James L. Stapleton is the Executive Director of the Douglas C. Greene Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship in the Donald L. Harrison College of Business at Southeast Missouri State University.

James considers himself a serial entrepreneur, constantly seeking venues to create value from limited resources to make the most of opportunities. He enjoyed 10 years of successful business creation and development experience in retail, apparel design, information technology, and telecommunication industries. He believes that entrepreneurship is a way of life that leads to successful individuals, communities, and regions.