Thomas is an experienced sustainability professional having worked for over a decade with the world’s largest environmental organisations, including Greenpeace. He is a three time venture-backed founder, and a startup mentor on several programmes such as Techstars, The Greenhouse (Undaunted), and Virgin Startup where he brings his lived experience of... Read more
Thomas is an experienced sustainability professional having worked for over a decade with the world’s largest environmental organisations, including Greenpeace. He is a three time venture-backed founder, and a startup mentor on several programmes such as Techstars, The Greenhouse (Undaunted), and Virgin Startup where he brings his lived experience of intergovernmental, private, and third sector relationships to the forefront of mission driven startup strategy.
Before joining Greenpeace, Thomas was scouted by City of Oxford Swimming Club to join their national development squad. He spent 5 years of his teenage life competing on the international stage representing the county, region, and nation. This high pressure environment led to Thomas’ deep insights into managing stressful situations with high ambition.
Despite the widely assumed success, Thomas suffered from severe depression and anxiety during these years, and in 2013 was diagnosed with a Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). These challenges remoulded Thomas’ outlook on life and when he left his swimming career at 18 he embarked on a new mission to understand global changes and relationships, and the workings of international communities and organisations. He is particularly focused on bringing sustainability and climate change to the conversation, and looking at the difficulties of adopting sustainable solutions into mainstream society.
As former outreach and face-to-face team at international NGO Greenpeace UK, Thomas has worked with the organisation to bring climate action to the forefront of conversation in various sectors around the UK and EU – specifically focussed on how private industry and government can work proactively to reduce emissions and waste by looking into energy consumption and product manufacturing. Greenpeace is the largest independent environmental NGO in the world and has been one of the leading voices in the environmental and human rights movements since 1971.
Post-Greenpeace, Thomas has been the founder of three tech startups, and has been venture backed by some of the world’s leading venture capitalists. This experience has given him deep insight into the workings of the private industries and how different groups address and tackle the climate challenges we are facing today and into the future.
Thomas also previously studied an MSc in Climate Change and International Development from the University of East Anglia alongside the world renowned Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and is writing a research paper on the intent-to-action gap in the Muslim community.
A revert to Islam, he is very open to talking about his experience as a white man in the cultural west reverting to a religion which has been oppressed for decades by mainstream media, politicians, and regional community. His relationship with Allah swt is a driving force behind his work and his commitment to help people around the world.
Throughout his career, Thomas has landed public speaking engagements around the UK, he was featured as one of IQ Magazine’s 2019 Green Guardians, has spoken regularly on BBC Radio and has subsequently been regularly asked to speak on panels to discuss sustainability, startups, and venture capital, including at London Climate Technology Show, Blue Earth Summit, Wild Paths Festival, Robert Llewleyn’s Fully Charged Live, and many more.
If you’re looking for a speaker that will challenge you to think beyond the top level headlines, ignite curiosity, inspire change, and deliver with passion, then Thomas is the right speaker for you.