John J. Jackson Sr., MBA
John Jackson serves as Associate Director of the Arizona Center for Accelerated Biomedical Innovation (ACABI) at the University of Arizona, where he supports the development and commercialization of biomedical technologies and builds interdisciplinary collaborations among faculty, students, clinicians, engineers, entrepreneurs, and industry partners.
John brings more than 25 years of professional experience in business development, operational management, entrepreneurship, and technology commercialization across a range of technology-driven industries. His experience includes identifying market opportunities, developing go-to-market strategies, conducting industry needs assessments, defining intellectual property value propositions, building strategic partnerships, and launching and operating technology-based companies.
At ACABI, John works with investigators and project teams to translate early-stage ideas and unmet clinical needs into structured innovation and development programs. His work spans technology and market assessment, commercialization strategy, industry engagement, intellectual property development, project development, and non-dilutive funding, including SBIR and STTR programs. He also helps develop experiential learning opportunities that engage undergraduate and graduate students in real-world innovation projects spanning engineering, medicine, business, and entrepreneurship. Through ACABI, these activities have contributed to an interdisciplinary innovation ecosystem that has engaged more than 300 students and over 35 faculty collaborators across the University.
Prior to joining ACABI, John served as Senior Business Intelligence Unit Manager for Tech Launch Arizona, the University of Arizona's technology commercialization arm. In that role, he provided market and business intelligence to support commercialization decisions involving University intellectual property and worked with inventors and commercialization teams to evaluate market opportunities, competitive landscapes, industry needs, and potential pathways to market.
John is also an entrepreneur and inventor. He co-founded Grafted Growers, an agricultural technology company developed through the University of Arizona's McGuire Entrepreneurship Program, and has led technology development supported by multiple U.S. Department of Agriculture Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards. He is an inventor on patented automated plant-growing technology. His experience building and commercializing technology companies provides a practical perspective that complements his work advising university investigators and innovation teams.
John earned his bachelor's degree in Communication from the University of Arizona and an MBA with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship from the Eller College of Management. He is an alumnus of the McGuire Entrepreneurship Program. His multidisciplinary background in business, entrepreneurship, technology commercialization, and university innovation allows him to serve as a connector across technical, clinical, business, and industry communities and to help teams move promising ideas toward meaningful real-world impact.