Gwen Thomas

Gwendolyn “Gwen” Thomas is an American author, advocator, educator, entrepreneur, and parent. Thomas has devoted the majority of her career to overseeing the two marketing communications agencies she owned for nearly thirty years (Promotions Unlimited and Gwen Thomas PR, Inc.) where she provided branding service to Fortune 500 companies. In 2010, Gwen Thomas found Fresh Perspectives Speakers & Seminars, a non-profit think tank whose focus is providing alternative options, concepts and solutions surrounding political, diversity, social, economic, and education issues and how they affect specific populations. In a typical day, Thomas might go from working with our nation's youth to meeting with corporations, politicians, civic leaders and clergy. Her mission is discussing strategies for the Urban Agenda both economically and socially, with an overall goal of improving the extrinsic value of the African American community. Thomas has been invited to speak and facilitates workshops/seminars at civic organizations, community groups, schools, universities, and corporations. Thomas has appeared in newspapers, magazines and on numerous television, radio shows, webcasts, and podcasts. In 2015, Ms. Thomas published the book, “The Parents Smart Guide to Sending your Kids to College without Going Broke.”: Vital College Readiness, College Financial Planning, and Scholarship information was quoted in Forbes magazine. Thomas wrote the book based the success of assisting her only son, obtain $500,000 in college scholarships and create a global education curriculum. The awards paid for Undergraduate School at Morehouse College, Graduate School at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and travel to 30 countries around the world. The book discusses the academic, racial and economic divide in school districts, yet despite the challenges, it shows parents must learn how they can play a vital role in the success of their students. It also offers students and families alternatives solutions to government and commercial loan, like applying for college scholarships. Thomas has helped students win more than $4.5 million in scholarships. Gwen Thomas received her undergraduate degree in Political Science and Communications from Oakland University, Rochester, MI, attended Cooley Law School and earned her MBA from the University of Phoenix-Detroit. She has served on numerous boards and community initiatives. Ms. Thomas has spoken about college readiness, college financial literacy, and workforce preparedness domestically as well as in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and Port of Spain, Trinidad. Ms. Thomas Is the recipient of the 2017 Spirit of Detroit Award, 2017 Career Masters Award, 2013 Diversity Champion Award from the Task Force on Diversity and Race Relations, The Michigan State Conference 2012 NAACP Presidents Award. She is a mom to one son, Cameron Thomas-Shah, a member of the U.S. Diplomatic Corps