Mr. Bendis has distinguished himself as a successful entrepreneur, corporate executive, venture capitalist, investment banker, innovation and technology based economic development leader, international speaker and consultant in the technology and healthcare industries.
He currently serves as the founding President and CEO of Innovation America (IA), a national 501c3 not for profit, private/public partnership focused on accelerating the growth of the entrepreneurial innovation economy in America. Mr. Bendis is also the publisher of innovationDAILY, a daily electronic newsletter reporting on Global trends on innovation.
Mr. Bendis has been engaged and appointed to selected national innovation related organizations and committees that include the White House U.S. Innovation Partnership (USIP) Advisory Task Force and Co-Chair of the Small Business Innovation Research Committee), and many others.
Mr. Bendis has or continues to provide global consulting services to several international organizations including the International Science Parks and Innovation Expert Group, the United Nations, NATO, UK Trade and Industry, European Commission, French Embassy, the German Marshall Fund, and others global ventures.
Mr. Bendis founded the Bendis Investment Group LLC, (BIG), a financial intermediary a,previously served as President and CEO of True Product ID, Inc.; a global anti-counterfeiting technology company, which he relocated to Beijing, China. Mr. Bendis also founded and served as the founding President and CEO of Innovation Philadelphia (IP), a three state regional public/private partnership dedicated to growing the wealth and workforce of the Greater Philadelphia Region. Previously, Mr. Bendis successfully leveraged a career in the private sector (with Quaker Oats, Polaroid, Texas Instruments, Marion Laboratories and Kimberly Services) and the venture capital industry (RAB Ventures) to lead the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation (KTEC). As its president and CEO, he developed KTEC into a globally recognized model for technology-based economic development. Mr. Bendis also successfully built an Inc. 500 healthcare software company, Continental Healthcare Systems, Inc., which he took public on NASDAQ and later sold to an international conglomerate. In addition, Mr. Bendis manages his own angel investment fund.
Mr. Bendis is a frequent consultant and speaker to the United Nations, NATO, the European Commission, METI, AKEA, National and International innovation based economic development organizations, as well as over 20 states, several U.S. cities and regions and 16 countries Institute. He was a nominee for the 2005 Ernst and Young National Entrepreneur Supporter of the Year Award (EOY) and was the 1996 recipient of the Regional Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award; he currently serves as an EOY Judge. He also serves on the board of FlagshipPDG.