Gregory S. Thomas
Executive Director, Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship | Lecturer
Gregory Thomas is the executive director of the Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship and a lecturer at the Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst. He also works as a National Science Foundation I-Corps Site Faculty member for UMass Amherst and MIT. Gregory brings over two decades of corporate leadership experience to his academic roles. He previously held high-level positions at Corning Incorporated, including Manufacturing Strategist and Global Manufacturing Strategy Manager. He also worked for Union Pacific Railroad and The Coca-Cola Company. His expertise focuses heavily on corporate innovation and sustainable business development. Passionate about community engagement, he actively serves on numerous regional boards to help bridge the gap between academic research and local economic growth.
Research Interests
Teaching Interests
- Management 341 (New Ventures)
- Management 344 (Corporate Entrepreneurship)
- BDIC 391T (Design Thinking)
- UNIV 120 (Introduction to Innovation & Entrepreneurship)
- Management 344 (New Ventures Next Steps Independent Study)
Awards
Media, Industry, and Public Impact
- Trustee & Committee Chair: Greenfield Savings Bank (Chairperson of the Asset & Liabilities Committee)
- Regional & Campus Leadership: Member of the UMass Chancellor - Appointed
- Economic Development Task Force and the Strategic Planning Group (Translation and Knowledge Transfer Team)
- Startup Mentorship: Judge and Mentor for MassChallenge, Application Evaluator for VentureWell, and Advisor for Valley Venture Mentors
- Community Boards: Trustee for the Community Foundation of Western
- Massachusetts; Board Member/Treasurer for the Community Music School of Springfield
- Academic Priorities and Budget Council
- Campus Physical Planning Council