Ajay Thomas was born and raised in New York to first generation immigrant parents. After studying history in college, Ajay moved to Boston to attend Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary where he received his MDiv. It was during this time that Ajay learned about church planting and gained a vision for advancing the gospel through the local church. In 2008, he and his wife Shainu were sent to plant Seven Mile Road Church in Philadelphia where they still live and serve with their two children, Hannah and Micah. In 2015, Ajay connected with a group of South Asian leaders who shared his passion for church planting and together they founded the Advance Initiative.