Thom Ruhe

Business leader, Business mentor, Entrepreneur, Global soul, Idea generator, Inventor, Marketer, Parent, Startup, Writer/Editor

Thom Ruhe is Director of Entrepreneurship for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. In addition to managing a joint venture between the Foundation and the office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship within the U.S. Department of Commerce, he likewise oversees collaborative projects between the Foundation and other innovative groups such as Invent Now (parent organization of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, Camp Invention and Collegiate Inventors Competition), the Angel Capital Education Foundation and the Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative. Ruhe also curates the online content/resources and communities for Kauffman’s flagship resource for entrepreneurs: www.entrepreneurship.org. Prior to joining the Foundation, Ruhe was the founding chief marketing officer for JumpStart, a nonprofit economic 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, where he led the growth of a nascent marketing practice to a nationally recognized interactive marketing, communications and public relations agency. Earlier in his career, he held positions in technology integration, marketing, finance, sales, and management. I am a proud board member of the Plant-a-Fish Foundation. Thom currently commutes between Northeast Ohio and Kansas City Missouri. Specialties:Serial Entrepreneur, Marketing, Communications, Public Relations

Entrepreneurship, startups, economic development, new disruptive technologies, and global peace through entrepreneurship.

At a time of profound global economic instability, entrepreneurs will once again lead the recovery by launching ventures that will put people back to work, advance innovation, and expand human dignity. They will also lead the spreading of democracy in the middle east as it will be merchants and operators that will fill the social needs of these nascent democracies.

Communication planning, entrepreneurship, Marketing + Innovation, Mentor, Start-Up / Early-Stage

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