Commencement Speaker
Kevin Plank ’96
Founder and Executive Chairman of Under Armour
Kevin Plank knows what it means to be a game-changer. He transformed the world of sports apparel when he launched Under Armour in 1996.
He grew the company, building on its successes, and expanded it into one of the world’s leading developers, innovators, marketers and distributors of branded performance apparel, footwear and accessories.
Plank served as chief executive officer and chairman of the Board of Directors from 1996 to 2019, and president from 1996 to July 2008 and August 2010 to July 2017. He then elevated to Under Armour’s executive chairman and brand chief in January 2020.
In 2012, Plank launched an investment company, Sagamore Ventures, to revitalize and grow areas of Baltimore City with holdings in commercial real estate, hospitality, food and beverage, and venture capital. The company has a major equity stake in the Port Covington redevelopment in South Baltimore, a mixed-use project on 235 acres in the area, which includes offices, residential units, retail spaces, parks and boat launches. The company’s investment holdings also include Plank’s whiskey distillery, Sagamore Spirit.
Plank also serves on the Board of Trustees, Johns Hopkins Medicine, the Board of Directors of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, Inc., and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Maryland College Park Foundation.
How to Celebrate
1. Get your virtual swag, and then brag on yourself
Download digital photo frames, Facebook frames, Facebook and Twitter covers, GIFs, Zoom backgrounds, ;and printable signs. Add to the conversation and use #UMDSmithGrad on your social media.
2. Plan your watch party
Start off by watching the Maryland Smith Commencement Ceremony on this page, which goes live on Thursday, May 20 at 1 p.m.
3. Watch the virtual university commencement ceremony
Gather your family and friends, get comfy, and watch commencement on Friday, May 21 at 11 a.m.
4. Get ready to party - virtually - with your classmates
The Smith School will be hosting a live virtual reception at 2:30 p.m. on May 20th following the virtual Maryland Smith ceremony premiere. Check back for more details as we get closer to commencement.
5. Look for your celebration package in summer 2021
We can’t wait to send you a little something to commemorate your graduation and your time at Smith! Keep your eye on the mail this summer.
Virtual Celebration
You’ve worked long and hard to graduate from one of the top business schools in the country! Just because we aren’t able to pack the Xfinity Center with proud family and friends doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate all of the excellence you’ve achieved. Join in the celebration at home by watching the commencement ceremonies, decking out your social media profiles with our virtual swag and plastering your home in congratulatory signs!
Virtual Swag
Social Media Frames and Cover Images
Splash your Smith pride all of social media with these profile graphics.
Printer Friendly Celebration Signs
Deck out the walls of your home with a little Smith swag.
Social Media Graphics
Let all of your followers know how far you've come!
Contact Us
Office of Smith Programs & Events
4570 Van Munching Hall
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
smithevents@rhsmith.umd.edu