Colin Kaepernick is recognized for his athletic prowess and activism. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback brought attention to racial inequality and police violence by kneeling during the national anthem in 2016, a move that at the time sparked both significant praise and backlash.
Kaepernick was branded anti-police, labeled a “traitor” by a league executive, and subjected to countless death threats. He became the face of , which drove some consumers to # and set their products on fire.
A decade later, Kaepernick remains unsigned by any NFL team. Yet he has returned to professional life, now serving as CEO of his own new venture, Lumi—an AI literacy startup aimed at helping Gen Alpha and Gen Z find their voices and write their stories. And he remains unapologetic about the power of speaking one’s truth.
If he could revisit his past, the single piece of advice Kaepernick would impart to his younger self is clear: Don’t let the fear of backlash silence you.
During an on-stage interview with ’s Orianna Rosa Royle at Web Summit Qatar, Kaepernick discussed how, in the early stages, it’s easy to over-polish what you want to say because you’re trying to “not hurt people’s feelings…But it’s not actually what you want to say.”
He warned that taking the safe route rarely makes a lasting impact.
“When you stay true to yourself, people connect with you much better. They sense the authenticity,” Kaepernick added. “You also have to be vulnerable in that process.”
He continued: “It won’t always be a flawless scenario, but what emerges from that is much stronger relationships, greater mutual understanding, and people often start opening up on their end as well.”
Ultimately, speaking the truth holds more weight than speaking what feels safe. And Kaepernick said that choosing to be true to himself only deepened trust, connection, and impact.
Colin Kaepernick’s top tip for finding your voice? Be true to you
Lumi is a logical extension of Kaepernick’s prior social justice work. The former athlete-turned-activist has already authored several books and founded Kaepernick Publishing, all centered on elevating stories from marginalized voices.
His new venture brings that mission into the digital realm and directly into classrooms. Launched in 2024 with $4 million in seed funding led by Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian’s venture capital firm Seven Seven Six, Lumi helps young people create their own comics or graphic novels. As of early 2026, the program is being piloted in schools, including Metro Nashville Public Schools and Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland.
Already, the impact is visible. “We’re witnessing repeatedly that students are opening up, and they’re sharing in ways their classmates didn’t know, their teachers didn’t know, and it’s building stronger connections within their close-knit community.
“We’ve had students telling stories about bullying and navigating it. We actually had one student who shared a story about the suicide of his brother—narratives they hadn’t previously disclosed or opened up about, keeping these experiences bottled up.”
His advice to students on finding their own voice? “Be true to it,” Kaepernick said.
“What I reflect on, in relation to my own story and the stories we’re seeing from students, is the importance of being true and authentic to themselves.”
The lesson Colin Kaepernick is taking from the NFL field into his latest venture, Lumi
It’s not just his experience with speaking out that Kaepernick is drawing on in this new career chapter. From a leadership perspective, he said there’s “a lot of crossover” between being a CEO and a founder, and that his previous experience on the field is relevant.
“I’d argue the most critical aspect, when leading a team or an organization, is ensuring you have the right people on that journey with you,” he told on stage.
“This is clear in the NFL: you can have a great game plan, but if you don’t have the right players on the field in the right positions, that game plan fails,” he continued. “And we see the same holds true for companies.”
Like a coach, Kaepernick insisted he spends “a lot” of his time ensuring Lumi has the “right people” in the “right positions.”
“It takes more time. It takes more work,” Kaepernick said. “But when you have the right people, they help you solve the right problems at the right times, which ultimately leads to the success of the company.”