NetApp and the 49ers Foundation Launch Data Science Education Partnership
Multi-year initiative aims to empower students with hands-on tech learning at Levi's® Stadium
NetApp® (NASDAQ:NTAP), the Intelligent Data Infrastructure company, and the 49ers Foundation, the largest team foundation in the NFL, today announced a multi-year partnership to provide data science education to high school students in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers EDU Data Analytics Lessons Series seeks to inspire and equip the next generation of tech leaders with essential skills in data science and introduce students to career opportunities in technology.
The partnership will enable NetApp and the 49ers Foundation to utilize the unique setting of Levi's® Stadium to provide immersive educational experiences. This collaboration is part of the 49ers EDU STEAM education program and builds upon its impactful history of educating over a half a million students in the Bay Area and beyond through digital and in-person programming. 49ers EDU educators will lead all lessons part of the Data Analytics Lessons Series, while NetApp volunteers will support students in technology career exploration.
"NetApp is committed to expanding access to data and AI education," said George Kurian, CEO of NetApp. "Through our partnership with the 49ers Foundation, we're providing students with the real-world experience and skill-building to thrive in a world shaped by data and AI. By providing students with hands-on opportunities in data analytics, we hope to inspire the next generation of technology leaders."
The Data Analytics Lessons Series will teach students about data storage, cloud integration, data security, and performance optimization, all of which are crucial for managing data in real-world scenarios, including gameday operations at the stadium.
"After celebrating ten years of 49ers EDU earlier this year, we're excited to partner with NetApp to integrate data science into 49ers EDU programming using their latest and best technologies," said Justin Prettyman, Vice President, Philanthropy, Executive Director, 49ers Foundation. "NetApp's commitment to serving the next generation makes them an impactful addition to our growing 49ers Foundation family. We can't wait to partner with them to educate the world's future technology leaders and innovators."
"Being in the heart of Silicon Valley, we have a deep connection with technology and feel a responsibility to educate the next generation about how intertwined sports and technology are," said Costa Kladianos, 49ers Executive Vice President of Technology. "NetApp allows us to collect, store, analyze, and utilize vast amounts of data, which ultimately allows us to have the world-class fan experience that Levi's® Stadium is known for. We can't wait to use our partnership to educate Bay Area youth."
Additionally, at NetApp INSIGHT 2025, the 49ers Foundation will receive a NetApp Customer Social Impact Award for its leadership in data science education through the 49ers EDU program.
To learn more about the partnership between NetApp and the 49ers Foundation, visit 49ers.com/EDU.
Additional Resources
- 49ers and NetApp Data Analytics Education Partnership Video
- San Francisco 49ers and NetApp: Powered by Intelligent Data Infrastructure
- 49ers EDU Data Analytics Lessons Photo Album
- San Francisco 49ers and NetApp Team Up to Elevate Operations and Fan Experience
- 49ers Announce First Group of Speakers to Participate in the Horizon Summit
- NFL Names NetApp the Official Intelligent Data Infrastructure Partner
About the 49ers Foundation
For over 30 years, the 49ers Foundation has harnessed football to educate and empower youth in the Bay Area and beyond through collective and innovative community-focused strategies. From award-winning STEAM education and nationally recognized youth football programs, to impactful community partnerships with leading nonprofits, the 49ers Foundation is tirelessly dedicated to inspiring the confidence and collaboration youth need to tackle what is possible. Since 1991, the 49ers Foundation has invested more than $70 million back into historically underserved Bay Area communities in support of its commitment to remain faithful to the next generation. Visit 49ers.com/foundation.
About NetApp
For more than three decades, NetApp has helped the world's leading organizations navigate change – from the rise of enterprise storage to the intelligent era defined by data and AI. Today, NetApp is the Intelligent Data Infrastructure company, helping customers turn data into a catalyst for innovation, resilience, and growth.
At the heart of that infrastructure is the NetApp data platform – the unified, enterprise-grade, intelligent foundation that connects, protects, and activates data across every cloud, workload, and environment. Built on the proven power of NetApp ONTAP, our leading data management software and OS, and enhanced by automation through the AI Data Engine and AFX, it delivers observability, resilience, and intelligence at scale.
Disaggregated by design, the NetApp data platform separates storage, services, and control so enterprises can modernize faster, scale efficiently, and innovate without lock-in. As the only enterprise storage platform natively embedded in the world's largest clouds, it gives organizations the freedom to run any workload anywhere with consistent performance, governance, and protection.
With NetApp, data is always ready – ready to defend against threats, ready to power AI, and ready to drive the next breakthrough. That's why the world's most forward-thinking enterprises trust NetApp to turn intelligence into advantage.
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Media Contacts
Jacob Fill, San Francisco 49ers
[email protected] | 408.466.7212
Kenya Hayes, NetApp
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Investor Contact
Kris Newton, NetApp
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