Jon Thomas ’02, MBA ’07 has been training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) — a martial art that emphasizes ground fighting and grappling techniques — since 2008; he earned his black belt in the sport in 2018.
In 2010, Thomas began thinking of ways to introduce a philanthropic presence in the BJJ community. Two years later, he hosted his first Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament to raise money for nonprofit organizations dedicated to finding a cure for cancer. According to his website, the inaugural Tap Cancer Out BJJ Open in Stratford, Conn., was “thrown together with borrowed wrestling mats, painter’s tape, homemade scoreboards, and lots of help from friends and family.”
Attracting more than 150 competitors and raising more than triple their original goal of $5,000, Thomas realized they had created something truly special. Thirteen years later, the Tap Cancer Out (TCO) nonprofit has hosted more than 100 events and raised $7.75 million for its beneficiary partners and organizations.
“I think my time in the Dolan School of Business helped me get used to being pushed out of my comfort zone, which is the only place where you can find growth,” said Thomas, who earned his MBA at Fairfield Dolan in 2007. “I would have never started TCO if I had waited until the ‘perfect’ time. I just had to start, no matter how unready I felt or how much imposter syndrome I had. I knew that I had the tools to make it work, and so many years later I think that’s true.”
Thomas explored collaborating with other grappling groups, but his strong personal connection to BJJ compelled him to remain focused on that one discipline. “We had to find our niche — the connective tissue between our mission and community. That was to focus specifically on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu because that’s what was authentic to us,” he said.
“The only way TCO was going to take off was if we built the airplane ourselves and raced down the runway, so to speak,” Thomas continued. “The first two years were tough, but after that first event in 2012 where we raised nearly $20,000, I knew we had finally cracked the code.”
Tournaments and fundraising efforts steadily grew over the years, allowing Thomas to leave his job at a global commerce and communications agency and commit full-time to Tap Cancer Out in 2018. As founder and executive director of TCO, he has truly found fulfillment, working alongside his wife, Becky, TCO’s VP of marketing and operations. Together, they are able to support their family and be present for their two children – all while raising millions of dollars to fight cancer.
“July 1, 2018, was my first full-time day at Tap Cancer Out,” Thomas said, “and it was a surreal feeling — to build something that was not only meaningful and impactful, but that could actually be my profession.”
