MEDIATalks, press, writing, podcasts, and the Rediscovering Me series.
Keynotes, panels, and workshops on innovation, entrepreneurship, AI adoption, and communities that ship, for conferences, corporate events, universities, and economic development organizations. Based in Frisco, Texas and happy to travel.
Embracing Disruption
KEYNOTE
The TEDx talk, expanded. Applying an entrepreneurial mindset to the disruptions you didn't choose: loss, health, a company ending, an industry shifting. Think forward, make beautiful mistakes, find your tribe.
Treat Your Community Like a Startup
KEYNOTE · PANEL
Why the ecosystems where entrepreneurs actually thrive are built bottom-up, and how cities, economic developers, and founders can take calculated risks together instead of waiting on each other.
Building AI-Native Products That Ship
KEYNOTE · WORKSHOP
What it takes to direct AI instead of just using it, from rebuilding AUTIX, Momentify, and KINECT and shipping Engiyo. The demo is the easy part; architecture, security, and process decide whether a business can run on it.
AI Adoption Without the Hype
WORKSHOP · FIRESIDE CHAT
A practical operating model for CX and innovation leaders: where AI belongs in the customer experience, where it doesn't yet, and how to bring a team along without losing them.
2022
AUG
BUILT IN DFW
AUTIX Helps Car-Lovers Track Their Vehicle Upgrades
A Future 5 feature on the McKinney-based platform that lets enthusiasts document modifications and get AI-powered valuations, after two pitch wins in its first DFW year.
READ ↗
2022
AUG
DALLAS INNOVATES
McKinney Auto Enthusiast App Autix Wins Capital One Pitch Competition at Dallas Startup Week
First place and $15,000 at the Capital One Accelerator Pitch Competition, with the X Estimate valuation tool at the center of the pitch.
READ ↗2022
JAN
CODELAUNCH
Startup AUTIX Thrives after Winning CodeLaunch DFW 2021
How the hackathon mockup became a working MVP, plus a grant, new hires, and a seed round in progress.
READ ↗
2021
NOV
DALLAS INNOVATES
McKinney-Based Autix Wins CodeLaunch DFW Competition with Auto Enthusiasts Platform
AUTIX takes the 10th CodeLaunch at Frisco's Comerica Center with a platform for creating, sharing, and exploring custom vehicle profiles.
READ ↗
2021
JUN
WCBU PEORIA PUBLIC RADIO
New Downtown Civic Innovation Space Looks To Address Peoria's Community Issues
Joe Deacon on the Peoria Innovation Alliance's Center for Civic Innovation, applying design thinking to challenges like poverty and healthcare access.
2021
JUN
WCBU PEORIA PUBLIC RADIO
Q&A: Peoria Innovation Alliance's Jake Hamann
On the alliance's updated strategic plan, its redesigned site, and the nine-block Innovation District downtown.
READ ↗
2020
NOV
STARTUP CHAMPIONS NETWORK
A Plan to Return to Better in Peoria
The Return to Better initiative: education, unified service providers, an early-stage innovation fund, and policy advocacy for a post-pandemic recovery built on entrepreneurship.
READ ↗
2020
SEP
AWARD · ILLINOIS SBDC AT BRADLEY UNIVERSITY
2020 Small Business Advocate of the Year
Recognized for ecosystem building and advocacy for entrepreneurs and startups across Greater Peoria through the Peoria Innovation Alliance.
2020
AUG
START US UP
Q&A: Peoria Innovation Alliance's Jake Hamann
Why the alliance joined the Start Us Up coalition and hosted a 75-person town hall on America's New Business Plan.
READ ↗
2020
FEB
WCBU PEORIA PUBLIC RADIO
Changing the Narrative: Q&A With Peoria Innovation Alliance Founder Jake Hamann
Tim Shelley on the alliance's first year and its push to renew life in Peoria's central business district.
READ ↗
2018
MAR
PEORIA MAGAZINE
Entrepreneur + Enthusiast = AUTIX
An early profile of AUTIX, where entrepreneurship met a lifelong automotive obsession.
