Tristan Thompson, professional NBA player turned activist and educator, has more than a decade of on-court experience. He’s about to become a household name as he takes center stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. The SB’23 event runs from October 27-29 in San Francisco. Throughout this period, Thompson will participate in a fireside chat discussing the thrilling convergence of artificial intelligence, sports, and entrepreneurship. He is a leading voice of the Web3 and FinTech industries and is currently serving in four C-Suites. His mission is to shed light on the ways technology is changing the future of sports storytelling.
Thompson will be appearing at TechCrunch Disrupt later this year. This comes on the heels of his last public appearance at Bitcoin 2025, where he talked about athlete-driven innovation to decentralized technologies. His projects have snagged the attention of outlets including Forbes, CNBC Crypto World, and CoinDesk. This excitement toasts his remarkable political transition from the athletic arena to the innovative field.
Exploring AI’s Impact
In his fireside chat at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, Thompson will share his unique perspective on the ways that AI is changing the game for sports and sports-related startups. He is passionate about the emerging intersection between technology and these industries which he feels is creating never before seen opportunities for athletes and entrepreneurs.
“Sports taught me discipline, but tech taught me scale,”
- Tristan Thompson
He focuses on the powerful new trend of athletes becoming founders and innovators. They harness their personal narratives and perspectives to build transformative companies. These business endeavors play against the traditional rules in both the sports arena and field of technology.
The Role of Athletes in Innovation
Thompson will explore how athletes are increasingly becoming the secret sauce in the tech startup community. He makes the case that their competitive nature has provided them an advantage. Together with the skills they gain from athletics, this prepares them to succeed in entrepreneurship.
“When you merge those worlds, the potential is unlimited.”
- Tristan Thompson
One by one, former athletes are starting booming tech companies. This movement is changing the conversation around how professional sports careers are defined. We hope that his insights will help inspire all Techstars Startup Week attendees, especially aspiring founders from underrepresented backgrounds.
Registration Information
All types of attendees have a wide variety of registration options at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. People can save up to $444 per person on tickets, and group passes can save up to 30%. That brings the price to attend the event within reach of anyone really eager to learn from industry leaders, like Thompson.