Karleton Thomas

Karleton Thomas is the current Regional Executive Director for BUILD in DC. Prior to this role, Karleton served as the Director of Entrepreneurship for the Greater Washington Urban League from September 2017 to February 2020. In this role, Karleton was responsible for overseeing the programs designed to help entrepreneurs and small business owners build a solid foundation, develop sustainable business models, tackle customer acquisition obstacles, make market entry decisions, scale, and acquire funding.

From March 2013 to June 2015, Karleton served as the Chief Operations Officer for LocalLux. During this time, LocalLux was a startup that created an online marketplace connecting consumers with local businesses. As COO, Karleton was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company, including customer service, finance, HR, and product development.

Prior to their work in the private sector, Karleton spent 5 years working as a Mental Health Counselor at Northwestern Memorial Hospital from April 2008 to September 2013. In this role, Karleton provided counseling and therapy services to patients dealing with mental health issues.

In addition to their work in the private sector, Karleton has also worked in the nonprofit sector as a Principal for Meridian Counseling from June 2012 to September 2017. In this role, they provided counseling services to individuals and families dealing with a variety of issues, such as relationship problems, grief, anxiety, and depression.

Lastly, Karleton is also a business owner and entrepreneur. Karleton is the owner of Maxwell Apparel, a clothing company they founded in October 2006 and ran until January 2012.

Karleton Thomas holds a Bachelor's degree in Communications from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Karleton is also certified as a Mindful Leader in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) from the .

They work with Pepper Hayes - Director, Development Operations & Communications, Cindy Pineda - Director, Pathways, and Julie Tumasz - National Creative Director. Some individuals on their team include Danielle Staggs - Development & Operations Manager, Shawn Berriman - Director, Philanthropy, and Crystal M. Adair - Program Director. Karleton Thomas reports to Ayele Shakur, CEO.