Meet the team

Nathan is responsible for the vision and strategy for the Thomas Group. Nathan spent 10 years as a leader in Deloitte’s organization design and strategies practice, designing the structures, processes, and technology of government, public, and private organizations to better achieve their desired outcomes. Prior to Deloitte, Nathan designed and led a $500M capital campaign that fundamentally changed how World Vision raises funds and delivers programming to the world’s most vulnerable. He attended the University of Washington and Whitworth University. An avid traveler and writer, Nathan lives in Seattle.

  James is a leader in real estate finance. He recently served as Senior Managing Director of Industrial Investments at Elion, working as a member of its Senior Management Committee, and participated in the firm’s Asset Management Committee and Investment Committee. James was responsible for overseeing strategic infill acquisition opportunities across high-growth core markets in relation to the firm’s logistics real estate investment strategy. Previously James served in various leadership roles at Amazon, Old Navy, Starbucks Coffee and Advance Auto Parts. James earned his JD from Seattle University, his BA in Political Science from Eastern Washington University, and earned the MIT Center certification for Real Estate Fundamentals of Portfolio and Asset Management.

  Jhon is a leader in real estate. Most recently responsible for acquisition and asset management activities (west coast) for Elion, his focus is high growth core markets. Previously, Jhon worked with both Amazon and Starbucks Coffee Company. Jhon was a senior real estate transaction manager at Amazon where he executed the real estate transaction strategy across North America, South America and Australia. Jhon developed and executed the real estate strategy for Starbucks Coffee Company, including lease negotiations consultancy to Starbucks Coffee Company’s nation-wide portfolio. Jhon is dad to his dog Romeo and lives in West Seattle. 

Jeff is a leader in strategic planning, business transformation, and operational excellence. Most recently, he served as an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company, where he led teams to advise Fortune 100 companies and high-growth ventures on growth strategies, product development, market expansion, sustainability, and operational improvement. Previously, he held roles at Deloitte and Atlas Holdings, gaining hands-on experience in commercial diligence, large-scale transformations, and organizational design for multinational corporations. Jeff is passionate about sustainability and social impact and lives in Chicago.

Coby is co-founder and principal of Backyard, an innovative real estate development firm based in California. He leads the acquisitions, asset management, and design efforts, which leverages novel land-use regulations to create more walkable, beautiful neighborhoods. Coby is a leading writer in the worlds of urban planning and real estate development, with a focus on exploring how to create more resilient, dynamic, and people-oriented communities. He is sought out worldwide to consult on ambitious projects ranging from small structures to vast new cities. An urban planner by training, Coby has had experience working in private equity, the public markets, across many different scales and project types.