In this interview, Preska Thomas opens up with unapologetic honesty about her journey, her business model, and her hope for the future of AI, content, and leadership. What follows isn’t just an insight into how she’s building a company — it’s a blueprint for how the next generation of founders should think, create, and lead.
Interviewer: Preska, thank you for joining us today. Let’s start at the beginning. Before you founded DebitMyData, what kind of work were you doing, and how did it shape the way you lead today?
Preska Thomas: Thank you for having me. My journey didn’t begin in tech — it started in community and strategy. I worked in corporate consulting, government and nonprofit program design, which gave me a really rare lens: understanding both the scalability of systems and the human cost of neglecting people inside them. I saw how organizations built big visions but left real lives behind. That experience made it clear — if I was ever going to build something, it had to be structurally human-first.
Interviewer: You founded DebitMyData with a big mission. Can you explain the vision behind it in your own words?
Preska Thomas: The simple version? Your data has value, and it belongs to you. The more accurate version? The digital economy is built on behavioral data — yours, mine, everyone’s — but the compensation is incredibly one-sided. DebitMyData exists to shift that. We built a platform where users can control what data they share and earn from it directly. It’s part of a broader mission to return digital ownership to the people who fuel the system.
Interviewer: How do you see AI playing into all of this? It’s accelerating so fast, and everyone’s trying to catch up.
Preska Thomas: AI is powerful, but power without ethics is dangerous. What we’re seeing now is that companies are training massive models using data — often scraped or acquired with questionable consent. That’s exactly why platforms like DebitMyData matter. We’re moving toward a future where ethical data sourcing is going to be the next major compliance and trust frontier.
At the same time, AI is an incredible tool. We’re experimenting with features that help content creators, small businesses, and educators use AI to repurpose their own content — and still get paid for the impressions or clicks their data generates. That’s the future: AI that supports creators, not just extracts from them.
Interviewer: Let’s talk about content. You’ve said before that content is currency. How does DebitMyData support creators?
Preska Thomas: Content is culture. And culture is capital. Our platform allows creators to connect their data sources — video views, article reads, even product recommendations — and track the value chain. We’re working on features that show you where your data flows, who uses it, and how much it generates. Our goal is to eventually allow micro-creators to earn income passively from the data their content drives — without compromising their privacy or brand.
Interviewer: What do you think is the most misunderstood part of leading a tech company?
Preska Thomas: That it’s all about coding and capital. The truth is: leading a tech company is mostly about managing people, culture, and pressure. You have to make decisions fast — and with care. You need to hire slow but dream big. You have to build systems that scale, and values that stay rooted. That balance is hard. But if you don’t get it right, the tech won’t matter.
Interviewer: What advice would you give to someone thinking of starting a tech company today?
Preska Thomas: Start with a real problem, not just a clever idea.
Ask yourself: Who does this serve? Why now? What happens if I don’t build it?
Also, learn the language of tech — not necessarily to become a developer, but to know how things work. You can’t build what you don’t understand. Finally, stay ridiculously curious. The best founders aren’t the ones who know everything — they’re the ones who ask better questions.
Interviewer: Do you think mentorship is going to become more critical in the future of tech?
Preska Thomas: Absolutely. Tech is moving too fast to be gatekept. We need more intergenerational knowledge transfer. We need more founders who don’t look like the last generation. We need models of leadership that are compassionate, flexible, and grounded in ethics.
The future belongs to the builders who are willing to lift while they climb. If you’re not doing that, you’re just taking up space.
Interviewer: What trends in tech are you personally watching right now?
Preska Thomas: A few. One is personal AI companions — not just for productivity but for mental health, coaching, and memory extension. Another is zero-knowledge proofs and privacy-led cryptographic tools. And I’m watching the shift from attention-based metrics to relationship-based ecosystems — we’re finally moving toward meaningful digital interactions, not just viral ones.
Interviewer: What’s one leadership principle you never compromise on?
Preska Thomas: Human over hustle. Always. I’ll sacrifice speed to protect my team’s sanity. I’ll delay growth if the foundation isn’t strong. The people who build with you are your company — not your code, not your logo. If you take care of your people, they will take care of the vision.
Interviewer: Last question — what do you want your legacy to be?
Preska Thomas:I want to be known for building systems that gave people their power back — and for leading in a way that reminded people what leadership should feel like.
Interviewer: Thank you, Preska. This was deeply inspiring.
Preska Thomas: Thank you. Let’s keep building what matters.
