While growing up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, James Benham began writing code at the age of 11 and by 14 had developed his first application. Three years later, he co-managed an internet services provider (ISP), providing dial-up Internet to over 4,000 users. James went on to complete a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and a Master of Science in Information Systems while in the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University. During his final year at Texas A&M in 2001, James established his second company, JBKnowledge, Inc. He has continued to stay involved with his alma mater by joining the university faculty as a Guest Lecturing Professor in the Department of Construction Science at Texas A&M.
James is now the Chief Executive Officer of JBKnowledge, Inc. James has led JBKnowledge to become a premier provider of technology solutions for the construction, risk management and insurance industries, with clients across North America, the Caribbean and the Middle East. JBKnowledge is the also the maker of the SmartBidNet, SmartCompliance, SmartReality, and SmartInsight cloud and mobile solutions. As a rapidly growing business year after year, JBKnowledge is a seven-time recipient of the Aggie 100 award, six-time Newman 10 recipient, and was recently named to the LSU One Hundred for the second time. The company, and James, are headquartered in Bryan/College Station, TX with offices in North America and South America.
With extensive experience in the design, development and use of technology to improve efficiency, James is a sought-after speaker across the United States, Canada and abroad on business information technology, data security and innovative software tools. James’ dynamic speaking style allows him to share a vast knowledge of technology solutions in a down-to-earth, engaging manner. In 2014, James presented at a variety of national events including: Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) IT Forum, CONEXPO, Construction Financial Management Association Annual (CFMA) Conference, Construct Canada, BIM Forum, Augmented World Expo (AWE), Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) Annual Convention and more. See his full schedule here. James’ company, products and writing have been featured in publications such as Engineering News Record, Texas CEO, Construction Business Owner, Construction Executive, 3D Visualization World, Estimating Today, and many more. In addition, he has been recognized among ENR Texas & Louisiana’s 2014 Top 20 Under 40 for his advancements in construction technology.
James is a founding member of the Construction Open Software Alliance and a dedicated proponent of open integration standards in software development. James is also an active member of the Risk Management Society, Construction Financial Management Association, Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors,Associated General Contractors of America, American Society of Professional Estimators and the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Association. In 2012, James was elected to City Council Place 6 of the City of College Station, Texas, where he currently serves as Chairman of the Research Valley Technology Council and is on the board of the Brazos Valley Wide Area Communications System.
From Seed Sumo:“James brings a ton of real world experience to the table. His deep knowledge of technology startups helps our startups see the bigger picture and also avoid huge pitfalls.”