What does it look like when one of the most recognizable sports organizations in the country uses its influence for something bigger than football?
In this episode of Rise to More, Jasna Burza sits down at TCO Performance Center with Brett Taber, Vice President of Social Impact for the Minnesota Vikings, for a conversation about leadership, service, community, and what it really means to use your platform well.
Brett has spent nearly two decades with the Vikings, beginning his career in an unexpected place: inside the mascot costume. Today, he leads work designed to create measurable change in the lives of young people and families across Minnesota.
Jasna and Brett talk about why sports may be one of the “last great unifiers,” how the Vikings think differently about community impact, and why doing good should be about changing outcomes—not simply generating headlines.
They also explore the extraordinary growth of girls flag football in Minnesota, the story behind Vikings Table and its 100,000th meal, and how players including Justin Jefferson, J.J. McCarthy, Brian O’Neill, and Aaron Jones use their platforms to support causes that genuinely matter to them.
But some of the most powerful moments in the conversation have nothing to do with football.
Brett shares the story of Bob Jensen, his middle-school teacher in rural Iowa whose lessons about integrity, service, and “we, not me” continue to influence the way Brett leads decades later. It becomes a reminder that we rarely know how far one act of kindness, mentorship, or belief in another person will travel.
In this episode:
How Brett went from Vikings mascot to VP of Social Impact
Why sports can bring people together when almost nothing else can
The Minnesota Vikings’ approach to creating measurable community impact
Justin Jefferson and the power of showing up for one family
The rapid growth of girls flag football in Minnesota
Vikings Table and what 100,000 meals really represent
Why authenticity matters when athletes and organizations give back
The leadership lesson Brett still carries from his middle-school teacher
Why relationships matter as much as ambitious goals
What it means to build programs you hope the world eventually no longer needs
Brett’s answer to the question: What does it mean to Rise to More?
This conversation is ultimately about something much bigger than the Minnesota Vikings. It is about what each of us chooses to do with whatever influence we have.
You may not have a famous name, a massive organization, or millions of people watching you. But you have people in front of you. You have opportunities to open doors, give your time, make someone feel seen, and leave something better than you found it.
And you may never know how far that impact goes.
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