Bio:
As one of the founding board members at PYB, Brad Denning has used the game of basketball to connect with people around the world. After living in 13 different countries/states in his life, Denning has called Philly home for the last 20 years. Growing up in New York City, basketball from a very young age has always been an integral part of Denning’s life. Playing CYO ball, and then going on to play high school hoops, Denning always felt his best while on the court.
After high school, Denning attended Georgetown University, where his love for ball continued. Inspired by Patrick Ewing to attend the university, Denning wasn’t good enough to make the famed Georgetown teams of the late ’80s but became an avid fan of the basketball team, and his passion for his beloved Hoyas still runs deep today.
After attending Georgetown, Denning had the opportunity to study abroad where he once again found the game of basketball. During his time in China, receiving his degree in Mandarin Chinese and a concentration in finance, Denning was presented with the opportunity to play basketball semi-professionally, “I think basketball is a fantastic game that brings everyone together on a common platform. I don’t care where you are from, how much money you have, or your experience level, basketball is an amazing way to connect with people from anywhere.”
Upon graduation, Denning worked for four years at Wells Fargo within the International Banking division, where he spent time in Manila, Sydney, and a yearlong stint in Bangkok. Denning then moved to Chicago and attended the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he earned his MBA. Following business school, Brad held leadership positions at a startup consulting firm named Diamond Technology Partners, as well as Microsoft, and now PwC.
Connection with PYB:
About eight years ago Denning was looking to get involved with board work and giving back to the youth. Denning connected with President and CEO Kenny Holdsman, through the game of basketball, and soon thereafter joined the board at Legacy Youth Tennis. Although Denning truly enjoyed his time at Legacy, he believed there was a way to reach more kids, “Kenny and I always discussed how can we impact more kids’ lives? The answer we came up with was the game of basketball, using the resources, and fundraising skills learned at Legacy and apply them to the game of basketball.”
Goals for PYB:
Denning has many goals for PYB, and the future success of the organization, however, the main goal Denning has is to secure a physical location for PYB. As explained by Denning, “Having a location that we can call home would be incredible for PYB. Kenny and I saw the great impact a facility had on Legacy and how many kids we were able to reach; being able to create programming and provide a safe haven for our youth would have a lasting effect.”
Favorite/player comparison:
As mentioned before Patrick Ewing is to this day Denning’s favorite NBA player. Although he wanted to make it apparent that he does not support the New York Knicks in any capacity. If there could be an NBA comparison to Denning’s game the Celtics great Kevin McHale would be it. Not known for being most athletic, or most skilled, but the hardest working guy on the floor who does all the little things to allow the team to succeed.