Who co-founded Nike, Inc. with Bill Bowerman?

Phil Knight co-founded Nike, Inc. with Bill Bowerman.

Knight was a middle-distance runner at the University of Oregon, where Bowerman coached him. In 1964, they established Blue Ribbon Sports to import and sell Japanese running shoes in the United States. Knight handled business development while Bowerman experimented with shoe construction and performance.

Blue Ribbon Sports became Nike, Inc. in 1971, and Knight later served as the company’s chief executive and chairman. A common mix-up is identifying Jeff Johnson as a co-founder; Johnson was Nike’s first full-time employee, not its co-founder. Knight’s 2016 memoir, Shoe Dog, describes the company’s early years.