How NBA Legend Isiah Thomas Is Rewriting the Rules of Wealth, Industry, and the American Dream

November 18, 2025

Former NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas has become the first NBA player to hold majority control of a publicly traded company through his leadership of Isiah Enterprises, a clean-tech firm focused on renewable materials and sustainable production. Thomas's journey began with studying natural plant fibers like rice, corn, and soy to develop alternatives to plastics, eventually leading to patented processes now used in automotive and packaging industries. He revitalized a near-bankrupt Michigan facility and transformed it into a sustainable manufacturing operation that now processes tens of thousands of pounds of renewable materials weekly and has shipped over 100,000 pounds of pelletized rubber compounds.

Who is affected

Isiah Thomas (CEO and majority shareholder)
Workers at the Eco Bio Plastics Midland facility in Michigan
Thomas's family members, including nieces, nephews, and cousins struggling with generational poverty
Institutional backers and investors in the company
Indigenous communities in Colombia (through One World Pharma partnerships)
Flex-N-Gate, ORBIS, and West Michigan Compounding (business partners)
Full Circle Technologies (compounding partner)
Stellantis (automotive partner)
Automotive and food packaging industries seeking sustainable alternatives
Potential small-scale investors and families Thomas hopes to reach

What action is being taken

The Michigan facility is shipping pelletized rubber compounds
One World/Isiah Enterprises is processing tens of thousands of pounds of renewable materials every week through the Eco Bio Plastics division
The company is expanding through a compounding partnership with Full Circle Technologies
Thomas is working to develop and execute applications for automotive and food packaging industries
The company is delivering hemp-based reusable containers to Flex-N-Gate in collaboration with ORBIS and West Michigan Compounding

Why it matters

This represents a historic achievement as Thomas becomes the first NBA player to lead a publicly traded company with majority control, breaking new ground in athlete entrepreneurship beyond traditional endorsements or minority investments. The business addresses critical environmental challenges by developing sustainable alternatives to plastics at a time when industries globally are working to reduce carbon footprints. Most significantly, Thomas is creating a model for generational wealth building in communities traditionally excluded from early-stage investment opportunities, attempting to shift the paradigm from lottery participation to shareholder ownership. His success could demonstrate that sustainable manufacturing can be both environmentally responsible and economically viable while providing accessible investment opportunities for working families.

What's next

Thomas aims to take the company to NASDAQ, which would make him the first NBA player to achieve this milestone
The company needs to continue developing and executing applications for the automotive and food packaging industries that are demanding sustainable alternatives
Thomas plans to spread awareness about investment opportunities to encourage families to become shareholders
The goal is to increase stock value from two cents to a dollar to create meaningful returns for small-scale investors

Read full article from source: Michigan Chronicle