Venture Capital
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Data Science
About Thomas
Thomas is a Partner and the Chief Technology Officer of WR Hambrecht+Co where he helps lead the firm's venture capital, asset management and technology innovation efforts.
For more than 50 years WR Hambrecht+Co and its predecessor Hambrecht & Quist have provided early growth capital to more than 500 companies including Apple, Amazon and Google.
Creator/Developer, MESE®
The MESE® computing system provides unique insights into startups and other private businesses that disclose little or no public data about their financial or commercial status. Since 2008 it has helped guide billions of dollars in venture capital, innovation, M&A and related growth initiatives.
Formerly, Thomas used data science to guide growth investments at Intel and led a joint R&D effort at the Harvard Business School with Professor Clayton Christensen to develop predictive statistical models for early stage innovation. He also helped found a business in the high performance computing industry that was acquired.
Growing up in Honduras, Bolivia, India, Nepal and Indonesia, Thomas believes innovation decision making is one of the most far-reaching and poorly understood determinants of social wellbeing. He also believes data science is critical to better innovation decisions worldwide.
He engages audiences of all sizes at conferences, keynotes and executive forums.
Popular speaking topics include:
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How to predict if new business will survive or fail
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What data is un-teaching decision makers about innovation
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Using data to analyze markets (when there isn't any data)
Key audiences:
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Innovation Leaders
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Government, Nonprofit and Development Agencies
In Academia
Truebel & Thurston, Danger in the Valley of Death: how the transition from preclinical research to clinical trials can impact valuations, Drug Discovery Today
Thurston & Shih, Handheld Graphics Organization
Harvard Business Publishing
Thurston & Shih, Intel NBI: Image Components Organization, Harvard Business Publishing
Thurston & Shih, Intel Corporation's New Business Initiatives (A), Harvard Business Publishing
Thurston & Shih, MXP Digital Media Processor
Harvard Business Publishing
Thurston & Shih, Radio-Frequency Identification
Harvard Business Publishing
Thurston & Shih, Intel NBI: Vivonic, Harvard Business Publishing
Thurston & Singh, Disrupting the Consultants: Could the Advisers use some Advice?, Thunderbird International Business Review
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Entrepreneurship Review
Thurston, Disrupting Venture Capital
Thunderbird International Business Review