ThinkFest Preview: John Middleton on Innovation in Business, Sports and Philanthropy

The Phillies ownership used to be a group of silent partners. But, as Philadelphia magazine has chronicled, in recent years one co-owner has stepped into the spotlight: John Middleton. The former cigar magnate is the public face of Phillies ownership — and is on a quest to return the team to its glory days of, um, eight years ago.

On November 15th, Middleton will do a Q&A session at ThinkFest, Philadelphia magazine’s annual big ideas event. 

Middleton will headline a talk titled “Innovation in Business, Sports and Philanthropy” — and he’s got plenty to discuss about all three. Once famously a team that eschewed statistical analysis, the Phillies went from having no analytics budget in 2013 to one that Middleton says is becoming “one of the top analytics departments in baseball.”

He’s also known for his huge donations of $30 million to Project HOME, and went public with his giving to push the organization more into the spotlight. “He also researches tax credits, lobbies for mental-health legislation, and treats philanthropy as if he’s chasing a profit,” Robert Huber wrote.

Join us on November 15th at the Convention Center for this one-day event where Philly’s smartest people share their biggest ideas. Check out the full lineup of speakers and get your tickets today.