We Get You to Growth.
We've worked in industry leadership roles, in consulting, as functional experts, and in thought-leadership. We've been where you are, delivered solutions to get past it, and keep ourselves at the cutting edge of what’s possible.
In business and consulting, we’ve helped build market leadership, turn failing organizations around, grow organizations that have stalled, and launch new products and product platforms. We do it by locking into your most important customers, internal processes, growth paths, and internal alignment mechanisms.
We can assess organizations for effectiveness and recommend appropriate action items to align around, achieve goals, and instill discipline for a culture of growth. And we won’t abandon you with vague recommendations: We understand what successful businesses need to have or build, when you need outside help and when you don’t. Our network of implementation experts in AI, IT, digital marketing, finance, and project management help us bring your priorities to life.
We specialize in helping growth-oriented organizations like yours get the results you need and can use, delivered by a team that brings the practical experience and fresh approach that comes from diverse thought applied to real-world situations.
About the Founder
James Janega is the founder and Managing Partner of Growth Innovation Strategy Group, a consulting firm built to help mid-sized and family-owned businesses with strategic planning, innovation, and execution. With a diverse background in entrepreneurship, corporate innovation, and strategy consulting, James brings a fresh perspective to the intersection of business strategy and emerging technologies, making the cutting-edge practical.
At GIS he developed TRENDWISE, an AI-powered foresight tool that tracks disruption risks across industries, and STRATWISE, which recommends customized, context-specific strategic response options, helping clients anticipate and respond to future market shifts.
GIS can guide you through complex market dynamics, identifying growth opportunities and developing innovative solutions. Our approach emphasizes the intersection of strategy and innovation, utilizing practical, repeatable frameworks that empower organizations through aligned innovation, strategic goals, and brand identity.
As an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, James shares his expertise with future business leaders in the Midwest and around the world. He co-directs international innovation executive education programs and teaches Innovation Leadership to MBA students, equipping them with tools to drive meaningful change in their organizations. Additionally, he serves as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign EnterpriseWorks incubator and advises startups at the Duality quantum accelerator in Chicago.
James holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and studied Artificial Intelligence management at the MIT Sloan School of Management and the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). He is recognized as a thought leader in AI, strategic foresight, and business innovation, helping companies navigate today’s fast-changing landscape.
When not teaching or consulting, Janega’s interests include laughing with his wife and their two children, exploring the outdoors, racing in Ironman triathlons, and performing jazz music.