Thomas Knoll is a seasoned entrepreneur and community architect with a rich background in building online communities and startups. With a technical background and a passion for storytelling and psychology, Thomas has mentored hundreds of founders through esteemed programs such as 500Startups and TechStars. His expertise lies in understanding the needs and behaviors of customers and employees, translating vision and mission into the language of customers, and converting customers into communities of evangelists.

Thomas's journey began in 1996 when he started building online communities, eventually becoming the Community Architect at Zappos.com. Throughout his career, he has founded and sold multiple startups, including Primeloop and LaunchRock. His experience extends to strategic advising, having served as a Strategic Advisor at Venteur and an Advisory Board Member at SXSW.

As a mentor, Thomas brings a unique perspective, drawing inspiration from gardening and architecture metaphors, as well as disciplines like social economics, game mechanics, and cultural anthropology. His passion for compassionate leadership shines through as he guides entrepreneurs in building their ideas and teams. Thomas is also recognized for his deep interest in storytelling and its power to inspire others.