Mr. Bendis is a distinguished and 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.

Mr. Bendis currently serves as the founding President and CEO of Innovation America (IA), a national not for profit, private/public partnership focused on accelerating the growth of the entrepreneurial innovation economy in America. IA has a fourfold mission:

• Global advocate for accelerating awareness of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Early Stage Capital in stimulating Innovation Based Economic Development (IBED);
  
• Innovation education through public speaking;
  
• International Consulting on IBED; and
  
• Publishing innovationDAILY, a daily e-newsletter reporting on Global trends on innovation with a circulation of 5,000+ readers.

Mr. Bendis has been appointed to several national innovation related organizations and committees include the White House U.S. Innovation Partnership (USIP) Advisory Task Force and Co-Chair of the Small Business Innovation Research Committee), the National Governor’s Association (NGA) Science and Technology Council of the State’s Executive Committee, the State Federal Technology Task Force, the National Academies (NAS) committee on “Competing in the 21st Century: Best Practices in State and Regional Innovation Initiatives”; National Academies National Research Review of “an Assessment of the SBIR Program; National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Advisory Board; U.S. Small Business Administration’s Angel Capital Electronic Network (ACENET) Board of Directors; American Academy for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Nominating Committee and the American Association Research Competitiveness Program Advisory Committee; Council on Competitiveness – Clusters of Innovation Committee.

Mr. Bendis is currently or has previously served as a board member and representative to the following organizations: National Association of State Venture Funds (NASVF) Founding Board member and Executive Committee; State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI) Founding Board member and Executive Committee member; Eisenhower Fellowships Nominating Committee and the Ernst and Young Entrepreneurial Institute as a national/regional Judge.

Mr. Bendis has provided global consulting services to over 16 countries and 22 states, several cities and regions, along with international organizations including the United Nations, NATO, UK Trade and Industry, European Commission, French Embassy, the German Marshall Fund, The Canadian Consulate, METI, AKEA, the International Science Parks and Innovation Expert Group and other global entities. Mr. Bendis is a frequent consultant and speaker to16 International innovation based economic development organizations, as well as over 20 states, regions and cities throughout the U.S.

Mr. Bendis founded the Bendis Investment Group LLC, (BIG), a financial intermediary and consulting firm, along with managing his own angel investment portfolio. 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.  IP managed a portfolio of programs in four distinct areas: Direct Equity Investment/Financing Assistance; Technology Commercialization; Global/Regional Economic and Workforce Development; and Market Research and Branding. Mr. Bendis serves on the IP Board of Directors.

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. 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.