Meet Magdalen Pike

We recently connected with Magdalen Pike and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Magdalen, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

By Magdalen Pike

I grew up in the St. Louis soccer community. My dad was a soccer camp director, and from the time I could walk, I was on the field—playing, coaching, and helping run youth programs. Summers were spent setting up cones in the blazing heat, and after school, I helped manage a club that served over 60,000 players a year. Soccer was my world.

It was also where I first saw waste in motion. Storage rooms overflowed with barely used cleats, jerseys, and gear from kids who had already outgrown them. Parents bought new equipment every season, not because the old was broken but because it was simply part of the culture. My own closet was no different. As a D1 athlete and later a semi-pro player, I had more gear than I could ever wear. Soccer in the U.S. is one of the only places in the world where the sport is reserved for the wealthy. And that struck me as a problem.

I didn’t set out to be an entrepreneur, but I found myself drawn to solving problems. I landed my first real role at a social enterprise called TinySuperheroes, started by a woman whose mom had been a special education teacher. She saw firsthand how isolating life could be for kids with disabilities and built a way to make them feel seen and empowered. I helped scale that idea—digitally fundraising millions and reaching hundreds of thousands of children globally.

That experience changed me. It showed me that impact starts with what you already know. But it was my MBA at Washington University in St. Louis that opened my eyes to the scale of the opportunities in circularity. I started to understand the broader systems at play—the economics of waste, the inefficiencies in supply chains, and the untapped potential of rethinking how we use and reuse resources.

For me, that problem was still sitting in those soccer storage rooms.

That’s why I started Passback—to build a circular economy for sports gear, making sure equipment didn’t pile up in landfills but found its way to the kids who needed it. In our first year, we gave away over $50,000 worth of sports gear to underserved families and offset more than 3 tons of plastic and metal items. This initiative led to attention from 10 Billion Strong and over 100 U.S. Embassies, where I am now also helping young professionals around the world take action on circularity challenges in their own communities.

The lesson? Solving problems starts in your own world.

The biggest opportunities—especially in circularity—aren’t always about inventing something new. They’re about recognizing the waste, the inefficiencies, and the broken systems in the spaces you already live in.

Purpose isn’t something you search for. It’s something you uncover by paying attention—and deciding to do something about it.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Hello! My name is Magdalen Pike, and I am the founder of Passback. We are creating a circular economy for sports gear, so every kid can play.

The global sports industry has the capacity to equip every child on the planet with multiple pieces of sports gear, yet access to play remains unequal. Despite an annual market exceeding $335 billion and growing at a compound annual rate of 9.9%, millions of children lack access due to a system that prioritizes profit over equitable distribution and sustainable practices. While companies may implement recycling initiatives or take-back programs, these are often inaccessible, poorly scaled, or insufficient to address the root issues of waste and inequity. That’s why Passback is here to help. ♻️⚽️

We handle the reverse logistics—collecting, redistributing, and repurposing sports gear—so that high-quality equipment stays in play and reaches the kids who need it most. By partnering with clubs, leagues, manufacturers, and organizations, we’re building a systematic, scalable solution that diverts gear from landfills and directly benefits underserved communities.

Learn more at www.passback-official.org

Source: Research Gate @researchgate_official
https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/sportswear-market

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, three qualities that were most impactful in my journey are gratitude, passion, and work ethic.

Gratitude

I keep a gratitude journal and reflect before my daily meditation. It keeps me grounded in the people and moments that make this work possible. I’m especially grateful to my fiancé, my board members, my family, our volunteers, my mentors, and the incredible organizations we’ve partnered with.

Passion

Seek your ikigai—your reason for being. Ikigai is the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be rewarded for—whether financially or through purpose and fulfillment. When you find it, it fuels you through the challenges and makes the hard work feel meaningful.

Work Ethic

You just have to keep going. If it were easy, everyone would do it. Systems change isn’t easy, but it’s worth it—and we don’t do it alone. Systems change is a team sport.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

Yes! Let’s Collaborate.

We’re looking for partners to help us scale our impact, especially in fundraising to support our growth.

We’re also always seeking collaboration on both sides of our circular model:
• Collection Partners – Organizations or businesses with surplus sports gear and textiles looking for a sustainable way to redistribute them.
• Redistribution Partners – Groups serving families in need who can help ensure the gear gets to the people who need it most.

If you’re interested in collaborating, let’s connect. Together, we can make a bigger impact.

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Highlighter Series
Are you walking a path—or wandering?

The answer to whether you are walking or wandering often changes from season to season

Highlighter Series
What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?

With so many high-achievers in our community it was super interesting to learn about the

Highlighter Series
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?

We asked some of the wisest people we know what they would tell their younger