About James Smith

SUMMARY BIO

Prior to joining NorthGroup, Mr. Smith was Broker/Owner of Executive Sellers Realty, headquartered in Charlotte, NC.  Mr. Smith has been the recipient of Charlotte magazine 5-Star Real Estate award 5 times in his 16-year career as the Broker licensed in both North and South Carolina. Mr. Smith was also recognized by Keller-Williams Realty twice as one of the top 10% of agents Nationwide.

 Currently, Mr.  Smith services as a staff member and Entrepreneur-In-Residence for the UNCC helping new business owners and entrepreneurs develop the skills to launch their companies and provide access to resources needed to be successful.

Mr. Smith is an active licensed broker focused on a selective private clients and homes above $500K

DETAILED UNIVERSITY BIO

 Heavily focused on people and larger-picture reform, James Smith is an eco-centric entrepreneur with over 30+ years of experience driving advanced operational efficiencies, team unification, and overall organizational success. As the Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, James brings with him an extensive background involving creating and selling startup companies, strategic business/leadership development, DEI, Governance, cross-foundation team management, and the art of cultivating healthy workplace cultures via leading by example. Furthermore, James enjoys leveraging this acumen to not just instill innovative progressions for entrepreneurs on a local/national scale, but do so all while propelling various environmental and community initiatives forward along the way. 

 Prior to joining the University, James built a large inventory of versed industry experiences across the technology, healthcare, recreation service businesses, and real estate sectors. During this tenure, James has worked for several renowned organizations, playing an integral part in securing measurable impacts that have secured positive business trajectories nationally and internationally. The more notable include completing a private offering and solidifying reputable growth without sacrificing the core notions of sustainability. Some of these former positions involved being the Owner of Real Restate and Development company and holding Executive titles with Verisign, The US Navy, and Getronics. 

To date, James’s efforts within the entrepreneurship consultant space have led to measurable impacts both granularly and societally. This involves bridging the gaps between resource sustainability and business development, optimizing scalable success across the categories of technology commercialization, business launch, capital formation, and accentuating the notions of growth through intentional integrity. But more characteristically, James is appreciated for his motivating ambiance, track record of harvesting opportunities that are as positive as they are productive, and for his firm belief that exhaustive change stems from the development of strong, shared-value teams. 

 Academically, James earned an MBA in Finance and Operations from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a BS in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Northeastern University, and studied Nuclear Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In addition, James is an avid Board Member of Anne Spring Close Greenway, The Nations Ford Land Trust, and CleanAireNC and is an ongoing outdoor education instructor with Outdoor-Afro Charlotte.