Work with Thomas
Policy Transformation & Coalition Building
The throughline of my career is improving education and workforce policies work for young people. Through my time leading the National Youth Employment Coalition; on the staff of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee; and working for various nonprofit clients, I have worked at each stage of the policy process - from initial idea to evaluation.
I can help you co-design policies with stakeholders, translate research into compelling policy recommendations, create an advocacy strategy at your organization, organize and manage coalitions, lead advocacy and lobbying activities in legislative or executive branches, and guide agencies as they implement policy changes.
Strategy & Fund Development
Amazing work is happening around the country to reform high schools, connect young people to work, and address the significant traumas and barriers young people face: in so many ways, we know what needs to be done. Unfortunately, this work often happens in isolation or with limited support.
One of my gifts is making connections across systems, within organizations, and just between people. I can help you see new possibilities to nurture your idea or scale your model, and secure funding to make it happen.
Communications & Research
I have always loved to write, translate, and persuade. I have been fortunate to write groundbreaking reports and headline-generating opinion pieces in my time at the Hatcher Group and CommunicationWorks.
Do you want to make sure your research gets noticed? Do you struggle to describe your model, findings, or goals to different audiences? Do you want to increase your national (or even local) profile? Do you just need a little help finishing (or just writing) that paper or book chapter? I can help.
Facilitation & Planning
Whether you need facilitation for a big meeting so you can focus on what matters, need a guide through difficult conversations, or want to begin a strategic-planning or stakeholder-engagement process, my wife Judy Oyedele of Joyedele Consulting and I can help.
Past Clients & Partners
I have been privileged to work on major projects related to research, policy reform, and communications with several of the nation’s largest foundations, including the Annie E. Casey, Ford, and Wallace Foundations. In the federal space, I have worked with agencies large and small, including on products for RSA’s Youth Technical Assistance Center and several releases of the Nation’s Report Card.
From small community-based organizations to powerhouses such as City Year and the Council of Chief State School Officers, I have worked for dozens of nonprofits across the K-12, higher education, and workforce-development fields. I have also worked on campaigns that sought to change public opinion about teacher qualifications and school accountability, and more recently to highlight the value of investing in opportunity youth.