Speakers
James M. Phillips
Chief Executive Officer, Pinnacle Enterprises
Mr. Phillips is credited with launching the PDA, Cable Modem, Fixed Cellular, Time Magazine’s Medical Invention of the Year- the VeinViewer, and the world’s largest provider of digital imaging infrastructure for the internet, in such areas as online real estate, auction listings, and classified ads.
Throughout his business career, Jim has held numerous prominent positions and has founded and co-founded many successful corporations. He was formerly Vice President of Nortel Networks; President & Co-Founder of SkyTel - the nation’s largest messaging company; President & Vice Chairman of Telular Corp.; Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Motorola, PCS and Multimedia divisions, where his team invented the cable modem. Mr. Phillips has also served as Senior Vice-President of Marketing of Mobilecomm, the second largest provider of cellular and paging services in the U.S.
Jim also Co-Founded iPIX Corporation where he served as Chairman and CEO. During his tenure with iPIX, he led the company to become what Forbes called “the Kodak of the Internet.” Additionally, Jim also founded and served as Chairman and CEO of Snowflake Corporation - a leader in biometric identification, and has served as CEO in Residence and Special Advisor to the Private Equity and Investment Banking Groups at Morgan Keegan & Co.
As Founding Chairman and Executive Director of the FedEx Institute of Technology (FIT), Mr. Phillips helped establish this leading research park on the campus at the University of Memphis.
In 2004, Jim was named one of Information Week’s Innovators of the Year. That same year, he became Chairman and CEO of Luminetx Corporation and led the development and commercialization of a breakthrough medical device called the “VeinViewer” Time Magazine named this milestone the “coolest medical invention of year” and Red Herring Magazine featured Luminetx Corporation at the top of the list of North America’s 100 Best Technology Startups in 2006. Mr. Phillips also serves as Chairman of Nanomech Corporation and Chairman and CEO of Crowntech Corporation.
Among his many honors and awards, Jim was named Tennessee Businessman of the Year in 1999 by the U.S. Small Business Administration. In 2006, he was inducted into the Memphis Entrepreneurial Society.
Jim Phillips holds BBA and MBA degrees from the University of Memphis, graduating with academic honors. He has been honored with the Professor of Aerospace Studies Award and the United States Air Force Distinguished Military Graduate Award. Upon graduation he was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and attended Jet Pilot Training at Webb AFB.