Thomas holds a BA from the London School of Economics and a PhD from Stanford University, where he wrote his thesis under Prof. Joseph Stiglitz (Nobel in Economics, 2001). He previously was faculty at the Graduate School of Business (Stanford), and at the Sauder School of Business (University of British Columbia). Thomas also held visiting positions at Harvard Business School, Wharton, the Hoover Institution, INSEAD, and the University of New South Wales. He has taught numerous undergraduate, MBA, doctoral, and executive courses in the areas of entrepreneurship, finance and strategic management.

Thomas’s research focuses on entrepreneurial finance, entrepreneurship, innovation, and public policy. His academic writings have been published in many leading economics, finance, and management journals, including the American Economic Review, the Journal of Finance, and Management Science. He has been a consultant to a variety of clients, including the World Economic Forum, Barclays Bank, and the Government of British Columbia.

Thomas has written a definitive textbook on entrepreneurial finance, as well as numerous case studies on entrepreneurial companies and venture financing. He is the founder of the NBER Entrepreneurship Research Boot Camp, and the Oxford Entrepreneurship Policy Roundtable.