Director of Dreams, 2002 – 2009
Glofun Labs, Redmond, WA 

Founder of startup that develops GPS-enabled games for mobile phones. Responsibilities include overall business strategy, partner development and negotiation, product specification and testing, and intellectual property.

Products include:

Noteworthy: All products, prototypes, and marketing events created with teams of 3 - 7 individuals.

Intellectual Property Manager, 1998 – 2002
Tangis Corporation, Seattle, WA

Co-founder of Tangis Corporation, an unsuccessful startup which investigated software for highly-mobile PCs ("wearable computers"), and ultimately offered software kits for mobile field-force automation applications.

Responsibilities included developing IP business plans and processes, leading invention efforts, creating patent portfolio on Context Awareness.

Noteworthy: Patent portfolio purchased by Microsoft in 2007

Group Program Manager, 1999 – 2000

Responsibilities included hiring and managing program managers and UI/Usability staff for development of wearable-computer prototypes.

Noteworthy: Personally produced a software-guided Baja Road Rally to provide program managers experience with proposed features

Intellectual Property Strategist, 1997 - present
Excelsior Bonifico Company, Redmond, WA

Founder and manager of independent IP strategy firm. Responsibilities include client management, analyzing IP landscape and product potential of developing technologies, optimizing business plans to minimize cost and maximize patent value. Details...

Clients include Bio-Rad, University of Washington, McCarthy Software, Smart Grid, Randal Industries,  Radiocosm, Glofun Labs, and other confidential clients.

Intellectual Property Management Instructor, 2001 - present

Lecturer and workshop facilitator for schools, organizations, and private clients. Programs provided include:

  • University of Washington Extension Department certification program in Intellectual Property Management (2001 - 2008)
  • Licensing Executives Society, Professional Development Series (2002 - 2008)
  • Various US & Canadian Licensing Executives Society local chapters
  • Lecturer and Workshop Facilitator for Bio-Rad for over 200 senior business managers and scientists who completed 2-day workshops on introductory and advanced patent use.

Noteworthy: Popular speaker with consistently positive reviews for content and delivery. For example this feedback on the March 2008 LES lecture on Valuation & Negotiation (evaluations, summary graph, comments).

Project Manager, 1995 - 1996                                                             
Advanced Consumer Devices, Redmond, WA


Various responsibilities for the Broadcast PC project, including management of functional specifications, communications and meetings with hardware vendors (e.g., Gateway and video tuner manufacturers), specification for extensions to Windows keyboard codes to handle streaming multi-media, UI design and usability testing for Electronic Program Guide and wireless remote controls, patent candidate inventory, liaison to Legal and Corporate Affairs. Deliverables included:

  • Broadcast Architecture Platform Development Kit
  • Electronic Program Guide prototype
  • Usability analysis of Gateway TV-optimized PC input devices

Noteworthy: Analyzed over 40 innovations, submitted 14 as high-value patent candidates, resulting portfolio which now covers many aspects of PC use of broadcast and multicast content. James also contributed to various Electronic Program Guide inventions.

Program Manager, 1992 - 1994
TrueType Fonts Group, Redmond, WA

Responsibilities included feature/UI design, documentation, test, and packaging of font pack utilities and documentation. Except for font creation and test, all staff was contracted. This project was done concurrent with other project responsibilities. Products include:

  • TrueType Font Pack for Windows
  • Windows Printing System Font Pack
  • TrueType Font Pack 2
  • Hewlett-Packard Font Set

Noteworthy:  Bill Gates congratulates team for first font pack as being the quickest product in corporate history to ship and to achieve profit -- just over three months from staffing to shipping; >$12M revenue in following three months.

Documentation Manager, OEM Deliverables Manager, 1992 - 1994
Windows Printing Systems Group, Redmond, WA

Technical specifications, code walkthroughs, UI design, and user documentation for Windows Printing System. Training support included liaison with overseas printer manufacturers. All James' staff was contracted.  Products include:

  • Windows Printing System for HP LaserJets
  • Windows Printing System Porting Kits
  • Windows 95 printing components

Noteworthy: Inventor on patented Printer UI.

Programmer Writer, OEM Deliverables Manager, July 1991 - 1992
Windows Systems Group, Redmond, WA

Responsible for documentation and porting kits for TrueImage. Porting support included training and serving as liaison for printer manufacturer programming teams visiting from overseas.

Owner/Manager, 1986 - 1991
Far West Publishing Systems, Cotati, CA

Founded and managed successful technical publishing firm specializing in rapid creation of accurate manufacturing, porting, and support documentation. Staff of 12 at time of Microsoft acquisition. Products include:

  • Microsoft Windows 3.0 Software Development Kit (memory management chapters) & Device Development Kit (all 36 chapters)
  • Microsoft TrueImage technical specification (Microsoft Taiwan)
  • General Instrument Video Cipher Division's 2100 - 2700 series satellite descrambler/receiver service manuals
  • Qume Technical Reference & Maintenance manuals for video display terminals (QVT 190 - 323 EV)
  • Dr. Dry Bed-Wetting Therapy Computer: physician, parent & child instruction materials
  • others

Noteworthy: Developed proprietary Information Refinery software which automated many technical publishing processes allowing rapid, accurate information collection and distribution. For example, the 34 chapters of code reference information in the Windows 3.0 Device Driver Kit was available for publishing 3 days after code freeze. Techniques included parsing the assembly code to programmatically diagram static data structures and their pointers.

Publication Tools Specialist , 1985 – 1986HP.com United States Home                                                         
Hewlett-Packard, HP Labs, Palo Alto, CA

Developed software and processes that compressed documentation development cycles, which were consistently critical path in shipment of complex instrumentation.

Noteworthy: Developed automated SGML-based STAR/TDP documentation system used by many divisions to significantly decrease time and expense of service manuals.

Technical Writer, 1982 – 1985
Hewlett-Packard, Signal Analysis Division, Santa Rosa, CA

Responsible for creating service documentation for HP 8558 and HP 71000-series Modular Spectrum Analyzers.

Test Technician, 1981 – 1982
Hewlett-Packard, Signal Analysis Division, Santa Rosa, CA

Responsible for calibration and troubleshooting of HP 8553 RF Spectrum Analyzer.

Noteworthy: Shut down decade-old production line in sixth week of employment by uncovering failure of product to perform to all published specifications. 

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