Jim Jen

Jim Jen is a Professor of Entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. He serves as Director of the Carnegie Mellon Corporate Startup Lab (CSL), a Swartz Center-Tepper initiative focused on integrating entrepreneurial practices into corporate innovation strategies.

Education:

• Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Stanford University (1989)
• Master of Arts in Economics, Stanford University (1989)
• Master of Business Administration, Stanford University (1995)

Jim specializes in entrepreneurship, corporate innovation, and business strategy. His work bridges academic research with practical tools for companies to enhance innovation practices. The CSL offers an interdisciplinary project course where graduate students collaborate with corporations to develop real startup ideas.

Jim has been instrumental in shaping Pittsburgh’s entrepreneurship ecosystem over two decades. He co-founded AlphaLab (a pioneering U.S. accelerator), AlphaLab Gear, AlphaLab Health, and the Robotics Factory, partnering with industry leaders to support emerging technologies. He also guided over 200 pre-seed/seed-stage investments for Innovation Works, contributing to billion-dollar exits in Pittsburgh’s tech sector.

Previously, Jim led product management at Silicon Valley-based venture-backed and Fortune 500 companies, and advised consumer firms on strategic planning and revenue growth as a management consultant.