Along the successful yet serendipitous path of Jim Sacherman's career, entrepreneurialism and innovation have been constants. Sacherman was recently named director of the University of Nevada, Reno Innevation Center-Powered By Switch.

"Northern Nevada is ripe for a transition to become a thriving hub of innovation," Sacherman, who recently started in the role, said.

Sacherman earned a master's in product design at Stanford and a bachelor's in engineering design and economic evaluation at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He holds more than a dozen patents, for both utility and design, and has received national and international design awards. 

Sacherman spent much of his career in Silicon Valley. After working as an industrial designer and engineer in consultancies that eventually became part of IDEO, Sacherman founded Palo Alto Products International in 1983. Initial revenues were boosted by a new business model that Sacherman created: providing design services in exchange for equity or royalties. In a Fast Company article about the company, Sacherman said, "The whole idea centered around us getting paid due to the success of the product rather than trying to make money billing hours."

Palo Alto Products International created the first Palm Pilot handheld computer under this model. Over time services were expanded into manufacturing of mechanical parts and assemblies, and by 2000 the company had four factories with more than $100 million in annual revenues. Major customers included Micron Semiconductor, Dell Computer, Hewlett Packard, Wyse Technology, Palm Computing and numerous others.

The company was sold in 2001 to Flextronics, Inc., a world leader in contract manufacturing, and Sacherman stayed on with Flextronics as chief marketing officer and a member of the CEO's executive team until 2004. While at Flextronics, Sacherman negotiated, sold and managed the design of the first Xbox game machine for Microsoft, a contract with projected revenues in excess of $1 billion.

Sacherman's most recent business ventures were the Minden Grill Company and Hercke Garage Cabinets, both based in Minden, Nevada. After selling the companies, he and his wife took a yearlong, RV tour of North America in 2015. The timing of the University's search for a director of The Innevation Center coincided with their return to Nevada and decision to relocate to Reno.

"I love living and working in Nevada. It's not just the tax structure, it's the ease of starting a business. It's the people, the professionals you can hire. It's not a madhouse," Sacherman, an avid cyclist, skier and father of three, said. "I'm an outdoor enthusiast and the quality of life here is way ahead of other areas."

"As an owner of several businesses, I've been selling all of my life", said Sacherman, "I always do best when I have something that I really believe in and, to me, doing business in Northern Nevada should be an easy sell."

"We needed someone who pays attention to detail but also sees the big picture and the vision of what The Innevation Center will become," Ellen Purpus, the University's assistant vice president for enterprise and innovation, said. "With Jim's background and experience, it was clear he has both abilities. He is collaborative but at the same time eager to create partnerships and build a meaningful center that moves the University forward in entrepreneurial activities."

While his career is marked by success, it hasn't all been easy, and Sacherman's experience in facing and overcoming adversity strengthens the mentorship role. "Mentorship is all about helping others avoid some of the pitfalls they will run into, while strengthening their offerings through non-intuitive design methodology," he said.

"Helping startups make valuable connections to mentors, knowledge and investment support will be foundational aspects of The Innevation Center's success," Mridul Gautam, the University's vice president for research and innovation, said. "We are fortunate to have Jim be part of this region's emerging innovation ecosystem and lend his experience and insights to this region's entrepreneurs."

Gautam noted that Sacherman's connections in the Silicon Valley and Bay Area will be valuable to regional and University efforts to attract startups and more mature companies to Nevada.

Opened in fall 2015 and located at 450 Sinclair Street in downtown Reno, The Innevation Center brings the University community of faculty, staff and students together with entrepreneurs, investors and commercialization experts. It offers co-working, conference and meeting space, plus a makerspace with resources and equipment to support development of prototypes and minimize the design-cycle time. The Innevation Center is home to Nevada Industry Excellence, a statewide manufacturing-extension program hosted by the University to strengthen Nevada companies, and the University's Nevada Advanced Autonomous Systems Innovation Center, supported by the Governor's Office of Economic Development Knowledge Fund to advance technologies and partnerships in autonomous systems. The resources of The Innevation Center are available to individuals and businesses through a membership model.

"It's happening for Nevada," Sacherman said of the opportunity, the region and The Innevation Center. "Hopefully we can help add to and steer it."

For more information about The Innevation Center and memberships, visit www.unr.edu/innevation.