Thomas Hanna

Thomas oversees communications for the Criminal Justice team. Prior to joining Arnold Ventures, he worked for 12 years at The Democracy Collaborative, a DC- and Ohio-based nonprofit organization, most recently as Research Director. In this role, he designed, executed, and supervised qualitative and quantitative research around advancing more racially and economically equitable forms of community development, institutional design, and public policy. Thomas has authored dozens of reports, papers, and articles that have been published in both popular and academic journals. In 2018, his book Our Common Wealth: The Return of Public Ownership in the United States was published by Manchester University Press.

Thomas is recognized internationally for his work on creating more democratic and participatory forms of public enterprise and organization. He has served on the boards of multiple organizations and projects, including most recently the Public Banking Institute, the University of Utah Public Asset Development Project, and the LISC Equitable Small Business Recovery Project.

Thomas received his M.A. and B.A. degrees in history from Virginia Commonwealth University, and is currently pursuing a PhD in political economy at the University of Glasgow (expected 2024).

Thomas is a first generation immigrant to the United States, having arrived as a child in the early 1990s. He lives in Virginia with his partner and two children. He enjoys sports, music, food, and travel, and is the volunteer coach and director for a local youth travel soccer program comprised of around 40 kids from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.