We all have an idea of how we think government works (and everything we think is wrong with it). And then you meet someone like Jimmy Odom and everything you thought you knew changes. A vibrant, visionary, technology-loving entrepreneur, father of three and Chicago insider to the core, Odom served as Senior Advisor of Minority Business Development for the Illinois Department of Commerce and has recently transitioned into a new role as Senior Vice President of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Intersect Illinois, a nonprofit focused on economic development in Illinois. He is committed to improving the business landscape in Illinois by encouraging the opportunities, growth and success of entrepreneurial ventures across minority communities. His tech-industry competency (a former Emerging Leader for Apple in the Midwest) combined with his own entrepreneurial success (he founded hyperlocal logistics company WeDeliver, Inc. after leaving Apple) have made him one of the tech and business communities’ most sought after thought leaders. We are thrilled he was able to take some time to share insights with McCann Partners about an area of shared passion: increasing diversity and inclusion opportunities through technology, across the tech industry and throughout the Illinois community we know and love.
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