Thom Ruhe, Angel Investor

Thom Ruhe is an Angel Investor, President, and CEO of NC IDEA, a private foundation dedicated to helping the diverse population of North Carolina realize their full entrepreneurial potential. Capitalizing on the many entrepreneurial and programmatic accomplishments of his career, Thom has worked with communities worldwide to reap the benefits of rethinking equitable economic development practices by focusing on empowering people through entrepreneurship. Thom was the founding chief marketing officer (CMO) for Cleveland-based JumpStart Inc., a nonprofit venture development organization and seed-stage investment fund created to invest in and accelerate the growth of high-potential, early-stage companies in northeast Ohio. Before JumpStart, Ruhe was president of Optiem LLC (now The Adcom Group), a nationally recognized interactive marketing agency. Earlier experience spans multiple entrepreneurial (startup) endeavors and later growth-stage companies. Thom has been quoted and published in: the NYTimes, WSJ, Forbes, Inc., and more. Thom has spoken and participated in a variety of functions all over the world, including the United Nations, the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (Vatican), the USPTO, NACCE, AACC, USASBE, and Global Entrepreneurship Congress/Week.