John Thomas

Vice President of Social Responsibility, Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx

“In our very noisy world, please slow down. Recognize that while we’re all different, we’re all the same. So in this noisy world, prioritize the things that are the most important to you. And we’re all here tonight because it’s about the kids."

"There’s a lot of people that are hurting today, so I think it’s really critical that you get in front of them, get close to them, and show who they can be. Show them what their potential is. I can’t thank the people in this room today enough. I will continue to show up in the best way that I know how.”
 

Prior to becoming Vice President of Social Responsibility for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, John Thomas lead a team focused on creating memorable experiences, building impactful programs and providing tangible resources for the entire youth basketball ecosystem in the Upper Midwest. He also partnered with Basketball Operations to unearth current players' personal, business and community interests to help deepen local affinity and increase their value holistically.

Prior to joining the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, Thomas served as National Training Manager for Ultimate Hoops, the basketball division of Life Time, Inc. In January of 2013, john took on the task of building a new basketball training program for over 110 facilities nationwide. By 2017 and with support from an amazing team, they were able to build the training staff from 5 to 74, grow unique participation from 150 to over 5000 and increase revenue from just under $10K to $1.4MM.

It was an amateur and professional basketball career of 22 years that prepared John Thomas for life after the sport. Riddled with both triumph and adversity, John’s story, along with accounts from many colleagues, helped paint a picture of what's needed to create success both on and off the court. After his transition away from the game, he continue his passion to collaborate with the basketball and business community to help players create meaningful impact in all facets of their lives.