Accelerate Summer Series combines both virtual and in-person events throughout the months of June, July, and August, offering diverse college students a multifaceted learning experience aimed at accelerating their professional journey. Join us for our virtual July event, where we'll discuss Networking and Relationship Building! This webinar is open to diverse college students only.

For questions, please reach out to info@aaaim.org.

We will be joined by Dr. Simon Mak, PhD, MBA, BSME. Dr. Mak is the Executive Director of the Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship and Professor of Practice at the SMU Cox School of Business, overseeing the entrepreneurship program at Cox.

Prior to joining SMU, Dr. Mak worked for Fortune 50 companies Raytheon and Digital Equipment Corporation, and then joined a Silicon Valley startup that IPOed and that’s what brought him to Dallas - opening the Texas office. He also started a healthcare dotcom and after the dotcom crash joined a Dallas software company that he helped sell to Japanese investors. So Dr. Mak is in his third career - engineer, entrepreneur, and now professor.

Dr. Mak is the recipient of the SMU Cox Teaching Innovation award, SMU Distinguished Community Service Award, the Rotunda Outstanding Professor Award, and the Global Educator of the Year by the Dallas Global Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Mak is also the faculty advisor for SMU Intervarsity Fellowship, the SMU Chess Club, the SMU Esports Club, and the SMU Blockchain Club.

Dr. Mak earned an BS in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, an MBA in Finance from the SMU Cox School of Business, and a Ph.D. in Applied Science Systems Engineering from the SMU Lyle School of Engineering.

Lastly, Dr. Mak recently announced his departure from SMU after 20 years of service and will be moving to Mumbai to help start the first AI University in India as the founding Vice Chancellor.