Jesse Thomas

Jesse Thomas has an extensive work experience history. Jesse co-founded Picky Bars, Inc. in 2010 and served as the CEO for over a decade. Jesse successfully led the company from a kitchen startup to a $12 million acquisition by LSF in 2021. During their time at Picky Bars, Jesse also competed full-time as a professional Ironman triathlete before retiring in 2019. Jesse grew the company profitably and raised $2 million in private equity funding from Village Family Capital in 2020.

In 2021, Jesse joined Laird Superfood as the VP of Picky Bars on the LSF Executive Team. Jesse oversaw the integration and growth of Picky Bars post-acquisition, including brand, product, direct-to-consumer (DTC), and sales strategy. Jesse also launched two co-branded/co-produced products for the Picky Bars line under LSF.

Prior to their ventures with Picky Bars, Jesse had a successful career as a professional triathlete, winning two Ironman championships and ten Half Ironman championships. Jesse also achieved impressive rankings in Ironman and Half Ironman World Championships.

Jesse has diverse experience outside of the sports and food industry as well. Jesse worked as a columnist for Triathlete Magazine, writing a popular monthly column called "The Triathlife". Jesse also founded and served as the principal consultant at Leap Day Consulting, offering services in new product development, product marketing, consumer research, business model strategy, and development. Notably, their clients included Perpetua Power, Connect My Folks, AskLaurenFleshman.com, and StoveTec.

Additionally, Jesse has early career experience as a Graduate Experiential Marketing Intern at General Motors R*Works and as a co-founder, project manager, and design engineer at Ardica Technologies, a startup focused on fuel cells for outdoor products/apparel.

Overall, Jesse Thomas has a diverse background that encompasses entrepreneurship, professional athletics, writing, consulting, and engineering.

Jesse Thomas began their education at Stanford University in 1998, where they pursued a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. During their time at Stanford, they also achieved the notable status of being an NCAA All-American. After completing their undergraduate studies in 2002, Jesse continued their education at the same institution and obtained a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2003.

Following a gap in their education, Jesse returned to university in 2007, this time attending the University of Oregon. Jesse enrolled in the University of Oregon Lundquist College of Business and pursued a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, specializing in the field of Business. Jesse successfully completed their MBA studies in 2009.

Overall, Jesse Thomas has a strong background in engineering and business, with degrees in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from prestigious institutions such as Stanford University and the University of Oregon.