The Savannah Bananas have become much more than a baseball team. Jesse and Emily Cole have built a nationally recognized entertainment brand by challenging traditional ideas about sports, customer experience, leadership, culture, community—and now, generosity.

Thrivent had the opportunity to sit down with Jesse and Emily Cole for an exclusive podcast-style conversation titled:

“Playing for Something Bigger”

This recorded conversation explores not only how they built the Savannah Bananas, but also the deeper purpose behind their work—especially their commitment to generosity and foster care awareness through their nonprofit, Bananas Foster.

This toolkit is designed to help Thrivent teammates:

Understand why this conversation matters

Speak confidently about Jesse & Emily Cole and the Savannah Bananas

Highlight the generosity story behind Bananas Foster

Promote the interview internally and externally

Share it with clients, prospects, and community partners

Connect the conversation to purpose, leadership, community, and living generously

- WHY THIS INTERVIEW MATTERS

Who are Jesse & Emily Cole?

Jesse Cole is the founder and driving force behind the Savannah Bananas and the creator of Banana Ball. He is widely recognized as a thought leader in entrepreneurship, leadership, marketing, and customer experience.

Emily Cole plays a vital leadership role in shaping the organization’s culture, mission, and long-term vision—helping connect business, family, and purpose.

Together, they have built a brand known for:

FAN-FIRST THINKING

Fans First. Entertainment Always.

Instead of asking, “How do we sell more tickets?”

They ask, “How do we create an experience people can’t stop talking about?”

– HOW TO TALK ABOUT THE INTERVIEW

10-second version

“We recently sat down with Jesse and Emily Cole, the team behind the Savannah Bananas, for a podcast-style conversation about leadership, culture, creativity—and what it means to play for something bigger than yourself.”

30-second version

“You may know the Savannah Bananas from social media, but we recently had the chance to sit down with Jesse and Emily Cole for a deeper conversation recorded podcast-style. We talked about how they’ve built a fan-first culture, what they’ve learned about leadership and creativity, and how their work is expanding into generosity through their nonprofit Bananas Foster, which supports foster care awareness. It’s a story about much more than baseball—it’s about purpose and impact.”

One-sentence version

“It’s a conversation that will inspire you to dare to dream, chase your passions—and start playing for something bigger.”

Video Link: https://video.thrivent.com/view/EdPa35sm0uDWE99rAp8qD7