We spoke to Paula Kowalska, the Head of Marketing & Partnerships at The Kinetic Foundations, for our new Q&A series to give an insight into her journey into the football industry, and any advice she can impart
ABOUT THE KINETIC FOUNDATION
The Kinetic Foundation is an innovative London-based football and education charity that helps young people residing in the most deprived areas of the UK, from low-income households and/or historically marginalised ethnic backgrounds, to stay in education through their passion for football.
They aim to empower young people to successfully transition into employment, training, university, or the professional game, resulting in increased workforce participation, reduced social inequalities and greater opportunities for lifelong success.
On-the-pitch success includes 82 professional signings to date, including names such as Joe Aribo, Kwadwo Baah, Josh Maja and Rhys Norrington-Davies. Off the pitch, they not only support beneficiaries in completing post-16 education but also give access to the Kinetic Futures Curriculum – a two-year structured series of workshops, corporate and university visits and mentoring: all designed to support NEET (not in education, employment or training) status prevention.
Kowalska believes what the charity does is unique and important because there is a blend of three areas: being a high-quality football academy, a youth charity which offers activities at times of anti-social behaviour and an education programme aimed at reducing NEET status and increasing social mobility. This unique approach gives young people across London opportunities to succeed both on and off the pitch, a way that keeps them engaged and opens their eyes to future possibilities.
KOWALSKA’S ROLE AT KINETIC
As Head of Marketing and Partnerships at Kinetic Foundation, Kowalska’s role spans a wide range of responsibilities that demand flexibility and a diverse skill set. She leads the marketing strategy, working to raise awareness of Kinetic’s impact, support the recruitment of young people into its programmes and drive the fundraising efforts that sustain its work.
This also requires her to work closely with the charity’s social media management to create engaging content, develop event ideas, and create collateral designs. On the partnership side, she works closely with the Adidas team to activate their partnership across joint brand initiatives. She also proactively seeks out new partnerships for event campaigns and long-term collaborations.
CAREER PATH AND JOURNEY INTO THE SECTOR
Kowalska did not initially set out for a career in sport. After completing a BA in International Relations and later an MA in Political Science, she imagined she might enter the diplomatic world. Instead, her career began in PR, working on major P&G brands in Warsaw and Milan before moving into roles across arts, media sales and B2B marketing. A shift back into sports PR and sponsorship activation saw her work on campaigns with Manchester United, Leeds United and FA/EFL partners.
She gained recognition that led to being named one of the 50 most influential women in Polish sport in 2022. She later gained experience on both the brand side and agency side in London, leading sports apparel accounts and working with partners such as HSBC UK, JD Sports, EE and Samsung. Across nearly a decade, these varied roles gave her a deep understanding of media, sport and commercial partnerships, ultimately preparing her for a values-driven role at the Kinetic Foundation.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Kowalska says there have been “too many to name” pinch-me moments during her career, but a recent standout moment was seeing 41 Kinetic participants surprised by Son Heung-min as part of Adidas’ global ‘You Got This!’ campaign. She highlighted that it was an experience that brought “sheer joy and excitement” to the young people involved.
Another unforgettable moment she couldn’t help slip in from earlier in her career was accidentally finding herself face to face with the entire Manchester United first team squad, including Cristiano Ronaldo
FINDING YOUR PATH IN THE INDUSTRY
“The key is throwing yourself into opportunities that arise with eyes wide open and a humble heart to learn and take as much as we can to forge our own path.”
Today, pathways into Kowalska’s role can be varied, especially in marketing and creative spaces – it is never set. A role like Kowalska’s requires one to adapt and pivot as they grow and learn more about what works and how to excel.
“Don’t be afraid to fail, have gumption and trust the process. Build your personal brand, and most importantly, network. With the current, challenging job market, who you know has never been more important; stepping out of your comfort zone, seeking out events and having the guts to go up and introduce yourself to people is the key to getting your foot in the door. The worst that can happen is someone will say no or not reply to a message – but you won’t know until you try.”
