Kwanza Jones is making history—and she’s bringing a whole lot of energy with her.
Singer, entrepreneur, inventor, investor and philanthropist Kwanza Jones has officially entered the world of Major League Baseball as part of the new ownership group of the San Diego Padres, making her the first Black woman to serve as a majority owner of an MLB franchise.
Jones and her husband and longtime business partner, José E. Feliciano, are leading the ownership group that acquired the Padres in a deal reportedly valued at approximately $3.9 billion.
Major League Baseball owners unanimously approved the couple’s ownership group on August 17, and the Padres officially welcomed their new owners at Petco Park on August 24.
For Jones, the moment represents far more than a business investment. It is a historic achievement for Black women in professional sports and another chapter in a career that has stretched from music and entrepreneurship to philanthropy and now professional sports ownership.
During her first Padres press conference, Jones brought the kind of energy fans immediately embraced. She has even embraced the nickname “Mother of the Padres,” reflecting the family-centered approach she and Feliciano say they plan to bring to the organization.
And her message was simple:
“We want to win!”
The new ownership group has emphasized its desire to strengthen the Padres’ relationship with the San Diego community while competing at the highest level on the field.
Jones’ path to MLB ownership is particularly noteworthy because she didn’t begin her career in sports business.
She first made a name for herself as a singer-songwriter, including winning Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater. She later expanded her career into entrepreneurship, investing, technology and philanthropy.
Her business success has also allowed Jones and Feliciano to make significant contributions to education.
The Princeton Story
Jones recently drew attention after discussing her experience with Princeton University during an appearance on rapper and entertainer T.I.’s ExpediTIously podcast.
The former Princeton track athlete said she repeatedly reached out to the university about supporting a residential college or dormitory but received no response.
“No one got back to me,” Jones said. “I asked again. Waited a few months. Asked again. Still, no one got back to me.”
Eventually, Jones and Feliciano made a $20 million gift to Princeton in 2020. The contribution supported undergraduate expansion and helped fund two dormitories named in their honor.
When T.I. suggested that it took a $20 million donation to finally get an answer, Jones agreed.
“So, $20 million was just to get the answer,” she said.
The story sparked discussion about why successful Black alumni might choose to give millions of dollars to historically wealthy institutions when HBCUs continue to face significant financial challenges.
But Jones’ philanthropic record tells a more complicated story.
Her HBCU Connection Runs Deep
Jones and Feliciano have committed more than $3 million to Bennett College, the historically Black women’s college in Greensboro, North Carolina.
For Jones, Bennett isn’t simply an institution she supports financially. It’s part of her family’s history.
Her mother, Dorothy Wilkerson Jones, graduated from Bennett in 1965, and other members of Jones’ family also attended the college.
Jones previously served as chair of the Bennett College Board of Trustees and has been recognized as an honorary alumna.
In 2019, Jones and Feliciano donated $1 million during Bennett’s #StandWithBennett fundraising campaign.
Their support continued in 2025 with a $1.5 million commitment honoring outgoing Bennett President Suzanne Elise Walsh and commemorating the 60th anniversary of Jones’ mother’s graduation.
That history adds another dimension to the conversation surrounding Jones’ Princeton gift. Her philanthropic record demonstrates that her support has extended to both predominantly white institutions and historically Black institutions—with Bennett receiving years of financial support, leadership and family stewardship.
From the Apollo to the Padres
Now Jones is bringing that same determination to Major League Baseball.
Jones and Feliciano jointly lead the Padres ownership group, with Feliciano serving as the club’s MLB-designated control person.
Their arrival represents a new era for the Padres—and a landmark moment for baseball.
Jones’ journey from performing on the Apollo stage to becoming a powerhouse entrepreneur and now making history as the first Black woman majority owner of an MLB franchise is a powerful reminder that success doesn’t have to fit inside one box.
And judging by the response surrounding her first appearance as a Padres owner, the players, coaches, business community and fans are ready to see what she and Feliciano can do.
This isn’t just about owning a baseball team.
It’s about representation.
It’s about ownership.
It’s about building community.
And, if Kwanza Jones has anything to say about it, it’s also about winning.
From the Apollo to Major League Baseball—Kwanza Jones is proving there really are no limits. 
