John J McKinney

John J. McKinney is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, specializing in teaching Marketing Strategy. He combines academic expertise with extensive industry experience through his role as a partner at UpwardTrend, Inc., a consultancy addressing growth challenges in startups, turnarounds, and product portfolio management, and as founder of 1st StartUP, a platform for entrepreneurship education materials.

• Teaching Focus: Strategic marketing, entrepreneurial process, and resource deployment
• Professional Experience: 30+ years in healthcare operations, management consulting, and executive coaching
• Academic Background: MBA from Chicago Booth (2003)
• Additional Roles: Business incubator mentor, NSF I-Corps program advisor, and former Summer Business Scholars Program instructor

His research interests center on entrepreneurship, product positioning, and cross-industry operational strategies. He has led consulting projects for Global 500 companies and startups across healthcare, banking, and facilities management sectors, emphasizing data-driven growth initiatives.

McKinney integrates practical applications in his teaching, drawing from decades of corporate strategy engagements and international lectures on marketing and operations. His work spans new product development, channel strategy, and R&D portfolio management across diverse industries.

He contributes to executive education programs, develops advanced MBA courses like New Product Development, and actively participates in business plan competitions as mentor and judge. His methodology includes operational turnaround frameworks applied across healthcare and other sectors.