Ridgeway’s leadership and service continue to make an extraordinary impact on the Twin Cities community

Minneapolis/St. Paul – The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal today named Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx Chief Impact Officer Jennifer Ridgeway a 2024 Women in Business honoree. Ridgeway joined the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx in 2018 as Vice President of Social Responsibility and Executive Director of the Fastbreak Foundation. During her tenure, she earned several promotions including most recently being named Chief Impact Officer. Since joining the organization, Ridgeway has entrenched herself within the nonprofit and civic community, using sport as a vehicle for change.  

“I am deeply humbled and honored to be included in such an inspiring and distinguished cohort of women leaders in our community,” said Ridgeway. 

“Jen is a servant leader, whose impact extends far beyond our organization,” said Timberwolves and Lynx CEO Ethan Casson. “Her dedication, passion, and tireless work in the community have truly made a difference in the lives of so many. We are delighted to see her receive this well-deserved recognition.” 

Ridgeway is responsible for the creation of the organization’s robust “Pack the Vote” platform, providing nonpartisan voter resources for elections. Under her leadership, she positioned the organization as a key supporter of Restore the Vote efforts in Minnesota. Additionally, she was instrumental in the organization’s partnership with the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition to support more than 50,000 Minnesotans who were formerly incarcerated or on parole, the right to register and cast their vote. This work earned the organization the prestigious 2023-24 NBA Inclusion Leadership Award. 

Ridgeway has launched significant programs and partnerships using the team’s platform to unite youth from diverse backgrounds to improve race relations and provide cultural competency, including Building Bridges Through Basketball, Minneapolis Foundation’s Fund for Safe Communities, NBA/WNBA’s Team up for Change, and RISE (Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality).   

The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s Women in Business awards honor top Twin Cities executives, nonprofit leaders, entrepreneurs and business owners for their professional successes and community involvement.    

The Business Journal will release the names of this year’s honorees over five days (March 18-22) in online stories and special email announcements. All 2024 honorees will be featured in the May 17 Women in Business publication and honored at a high-profile luncheon and expo on May 17.