some of the smaller businesses that are in outlying areas.
Magic’s other business activities include his tireless help with being an HIV/AIDS awareness activist, using his foundation to help spread the word of the educational and health implications. He started his foundation soon after he was diagnosed in 1991 with having HIV.
Square’s CEO Jack Dorsey recently released a statement saying he is pleased to have Earvin “Magic” Johnson sit on the board of directors and that his unique viewpoint will help the company considerably.
The startup Square is based in San Francisco, California. It offers mobile payments and aggregates both financial and merchant services. It began in 2009 as the brainchild of Jim McKelvey and Jack Dorsey. Its first app was released in 2010.
Earlier this year, Square was in the news as the startup launched a suite of CRM tools, called Customer Engagement. It enables companies to target specific customer groups with personalized messages and promos based on their offline activities.