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2015
NOV
PEORIA MAGAZINE
40 Leaders Under Forty
Recognized as one of Greater Peoria's emerging leaders for building ONEFIRE and co-founding Startup Peoria.
READ ↗2015
APR
PEORIA MAGAZINE
Q&A with Jake Hamann, OneFire
From freelance graphic design to a full-service innovation firm serving Caterpillar and Maui Jim, and the case for Peoria as a place that solves real problems.
READ ↗
Essays on building with AI, leadership, and the Peoria and North Texas ecosystems. LinkedIn pieces are republished here in full.
2026
AUG 10
LATESTNORTH TEXAS · ECOSYSTEM · VIA LINKEDIN
Five Years of Building in North Texas: What Works, What's Still Broken
An honest account of five years, from someone who is still glad he came.
READ →
2026
AUG 7
LATESTAI · BUILDING · VIA LINKEDIN
I Used Claude to (Re)Build Three Platforms in Four Months. Here's the Part Nobody Posts About.
The rabbit hole opened fast after that. What I found at the bottom of it wasn't a productivity trick.
READ →
2025
JAN 23
LEADERSHIP · ENTREPRENEURSHIP · VIA LINKEDIN
From Consultant to Serial Entrepreneur: A Journey Rooted in Leadership
When I first started as a consultant, it was just me—one person working to help clients navigate challenges and find solutions. But as I grew, I started to see an opportunity for something bigger.
READ →
2023
NOV 28
INTERVIEW
Fueling the Entrepreneurial Fire: Inspiring Stories of Achievement
Join Emmy Award-winning host Aurea McGarry in this episode of "Get CELEBRITIZED" as she welcomes a true visionary and serial entrepreneur, Jake Hamann, to the show.
READ →2023
NOV 28
TEDX · SPEAKING
TEDx St. George: Embracing Disruption
It took Meta’s new social media platform Threads only 4 days and 6 hours to reach 1M users.
READ →2021
APR 21
PEORIA · ECOSYSTEM · VIA LINKEDIN
“We have a strategic plan, it’s called doing things.”
In late 2012, I was introduced to a book called Startup Communities by Brad Feld. After becoming immersed in each and every concept, example, and story about the transformation that was happening in Boulder, Colorado, I…
READ →
2019
MAR 22
PEORIA · ECOSYSTEM · VIA LINKEDIN
It’s time to change the narrative…
Tonight, I want to share an evolution in what has been a passion of mine since launching Startup Peoria (now Startup Greater Peoria) back in December of 2012.
READ →
2019
JAN 2
LIFE · CAREER
New Year, Same Me… Different Direction
When I moved back to the Peoria area in July of 2016, getting back into the workforce felt a bit odd, weird, strange…(fill in the blank with any awkward-themed adjective).
READ →2016
DEC 16
LIFE
Life Pivot
In the world of entrepreneurship and startups, one of my least favorite buzzwords is “pivot.” But in this season of life, I keep finding myself coming back to it as the best way to describe everything that has…
READ →2015
FEB 23
PEORIA · ECOSYSTEM
Mission Not Yet Accomplished
Social media has been buzzing since Friday about Caterpillar’s announcement to keep and expand their World Headquarters here in Peoria.
READ →ON THE SHELF
- Start With Why — Sinek
- Leaders Eat Last — Sinek
- The Third Wave — Case
- Atomic Habits — Clear
- The Infinite Game — Sinek
- Startup Communities — Feld
- Leading with Character — Loehr
- Hooked — Eyal
- Smartcuts — Snow
- Viral Loop — Penenberg
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In early 2021, five years into life after losing my wife, I set up a camera and started talking. No script, no polish. Rediscovering Me is what came out of it: eight episodes on grief, trauma, depression, addiction, and the slow work of putting a life back together on purpose. Some were recorded at home, some from the road on a trip through the Southwest, and a few at night after conversations I couldn’t shake.
The series follows Dr. Jim Loehr’s Leading with Character and its Personal Credo Journal one prompt at a time: performance character versus moral character, the themes that keep showing up in my life, my relationship with food, faith, and the friendships I had let slide. I made it to be honest with myself first. If it helps one other person feel less alone in the middle of it, it was worth hitting record. Onward and upward.
