Thomas M.
Wells
Lawyer, entrepreneur, philanthropist, author, mentor, and storyteller.
Tom’s life has been shaped by a simple belief: when people are given an opportunity to learn, grow, and act, they can create change far beyond themselves.
For more than four decades, Tom has built businesses, practiced law, mentored others, supported young leaders, and shared the stories of people who inspire him.
A life of many chapters.
Thomas M. Wells is the oldest of six children and grew up in Paramus, New Jersey. His professional journey began at eleven years old with a paper route. Over the years, he worked forty different jobs and founded more than ten businesses.
After studying at Bucknell University and earning his Juris Doctor from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Tom began practicing law in Ohio. He later returned to northern New Jersey, where he founded Wells, Jaworski & Liebman and practiced law for more than forty years.
Alongside his wife, Carol, Tom continues to manage real estate interests, investments, trusts, and other ventures while remaining involved with charitable and community organizations.
Opening doors through education.
In 2005, Tom founded the Wells Mountain Initiative after meeting ambitious young people who lacked access to the education they needed to pursue their goals.
What began with one scholarship for Victoria Galley of Ghana has grown into a global community. WMI has now supported more than 1,000 Scholars from 55 countries, helping young people become leaders of change in their own communities.
For Tom, the numbers tell only part of the story. The people behind them matter most.
Explore Wells Mountain Initiative →Dream.
Plan.
Do.
Give yourself permission to imagine what is possible. Turn the idea into something concrete. Then take the first step - and keep moving.
For Tom, these words are more than a motto. They are a way of approaching life.
Family, community, and the life between.
Tom and his wife, Carol, are parents to three daughters and grandparents to five grandchildren. They divide their time between Shoreham, Vermont and St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
He is a longtime member of Rotary International and a lifelong member of the YMCA, where he has held a number of leadership positions.
Success is not only about what one builds for oneself. It is also about what one leaves behind for others.