Dr. James Simak

Presentation

Design Thinking Competition: The Innovator’s Voice

In today’s evolving learning environments and virtual classrooms, we need new and innovative resources and fresh perspectives for continuous reinvention.  When it comes to growing as an educator, there’s no substitute for rolling up your sleeves and immersing yourself in new and exciting learning opportunities.

The Innovator’s Voice is an educational contest for students to explore their entrepreneurial spirit by creating new ideas, envisioning new products and services, and pitching their ideas to peers, friends, and faculty.   No matter what path our students in their careers, success depends on their ability to learn from failure, tolerate risk, and navigate uncertainty in life’s many unknowable situations they will inevitably face.  Students can win cash, prizes, internships, and extra credit for participating in the Innovator’s Voice.

About James

Dr. James Simak is the Director of the Center for Organizational Research and Executive Education (CORE) and an Assistant Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship at Jacksonville University’s Davis College of Business & Technology. 

James brings more than 25 years of experience in software ventures, business development and product development.    He is an entrepreneurial leader and expert in startups, corporate innovation and strategic growth Initiatives.  As a CEO, James expanded the Jacksonville-based System Innovators Inc. to become an industry leader in payment technology for local governments across North America.    He continued his leadership role at Harris Computer as M&A portfolio leader for Utility, Public Safety and Local Government business groups.  James previously held leadership positions in several local startups as well as Fortune 500 companies including IBM, Computer Sciences Corporation, ECI Telecom, and General Dynamics.

James earned a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and continued graduate studies in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Texas at Arlington. He earned his EMBA from Jacksonville University in 2008, and completed his Doctorate in Business Administration with concentrations in Entrepreneurship and Economics in 2018.   

His research interests include entrepreneurship, corporate innovation and venturing, ecosystems and the economic impacts of new business formation.  He is an active member of the Academy or Management, IEEE Computer Society,  and the IEEE Power and Energy Society, and serves on multiple local boards and academic advisory committees.