Rhea Thomas is an award-winning product designer and social innovator whose interdisciplinary practice bridges design, technology, and social impact. I grew up in a coastal town, where I saw how climate change, pollution and waste affected everyday life. That experience shaped my interest in sustainability and continues to motivate the work I do today. It is a big part of why I founded Seasprout, a bio-design venture that turns seafood waste into regenerative materials for new products and circular systems. Alongside my entrepreneurial work, I design and build digital products at E.ON UK as part of the Growth Studio. I focus on creating innovative propositions that help households move closer to a net-zero future.
I have been recognised as a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Goalkeeper for the UN SDGs and as a UNHCR Young Champion for Refugees, highlighting my long-term commitment to climate and humanitarian innovation. I also volunteer within global design and youth innovation communities whenever I can, because supporting others is an important part of my practice.
I hold a dual MA/MSc in Global Innovation Design from the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London. I have lived and worked across India, Japan, New York and London, which gives me a global perspective on how design and technology can create impact.
You can get in touch with me via e-mail at trheathomas@gmail.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.
HONORS:
Youth Delegate - SDG Summit 2022
United Nations General Assembly at UN HQ, New York
World Design Organization, Young Designers Circle
Contributor from 2023 – 2025
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Goalkeeper 2030
Nominated in Sept 2022 during UN Global Goals Week, New York
UN Women UK Delegate - 2024
68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women
The Art Foundation Futures Award 2024
Regenerative Design Fellow
UNHCR Young Champion for Refugees
Innovator from Oct 2022 - March 2024
EDUCATION:
2021 - 2023 (MSc) Master of Science, Global Innovation Design
Imperial College London (MA) Master of Art, Global Innovation Design
Royal College of Art (Ranked #1 Art and Design University worldwide) + Pratt Institute, New York | Exchange Semester; Aug - Dec 2022 + Keio University Graduate school of Media Design, Japan | Exchange Semester; April - July 2022
2014 - 2018 (BDes) Bachelor of Design, Product Design MAEERs MIT Institute of Design, Pune
WORK EXPERIENCE:
Seasprout Product Designer (Founder) July 2023 - Present
E.ON UK Customer Research Lead | Growth & Innovation Studio June 2025 - Present
Design4India, An Initiative by NASSCOM & Facebook Product Experience Designer July 2018 – April 2020 Product Designer Dec 2016 – Feb 2017
INNOVATION FELLOWSHIPS:
Undaunted - The Greenhouse ClimateTech Accelerator Seasprout April 2024 - May 2025
Hakwood Center for Future Thinking (Week-long Creative Residency) Funded by The Francis W Reckitt Arts Trust Cotswolds, July 2024
WeInnovate - Imperial Enterprise Lab Little Chronicles Jan - June 2023
Unite 2030: Camp2030 Innovation Lab for Climate Action, New York, Sept 2022 Youth Delegate Programme (Cohort 3) Online, Dec 2020 - April 2021
TechQuatier Impact Challenge Data Driven Sustainability LearnEd March - June 2021
MENTORING:
Innovate<Her> Ambasador Mentor Aug 2024 - Present
Diana Foundation Social Action Accelerator Programme Sept 2023 - Present
Unite 2030 Mentor & ‘Ideas to Action’ Mastermind Lead Aug - Nov 2021
TALKS & WORKSHOPS:
World Design Congress 2025 Designing with Nature: When Nature is on the Team | Panellist London, 9-10th Sept 2025
London Design Festival 2023 Women in Design engineering | Panellist London, 16th July 2023
Royal College of Art Made in London | Workshop Facilitator, London, June 2023
World Bank Youth Summit 2023
Local solutions driving global impact | Lightning Talk Washington DC, 25th – 26th May 2023
United Nations 2022 SDG Media Summit | Youth Delegate New York, 9th Sept 2022 Global Climate & SDG Synergy Conference | Youth Delegate Tokyo, 20th – 21st July 2022
Youth SDG Summit for the UN SDGs Changing the world with one Idea | Panelist Online, 22nd Sept 2021
Ideas to Action: Design Thinking | Workshop Facilitator Online, Feb 2021 Designing education for the post pandemic world | Talk Online, Feb 2021
AWARDS:
2025 SME News, Greater London Enterprise Awards (2025) for Seasprout
2024 The Art Foundation Futures Award - Regenerative Design Fellow Seasprout, Nominee - Green Concept Award
2023 Seasprout, GUCCI x Arts Thread Global Design Graduate Show Shortlist Little Chronicles, WeInnovate - Imperial Enterprise Lab (top 25 startup - 6 month entrepreneurial competition) Design for Good Certification
2022 Decibel, Winning Team - RCA Grand Challenge in partnership with Logitech and Oculus Calm Quilt, Semi-finalist - Mayor's entrepreneur Recipient of the JASSO Scholarship, Keio University Graduate School of Media Design
2020
LearnEd, Winning Team - SwissNex NexHack Edtech hackathon
EXHIBITIONS:
Seasprout was exhibited at: London Design Festival 14th – 22nd Sept 2023 RCA2023, Truman Brewery London 13th – 16th July 2023 Summer Show, Imperial College London 27th June – 2nd July 2023
Shrimpak was exhibited at: Spring Show, Imperial College London 16th – 19th Feb 2023 Open Studios: Work in Progress Show, Royal College of Art 3rd – 4th Feb 2023
Aria was exhibited at: Spring Show, Imperial College London 25th Feb – 2nd Mar 2022
If you're intrigued by my work, have questions, or just want to catch up over a coffee, I’m all ears. Together, let's make magic happen and bring ideas to life! ✨