Jim Schultz Founder of Open Prairie ventures

I really enjoyed the chance to interview Jim Schultz. Jim’s passion for entrepreneurship and building businesses was born of lessons learned within a family of global entrepreneurs dating back to the creation of the family seed company in 1903. He has carried those lessons throughout his twenty year career as an advisor and investor.

Jim has played an active role in a multitude of agriculture businesses, including operating experience with the Brazilian-unit of the family soybean business and a farmland syndication business which he co-founded. Today, he is Founder and Managing Partner of Open Prairie Ventures and invests in ag-tech businesses with disruptive technologies.

Open Prairie Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on investing in early and growth-stage Midwest-based companies in the ag-tech and life science sectors.

Today Open Prairie ventures is a dynamic force in supporting start up activity in the Mid-West and is engaged in transactions that are on par with any VC in the country. To watch the entire interview with Jim Schultz CLICK HERE

Dr. James Leonard Helps Carle Make History

Dr. James Leonard currently serves as president and chief executive officer of The Carle Foundation. A graduate of the University of Illinois—both in Urbana and Chicago, Dr. Leonard relocated to our community in 1984 as a primary care physician with Carle Clinic Association.

He previously served as the associate medical director of Carle Clinic, as well as the medical director of the Employee Assistance and Sports Medicine programs. He was vice president of medical affairs with The Carle Foundation from 1997 to 1999. He also served on The Carle Foundation Board of Trustees from 1994 to 1999, when he became interim president and CEO of The Carle Foundation.

Since Dr. Leonard became CEO of The Carle Foundation in May 2000, he has overseen the growth of the Urbana Carle Medical campus with:

• The 5-story expansion of the North Tower,
• The development of the Carle Auxiliary Guest House,
• The opening of Mills Breast Cancer Institute and Carle Cancer Center, including the Biomedical Research Center.
• The ECHO building, which opened in August 2009 to children using our Pediatric Hearing Center and the Carle Auditory Oral School.
• The new Digestive Health Center which opened to patient care in November 2009

To view my interview with Dr. Leonard CLICK HERE