Jim Lewis is the Executive Director of the Vaughan Institute of Risk Management and Insurance at the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this November. An Iowa native and serial entrepreneur, Jim has built and scaled companies in marketing technology, insurance, and health innovation—always guided by asking the question, “why not?”

Since rejoining his alma mater in 2023, he’s led the RMI program through the fastest growth in the country, expanding from 50 to 447 students in under two years. The program is now ranked in the Top 7 by U.S. News & World Report and a Top 5 RMI program by Business Insurance magazine. Last year, 92% of the RMI majors had secured jobs before graduation—thanks in part to strong industry partnerships and experiential learning. Jim also teaches one of the nation’s first Insurtech Innovation courses, preparing students to tackle real-world challenges with creative problem solving and AI solutions.

Before joining higher education, Jim founded multiple companies, including Benjamin®, an AI-powered health insurance advisor acquired by Clever Health. He also served as alumni director for the Global Insurance Accelerator, which led to what he calls the “opportunity of a lifetime”—coming home to Iowa to inspire the next generation of insurance leaders.