MY BOOKRediscovering Me: The Stuff Men Never Got TaughtGET IT ON AMAZON ↗
THE BOOK BEHIND THE SERIESLeading with CharacterGET IT ON AMAZON ↗
EP 8
MAR 4, 2021
REDISCOVERING ME · EPISODE 8
Nearly 3 weeks after my return from an epic trip to the Southwestern United States, I'm finally back with a recap of my key takeaways from the journey.
WATCH →
EP 7
FEB 9, 2021
REDISCOVERING ME · EPISODE 7
On the heels of a 4-hour conversation with some Pekin High School friends tonight here in Lehi, Utah, I've come to realize the importance that the reconnection of relationships has had on my journey.
WATCH →
EP 6
FEB 6, 2021
REDISCOVERING ME · EPISODE 6
Back at you with a quick update on my journey and coming to grips with the reality of my grief.
WATCH →
EP 5
FEB 1, 2021
EP 4
JAN 28, 2021
REDISCOVERING ME · EPISODE 4
Food addiction has long been considered taboo in the medical world, but recent research shows that the things we eat and consume can sometimes have the same (if not worse) addictive properties as drugs and alcohol.
WATCH →
EP 3
JAN 27, 2021
REDISCOVERING ME · EPISODE 3
Greetings from Las Cruces, New Mexico! After a 12+ hour drive, I tried to keep this video a little short, but wanted to review the prompts from last night and today.
WATCH →
EP 2
JAN 26, 2021
REDISCOVERING ME · EPISODE 2
Welcome and thanks for coming back to view Episode 2 of the Rediscovering Me vlog. Based on the book
WATCH →
EP 1
JAN 25, 2021
REDISCOVERING ME · EPISODE 1
Have you or has anyone in your life struggled with grief, trauma, depression or addiction?
WATCH →
DEC 30, 2024 · STARTUP ANTHOLOGY
From Banquets to Startups: The Inspiring Journey of Jake Hamann
Jeremy Willis on the road from managing a Peoria banquet facility to building AUTIX, plus the mental and emotional strain founders rarely talk about.
NOV 28, 2023 · GET CELEBRITIZED WITH AUREA MCGARRY
Fueling the Entrepreneurial Fire: More Than Just an Inspiring TEDx Story
Disrupting industries, building ventures, and community impact through mentorship and innovation initiatives.
OCT 28, 2020 · THE PEOPLE OF PEORIA PODCAST
Jake Hamann, Founder of the Peoria Innovation Alliance (Episode 10)
Recorded at The Nest Coworking: growing up in Pekin, the entrepreneurial mindset, losing a spouse, and making Peoria the innovation hub of the Midwest.
JUL 17, 2019 · TARTER SOURCE WITH STEVE TARTER
Jake Hamann — Peoria Innovation Alliance
On the newly launched alliance, ONEFIRE, and the potential in Peoria's future.
MAY 26, 2016 · BUILTWORLDS
How Startups are Bridging the Tech Gap
How startups help large corporations reach emerging technology faster than they can build it themselves.
SHORT BIO
Jake Hamann has spent twenty years building companies and the communities around them. He’s President & CEO of ENTEVATE, home to Momentify and Engiyo, founder of AUTIX, and co-founder of KINECT. Based in Frisco, Texas. Award-winning entrepreneur and TEDx speaker.
SPEAKER INTRO
Jake Hamann is a Frisco-based founder who builds AI-native products and takes them to market, from car culture to event engagement to marketing operations.
HONORS & AWARDS
- 40 Leaders Under 40 (Class of 2015)
- SBDC Small Business Advocate of the Year (2020)
- Six Sigma Green Belt
- AAF ADDY Award: Gold, Best of Show, Judge’s Choice
SOCIAL
MEDIA KIT · PDF
The 2026 Media Kit
Bio, expertise, speaking, and contact details in one five-page PDF, ready for event programs, press, and podcast producers.
PHOTOS · CLICK TO PREVIEW AND DOWNLOAD
Please credit Jake Hamann. Editorial portraits by Jasmin Huitzil.