Jim’s Projects
1789 and Launch Chapel Hill
As an entrepreneur, Jim has long had a passion for teaching young people how to start and run businesses and reach for their dreams. In 2010, Jim began teaching entrepreneurship to undergraduate students at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. After opening his office on Franklin Street to his students so they could work on their business… Read More
Make a Wish Foundation
Humbled that his children were healthy, Jim was a board member of the Make A Wish Foundation of Eastern North Carolina for 8+ years. He has been an active fundraiser and Wish granter for this chapter, helping to secure many wishes in-kind, fearlessly asking vendors for donations of items or contributions. For the past 8… Read More
Public School Foundation
Since 2008, I have served on the board of the Public School Foundation, an organization that raises funds for innovative programs to support students and teachers in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. The Foundation’s annual Walk for Education is an important fundraiser for our local public schools. This past year, we were able to raise over… Read More
Community Empowerment
CEF was one of the first student ventures to occupy space in my office on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. They, along with Sweeps, U-Connection, ABAN, and Carpe, were some of the first companies to launch successful ventures out of these offices and our space just down the street at 1789. I am so proud… Read More
Costa Rica
In 2008, I had an opportunity to help build eco-rooms at a community cooperative in Bijagua, a small rural village in the Northwestern part of Costa Rica. In Bijagua, it’s not unusual to see men on horseback herding cattle or plowing farms with oxen. There aren’t many “gringos” in this area – so I stuck… Read More
12 Marathons in 12 Months
This is a story of transformation, overcoming Newton’s First Law, you know … a body at rest stays at rest. As a busy, 40ish, dad and husband whose athletic glory days had long ago passed, this began as a desperate need to get in shape. Sure, the good natured ridicule of my son, who never… Read More
Building Electric Porsche 911
In 2007, I went to a local car dealership to look at some of their electric cars. Why? It just seemed crazy that everyone on was driving a car that polluted our planet. There had to be an alternative. And, at the time, there was – they were called “NEVs”, which stood for Neighborhood Electric… Read More
100 Mile Ultramarathons
“At some point during this race many of you will experience adversity; know that when you fight through those times and overcome, it will mold your character just as iron forges iron, and you will emerge with battle-tested armor.” – Race Director, Umstead 100 Ultramarathon 2021 Update: Training for Ultra #6, December 4-5, 2021 !!!!… Read More
