ABOUT US

Program Overview

To address the prevalent opportunity and racial wealth gaps in our community, the Thunder Fellows Program – developed by the Oklahoma City Thunder and Creative Arts Agency (CAA) – aims to unlock new opportunities in sports, entertainment, and technology for Black high school and college students in the Tulsa area.

Located in the historic Greenwood District, Thunder Fellows will apply data & analytics curriculum uniquely tailored to industries’ standards to gain proficiency in essential skillsets and hands-on experiences highly sought after by recruiters and talent acquisition teams. The 30-week program will also leverage a strategic pipeline of local & national corporations to provide exclusive access to mentors, professional coaching, and meaningful employment opportunities.







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PROGRAM OVERVIEW



HIGH SCHOOL

Develop comprehensive digital portfolios and develop professional skills
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COLLEGE

Industry exposure through job shadowing and project-based learning
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ALUMNI

“Once a Fellow, Always a Fellow” College & career guidance
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AND MORE

Scholarships, Internships and Certifications
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Key Dates

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    September

    Applications due

    Thunder Fellows applications & recommendations due for fall program

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    September

    Selection Process

    Student selection process with review committee.

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    October

    Orientation

    Student & Parent orientation

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    October

    Program Launch

    Program Launch (30-weeks)

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    April

    Capstone Project

    Students submit projects and deliver end-of-year program presentations

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    Summer

    Summer Workshops & Continuing Education

Our Team

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Cedric Ikpo

Executive Director, Thunder Fellows
P: 918.922.7091

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Tomika Smith

Education Specialist

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Ricky Graham

Operations Specialist, Thunder Fellows
P: 918.922.7094

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Isaiah Wright

Tulsa Service Year Fellow, Development Coordinator

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David Howard

Shuttle Driver

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Tressa Thomas

Instructor, Communications & College Counseling

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Desmond Wareham

Instructor, Data Science

Meet the 2024-25 Cohort

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Meet the 2024-25 College Cohort III

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Thunder Fellows Advisory Board

The Thunder Fellows Advisory Board helps shape the direction of Thunder Fellows and support its mission through community outreach, programming, strategic planning, and resource development.



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Malachi Blankenship

Innovation to Enterprise (i2E)
Venture Advisor & Director of Business Development

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Brian Byrnes

OKC Thunder
Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing

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DeAnn Cooks

KIPP College Prep
Director, KIPP Forward

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Dr. Tiffany Crutcher

Terence Crutcher Foundation
Founder & Executive Director

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Mike Johnson

Creative Arts Agency
Head of Content & Digital Strategy, Brand Consulting

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Paul Johnson

Bank of Oklahoma
Senior Vice President, Corporate Banking

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Brandon Oldham

George Kaiser Family Foundation
Program Officer

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Sam Presti

OKC Thunder
Executive Vice President & General Manager, Basketball Operations

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Leonelle Thompson

Williams Energy
Supervisor, Early Career Learning & Development

PARTNERS

Oklahoma City Thunder
CAA
Google
Devon Energy
Post Oak Automotive


OUR DONORS

Allstate Foundation
Ascension St. John
George Kaiser Family Foundation
NBA Foundation
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