2026 Financial Fitness with the Minnesota Timberwolves & Lynx
Thursday, April 9, 2026
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Mayo Clinic Square | MN Timberwolves & Lynx Practice Facility Court | Minneapolis, MN
As a WISE Twin Cities signature event, Financial Fitness continues to serve as a cornerstone experience for professionals looking to deepen their financial acumen and expand their leadership impact. On Thursday, April 9, WISE Twin Cities partnered with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx to host an engaging and impactful evening on the practice court at Mayo Clinic Square, bringing together a dynamic network of early- to mid-career women.
The evening featured a thoughtful and candid panel discussion exploring how professionals can effectively communicate their value through budget storytelling, advocate for resources, and navigate financial decision-making with greater clarity. Panelists shared real-world perspectives on revenue streams, ticketing dynamics, and the broader league influences that shape organizational budgeting, offering attendees practical frameworks they can apply immediately in their own roles.
Beyond the panel, the event fostered meaningful connections through intentional networking, creating space for cross-industry learning and collaboration. Attendees left not only with actionable tools to strengthen their financial literacy, but also with renewed confidence to contribute strategically, influence outcomes, and lead with purpose in their organizations.
Featured Panelists
- Bailey Alto - Senior Director of Marketing, MN Timberwolves & Lynx
- Sondra Ciesielski - Senior Director of Community Impact, MN Timberwolves & Lynx
- Grace Conner - Director of Premium Services, MN Timberwolves & Lynx
Panel Moderator:
- Bianca Dawkins - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Senior Manager, MN Timberwolves & Lynx
Quotes:
- "I need to understand that it isn’t my money but understand the why. What is my business case? No matter your role, director, manager or coordinator, you are all working towards defining the business case." - Sondra Ciesielski
- "It’s ok to switch it up a little. For so long I felt that if we kept putting this towards certain things, but it’s ok to disrupt it a little bit. Change will occur, and it needs to for our clients…. You can get comfortable but this year we analyze the budget and it was refreshing to change things. Just because we’ve always done it, doesn’t mean we should." -Grace Conner
- "We sometimes think the idea comes with the dollars… your idea has to have revenue with it. In community relations it might not be direct revenue, but finding a way with partnerships, marketing, but I need to look on where I can go and find it." - Sondra Ciesielski
- "It’s always worth it to ask and make the case to see the budget live in multiple teams. There are times that it is advantageous for multiple departments to be apart of it so we can all get something done together." - Bailey Alto
- "You want to be able to take feedback to take the case to your stakeholders and move assets to tell they Why. What is the ROI, strategic goals and objectives? Help build back into your budget all the wins and purpose is super important." - Sondra Ciesielski
- "You will need to sometimes pull back from an event you have done time and time again. When it came time to do a budget exercise the cost of an event, the hours and manpower - it wasn’t worth it…. In the short term we are able to allocate the funds to new things we think will be more advantageous for our fan base and fan development." - Bailey Alto
- You might be able to go for something to big because one goal is here and the other is here. Now it doesn’t mean you idea isn’t good but it might not be the right time, partner or time for you to launch something. -Sondra
- "As leaders, I encourage my staff to send me feedback. We do a great job of giving our service team the voice to advocate for the client needs. At the end of the day, the reps are going to be the ones that are impacted by decisions around the budget and any changes since their clients are feeling the impact." - Grace Conner
Thank you to our event partner, the Minnesota Timberwolves & Lynx!
