Last weekend it was announced that Ucal McKenzie Breakaway Foundation (UMBF) became official community partners with Brooklyn FC Women for their match against Tampa Bay Sun, as the players turned up to the fixture donning ABLE MADE garms. Hearing of the news, we sat down with founder of the charity foundation and fashion label, Suzanne McKenzie, to talk more about the inspiration behind her journey.
Founder of ABLE MADE and Ucal McKenzie Breakaway Foundation, Suzanne McKenzie, has overcome adversities and challenges to create a successful fashion label and foundation. UMBF was founded paying homage to Suzanne McKenzie’s late husband Ucal, who tragically passed away whilst playing football. Ucal’s love for the beautiful game was unparalleled, which Suzanne has honoured by creating UMBF and building on the pillars of the foundation with a football-inspired fashion label, ABLE MADE. The success she has brought to the business has helped thousands of young people across the Boston area in low income households have access to the game we all know and love, alongside wellness sessions and extended care – all whilst running an innovative brand that uses football designs to challenge fashion norms.
Suzanne has recently taken another big step in her UMBF and ABLE MADE journey, as they became community partners with Brooklyn WFC for their match against Tampa Bay Sun. Last weekend the announcement was revealed as Brooklyn players rocked up to the game donning ABLE MADE gear. With the latest news making waves, we chose to speak with founder Suzanne to find out a little more about the foundation and ABLE MADE’s growth within worldwide football culture.
Shot by Brooklyn FC
Tell us a little bit about yourself, what drove you to start UMBF?
Sports, values-driven business and design have all been formative elements which have helped me build and grow Ucal McKenzie Breakaway Foundation (UMBF). I grew up in Maine playing three sports since second grade: soccer, basketball and softball. Sports were really formative for me to develop discipline, determination, dedication, teamwork and resiliency. And during my childhood, my Dad did refrigeration projects for Ben & Jerry's ice cream, and it was literally my first taste of how brands could combine great products with amazing branding, and community-based values–this stuck with me on how I aspired to work in business. My background is 20+ years in design and branding strategy, which has helped me develop a strong sense of how to build and communicate visually.
When I lost my husband Ucal to sudden cardiac arrest on a soccer field, I immediately started UMBF to continue his legacy of building stronger communities, leaning on my experience with sports, values-driven business and design. Building the foundation was a reason to get up in the morning during the very intense and painful early days of loss and grief.
Looking back at that now and seeing where you have come with this latest partnership with Brooklyn FC, how do you feel about how much the foundation has grown?
I'm very proud that this year, the foundation is 17 years old, and we are serving three markets: Boston, Hartford, and now New York City. Our non-profit combines affordable and accessible soccer and health camps for city-youth and underserved communities, and families from low-income households. We also produce wellness and wellbeing sessions for an hour every day of our programming, from hands-only CPR and AED training, to financial literacy to nutrition education and more––skills our campers can use on and off the field.
Can you tell us a bit more about the message UMBF are sending and the work you are doing?
We are pushing against the pay-to-play model and the extremely high prices of youth sports in the United States to empower our underserved communities. Our foundation has been able to produce extremely competitive soccer training with strategic partnerships with MLS and USL teams, top college programs and pro players. We've even brought Barcelona MBP to our camps twice to run our camps. We can rival a $5k+ camp with our content, and deliver it to our families for $0-99 per camper to build healthier communities; and that is our intention.
When starting a foundation, what took priority in order to build and make big changes in the area you were looking to improve?
Strategic partnerships have been key to building nearly two decades of impact work. We have partnered with Puma, WeGotSoccer, our city public schools, Winsor School, New England Revolution, Hartford Athletic, and now Brooklyn FC and NYCFC to produce our camps.
With already so much on your plate with the foundation, what inspired you to build your own fashion brand with ABLE MADE?
ABLE MADE was launched to be a funding vehicle for the foundation. It is really taking off and scaling, like the foundation. And like the foundation, ABLE MADE is built around community and values. We are ethically produced using sustainable and up-cycled materials, in addition to giving back a portion of sale proceeds to the foundation. We lead with a sophisticated sport lens on our product––less athleisure and more runway-inspired, ready-to-wear.
ABLE MADE uses 100% environmentally friendly fabrics, why was it so important to you to put fair trade production first?
As a designer, I didn't want to build a company that while giving back proceeds to a non profit, would just look for the cheapest way to produce our clothes at the cost and health of those making our apparel and accessories. For me, every step of our business practice had to integrate thoughtfulness and values, from the factories we select to the fabric and trims we choose, down to the threads, zippers and buttons. Otherwise, the concept in my eyes fell short.
Most foundations are started after building a company, what made you choose to do this the other way around?
The order was just the natural progression of our heritage story. From the loss of my husband, to building the foundation, to launching a business to support the foundation. ABLE MADE's DNA therefore rooted in soccer and community in the most authentic way. It's not just a whim or marketing proposition that connects us to the game. It's all heart.
Have you had to face any challenges as a female starting a business in a predominantly male market?
I will say without a doubt one of the hardest challenges I've ever faced in my career has been raising capital. Less than 2% of VC funds go to women founders globally. We did it, but it was HARD.
What is your personal connection with football?
Football has taught me how to be a team player, how to work hard, and how to build relationships. I was a goalkeeper and I went to Tony DiCicco's Soccer Plus camps when I was in junior high and high school. Tony was famously the Head Coach of the US Women's National team when they won the World Cup, and became a UMBF partner when he was Head coached the Boston Breakers. He would bring his players to our Boston UMBF Camp. He became a foundation Board Member before we lost him to cancer in 2017.
I started the first women's soccer club at my university in Boston, and they now have an actual team; Ucal helped me start it.
What kind of effect do you want ABLE MADE to have on football culture and fashion?
I want to show that you can build, scale and exit a company with creativity and values. I want to push against the status quo of the fashion industry being one of the most polluting industries in the world, and that a women-founded and women-led business can make a global difference.
Right now you are based in New York, are you looking to cross the pond and embrace European football culture any time soon?
We have some very exciting things in progress that will be bringing us to Europe very soon. We already have customers in Europe, and we are thrilled with what is to come.
Going forward, how can your partnership with Brooklyn FC help to grow the foundation and ABLE MADE?
I love how both the foundation and ABLE MADE are part of the partnership, and I think it is one of the reasons why athletes connect with our brand–the fashion part is fun and compelling, but they can also see the real work we are doing for city-youth. We aspire to do camp programming with BKFC and also some exciting things with product through ABLE MADE.
Can you tell us if there are more exciting partnerships to come from UMBF and ABLE MADE?
We have so many things in the works, including partnerships, activations and shops planned. This is going to be our breakout year, and it's perfect timing as the World Cup comes to North America 2026. We aspire and intend to be on the world stage, and to arrive in style and with heart.
Shot by David Roemer for ABLE MADE
Shot by David Roemer for ABLE MADE
ABLE MADE apparel is available at ablemadeshop.com
