DEBASS

Thomas Debass is a diplomat, an economist, an entrepreneur, a professor, and a foresight practitioner. Thomas is a widely recognized public-private partnership authority who has played a leading role in promoting and institutionalizing the role of innovation and partnerships as a tool for advancing foreign policy and global development. He regularly gives keynotes, lectures, and talks about the future of governance; and the intersection of foreign policy, business, and society. Thomas travels both internationally and domestically and has spoken at GITEX, SXSW, DEMO, Concordia Summit; and other notable conferences..



DROPS

Thomas has led the design and deployment of notable partnerships in his official capacity as well as on passion projects/ventures he has worked on in his personal capacity:


BOLDLINE: a unique accelerator program designed to curate and build public private partnerships  that address pressing global challenges. 

Fishackathon aims to spark innovation and data sharing within the seafood industry to create more equitable, responsible, and sustainable supply chains for all. Fishackathon is the second-largest hackathon in the world only surpassed by Space Apps organized by NASA.

Pitch & Flow is an innovative storytelling and communication platform that seeks to showcase and celebrate the next generation of ideas, innovators and entrepreneurs using the global appeal and power of Hip Hop.

SmartPhilm is a unique multimedia content platform and film festival with shorts shot exclusively with smartphones and other mobile devices.

DUES

Thomas is committed to paying his dues to his community as well as initiating and supporting initiatives that he deeply cares about.  He is the co-founder of the following organizations:

Startfield is a local youth development organization with the mission to increase diversity in the tech industry by creating equitable access to career discovery, training, & mentorship opportunities for historically underrepresented communities.  

Awesome NoVA is the Northern Virginia chapter of the Awesome Foundation, a global community advancing the interest of awesome in the universe, $1000 at a time.

Institute for African Futures (IF/AF) is an independent dream/think tank that will serve as a platform to chart Africa’s shared future course and create a compelling vision of the continent.


DRAFTS 

Out of his restless curiosity Thomas continues to ideate on various new concepts and ideas. He is open to collaborate with others to bring these concepts to life.

FlagMix | Rule the World
A fantasy sports-style league platform focused on nation-building, where players use their global and current affairs knowledge and skill to forecast the growth and development of nations.

AGRICA.TV | Feeding the Mind
AGRICA is the world’s first digital broadcast entertainment media network offering original programming focused on agriculture, featuring a unique and synergistic combination of genres aimed at a broader demographic.

 

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