Riverside, Calif., January, 2001--
The Business Press /California, 01/22/01.
Used by permission. Page: 12
By Darla Martin Tucker
Photos by Larry Rose

In the 160-home village of Karandi, India, a resident draws milk from a cow she does not own. The cow is a loaner. Her tenders have agreed to repay the debt with calves born from the inseminated heifer, thus replenishing the stock of a program known as a cow bank.

The cow bank concept was the brainchild of students and faculty at La Sierra University's School of Business and Management in Riverside, where a local chapter of Students In Financial Entrepreneurship won first place in international competition against about 800 other chapters from 1994 to 1997.

They came in second last year, but aim to reclaim top honors this year, said Johnny Thomas , dean of the school of business , and a driving force behind the cow bank.

Although the team has been supervised for the past two years by faculty member Heather Miller, Thomas started the local entrepreneurship chapter in 1992, seven years before he was named dean. Thomas led the team for six of those years, including the four years his team won the top prize.

As dean, he continues to hold a leadership role in the chapter. Since his appointment two years ago, he has ushered in a series of so-called micro-lending projects -- programs like the cow bank -- along with a host of other initiatives.

The programs reflect the social entrepreneurship philosophy of Thomas , a native of India who believes donating time and talent for the benefit of society is as important as building a lucrative corporate career. It's a philosophy shared by the university he opts to serve.

"There's more to life than making money," Thomas said. "We need to develop a value system in America that isn't just about ripping off."

Thomas works to instill such values in his students while striving to live by them himself.

He promotes student projects that benefit local and overseas communities, presides over his own consulting firm, sits on the boards of companies he has helped start and participates in nonprofit and civic organizations, including serving as chairman of the Family Services of Riverside County, a nonprofit organization with a $6 million-plus budget.

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Chickens, then eggs

In addition to lending cows to families in India, students in the entrepreneurship program have embarked on a chicken bank project in Mexico, where sales of eggs from the loaned chickens help put local children through school. Students in the program plan to set up a trout bank and llama bank in Peru, as well as possibly a tractor bank in Ethiopia.

The program gives the students more than just business experience, Thomas said.

"It's an extracurricular activity to provide opportunities for students to broaden their ideas of what it means to make a difference in the world," he said.

Through another program, Service Through Entrepreneurial Practice, students visit developing countries to study such subjects as business , public policy and culture.

As dean, Thomas has been responsible for creating other programs at the university, including:

• An e-commerce major.
• An on-campus business incubator for student companies, including a maker of grunge clothing for golfers, dubbed Rosasen. Another incubator venture, AdventistMall.com, helps churches raise money.
• A $1 million endowed chair in business education.
• The university's Center for Social Entrepreneurship.
• Rent-a-Brain, a small-business consulting practice operated by students and faculty, which has assisted more than 200 businesses .

"Making a difference is an integral part of the education here, and of what we're trying to produce," Thomas said.

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Education and compassion

Thomas says his philosophy is heavily influenced by benevolent acts he has seen others perform, from the missionaries who worked for free in the hospital in India where his parents were employed, to the mentors who helped him along a difficult path after he moved to the United States at age 27.

Thomas arrived in Southern California from Nuzvidi, India, in 1985 with $300 in his pocket, eager to study in America.

"The road was difficult," he said. "It was tough, but it was worth it."

Building on a bachelor's of science and a master's in business administration obtained in India, Thomas earned a master's in finance from Loma Linda University in 1988 and a master's in international political economy from Claremont Graduate University in 1998. Thomas is working on a doctorate in political economy, finance and comparative politics at Claremont Graduate University.

He attributes his success to the assistance of several mentors, including the former dean and founder of the business school, Ignatiaus Yacoub, who suggested Thomas give back through teaching while pursuing his business goals. Thomas studied under Yacoub in 1986.

Based on Yacoub's advice, Thomas began teaching business at La Sierra in 1989. Thomas ' passion for teaching -- which he describes as "the best fun" -- hasn't stopped him from pursuing entrepreneurial ambitions on the side.

He is president of his consulting firm, Grand Terrace-based Thomas and Associates LLC, which helps startups develop business plans, research markets and break into emerging markets.

Among the companies his firm has helped start are Westlake Village-based software company Novantus Inc. and Irvine-based Aqcess Technologies Inc., a wireless telecommuting company whose flagship product is a small wireless computer called the Qbe Personal Computing Tablet.

"When I look back," Thomas said, "the only regret is, man, I wish I had more time."

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JOHNNY THOMAS
TITLE: DEAN, SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT, LA SIERRA UNIVERSITY
AGE: 42
RESIDENCE: GRAND TERRACE