A resident of Syracuse, New York, James Bennett holds a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. During his studies, James Bennett immersed himself in engineering coursework and sought opportunities beyond the classroom. One of his most impactful contributions as a Bucknell student was his involvement with e-NABLE, an organization dedicated to designing and 3D-printing prosthetic devices for children with upper-limb disabilities from low-income families. Over four years, James Bennett played a role in designing, assembling, and delivering personalized prosthetics to families. His leadership and technical skills saw him rise to become president of the organization. He also mentored more than 50 fellow Bucknell university students and oversaw multiple project teams.
In addition to service leadership, James Bennett contributed to academic research. He wrote a published paper titled “Bias in first-year engineering student peer evaluations.” The study analyzed responses from 160 students and explored how gender and racial perceptions could influence evaluations. James Bennett further led clinical need discovery and validation by conducting in-depth literature reviews, analyzing the competitive landscape, and observing over 30 procedures in the Geisinger Medical Center’s Emergency Department.
Beyond research and service, James Bennett founded the Bucknell fly-fishing club, creating opportunities for students to explore rivers near Lewisburg and throughout Pennsylvania. He organized casting clinics and community outings, blending mentorship with outdoor recreation. James Bennett’s experiences at Bucknell University prepared him for advanced study at Cornell University and ultimately for his current Global Product Manager role with Baxter International.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
My typical workday can vary greatly and that’s why I think it’s always great to make a small list of what you want to get done that day. This helps me keep focused on my prioritized tasks and gives me a sense of accomplishment and progress when I achieve them. There have definitely been days when I sit down to answer a couple of emails, the few emails turn into several rabbit holes, and then suddenly the day is over, and I did not complete what I wanted to originally. To counteract this, I make a sticky note of my top three to five highest priority tasks for that day and put it on my computer monitor.
How do you bring ideas to life?
That depends on the idea, but I have found the best way to really flesh out an idea is to talk with someone. Having to put your idea into words helps solidify it and describing it to others helps point out the potential gaps in it, which, if you can figure out how to fill them, only strengthens your idea. There can be friendly back and forth to help build up the idea further and give it momentum and excitement.
What’s one trend that excites you?
People becoming more invested in their health and becoming stronger, more informed advocates for themselves in the healthcare space is a trend I really love to see and hope continues. People becoming more informed about their own bodies and treatment plans and asking questions I think will only help drive the healthcare space to further improve and be more accessible and approachable for all.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
I find that being organized helps me be productive. I put everything on my calendar, and I create several lists to help break down tasks. Looking at things one step at a time makes them easier to manage.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Keep asking questions. I asked a lot of questions when I was a kid, and I mean a lot. It was how I learned, and I think being curious is a phenomenal trait. As people get older, I feel that they tend to ask questions less, either due to fear of being judged, anxiety that they might be talking too much, don’t want to ask a “dumb question,” or because they want to appear as though they have a solid understanding of what is being discussed, even if they don’t. I think asking questions is critical, and it’s how we all learn and grow. It’s also how I ended up forming such great relationships with my professors in school and discovered my passions, so my advice would be to just keep on asking questions.
Tell us something you believe that almost nobody agrees with you on.
You could have the best idea in the world, but if you can’t effectively communicate it, no one would adopt it. That’s one of the key reasons I decided to pursue my MBA after earning a masters in biomedical engineering, because I was surrounded by these incredible ideas, but they were not going anywhere. All of the focus was on the technical aspects and not on the “will people actually buy this” questions. People will not invest in your idea if you don’t make them aware of it, if you don’t evolve the idea from the “this is really cool” to the “this is why you should care,” and if the business case behind it does not exist. That’s true even if it is an absolutely brilliant idea.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Hydration! The vast majority of people are not drinking nearly enough water as they should. Proper hydration fixes an incredible number of things, so I recommend people increase their water intake. I keep a water bottle next to me at my desk, which helps remind me to keep drinking throughout the day.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
Make a list. Making a list really helps me to break things down and focus on what needs to get done. Even the act of making a list helps as you are thinking about the problem and what order the steps need to go in, so by the time you have completed your list, much of the thinking is already done and it’s just time for action!
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
Networking. It can be as easy as just always saying hi to people in the hallway and asking how they are doing, having regular coffee chats with coworkers, and just keeping up with current and previous colleagues and friends. Networking is a great way to help get you in the door at some places, either with a direct referral for a job, people connecting you to the hiring manager, or just making you aware of new openings that you may not have come across yet. Likewise, it’s always great to help others out by trying to connect them to new opportunities you think they would be great for. Networking is incredibly valuable, helps propel your career and business, and can be as simple as periodically reaching out to check in with people. Just remember to not only reach out when you need something.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
When I started my first job, I tried to take on too many responsibilities at once, which quickly led to me becoming stretched too thin and not being able to focus on the priority tasks. I learned to rank and prioritize all of my tasks so that I can more effectively spend my time and better communicate with my manager when other tasks need to be deprioritized/dropped. You will never get every single task done, which is why it is important to prioritize the ones that matter most.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
There are a couple of tools I am aware of to decrease the number of spam calls you get, but nothing to stop the number of spam texts that I have seen, other than constantly blocking and reporting them as spam. If someone can create a simple solution to stop spam texts that still allows non-spam texts from unknown numbers to come through, call (or text) me.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
Calendly is a wonderful tool. Especially for networking and trying to schedule calls with several different people at once, it is an amazing invention. Previously, I would just send people a list of 10 to 15 times I am free and ask if any of those work for them, but then if someone else scheduled a meeting with me during those times, I would either have to email these people again with an updated list or wait for them to respond and hope they did not choose the times that just got booked. Calendly makes this so easy, simple, and user-friendly. You just connect it with your calendar and send people the link, and they get to choose the time that works for them, and it updates in real-time. No more time wasted generating a list of times you are free every week, only to send follow-up emails with updated lists or telling people the time they had chosen is no longer available. Calendly is a set-it-and-forget-it tool that gives me time back in my day to be more productive.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
I have a brand-new nephew, so I am buying him all different newborn outfits and toys and all. They are all way too big on him still, but he looks adorable.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
My favorite book/book series is the “Red Rising” series by Pierce Brown. I read a lot in my childhood but slowly stopped reading as it became more of a task and I had less time to enjoy it. This was the first book I read in a while that reignited my interest in reading and since then, I have been reading around eight to 10+ books a year. It is a fantastic book series, and I recommend it to anyone I can.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
I recently watched the movie “The Hundred-Foot Journey” and would highly recommend watching it if you have not. It is a phenomenal feel-good movie with great laughs, compelling characters, and a wonderful and thoughtful storyline. It has something for everyone, and you can’t help but enjoy this movie.
Key learnings
- Practicing disciplined prioritization is the foundation for productivity and effective time management.
- Translating complex and technical concepts into compelling, value-centric narratives is critical for adoption, investment, and real-world impact.
- Curiosity and collaboration are key drivers for building, refining, and advancing ideas.
- Continually developing and maintaining a strong network is a powerful way to be connected with new opportunities, help others, and progress your career.