The Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, housed in the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business, hosted its first Meet the Founders event of the academic year on September 3. The gathering featured Blake Thompson (UT M.S., ’12), founder and owner of Teammate Basketball, a grassroots organization launched in 2017 to empower youth through events focused on basketball development and life skills, such as teamwork, respect and communication.
Thompson earned his bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southern University in 2010, where he was a four-year member of the men’s basketball team. He later earned a Master of Science in Recreation and Sport Management from the UT’s College of Education, Health and Human Sciences — a degree he credits for providing a solid knowledge foundation needed to launch Teammate Basketball.
During the Meet the Founders event, Thompson spoke about the passion required to be an entrepreneur. His love for basketball inspired him to solve a problem he noticed in the travel basketball industry: Teams often had to travel across town for different games, instead of playing in a single centralized location.
Thompson’s first Teammate Basketball tournament took place at Rocky Top Sports World in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, where he wasn’t sure the organization would break even. Nearly a decade later, Teammate Basketball now draws hundreds of players to tournaments nationwide. Its next national championship is set for June 18-21, 2026, in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
Thompson’s discussion of his journey proved both inspiring and memorable for students, who came away with valuable takeaways from the question-and-answer session that followed his talk.
Leini Elder, a senior management student from Knoxville, found the Meet the Founders event featuring Thompson to be inspiring and impactful.
“Blake Thompson made a tremendous impact on the way I view the entrepreneurial process,” Elder said. “He emphasized passion, dedication and discipline as the driving forces behind bringing his business idea to life, and how those qualities kept him focused on the end goal of Teammate Basketball, even through challenges along the way. He’s an incredible example of staying committed to entrepreneurial success while still prioritizing family and loved ones.”
Logan Haney, a senior majoring in management from Nashville, joined Thompson and a few other students for lunch after the event.
“Over lunch with Blake Thompson, I realized that setbacks in pursuing your purpose can actually create opportunities you never imagined,” Haney said. “He once dreamed of playing professional basketball, but as time went on, he recognized the odds were slim. Instead of giving up on the game he loved, he found a new path, one that ultimately led to his success as the owner of Teammate Basketball.”
The next Meet the Founders event will feature Jessica Doppelt, owner of PigeonForge.com, on October 22.
About the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
The Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, housed in Haslam, is the front door to entrepreneurship at the university, connecting entrepreneurs and innovators at every stage with the resources, networks and expertise needed to solve real challenges. By cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset across campus, connecting entrepreneurs with resources and mentorship they need to grow and collaborating with the UT and regional ecosystem, the Anderson Center is developing an entrepreneurial culture where Volunteers are empowered to identify unmet needs and take bold action to create value through new ventures.
Author
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Kelsey Craighead, marketing and events coordinator, kcraigh2@vols.utk.edu
Contact
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Leah McAmis, senior editor, leah@utk.edu
Contact
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