In honor of his success as an entrepreneur and inventor, Ohio University faculty have chosen to award the Konneker Medal for Commercialization and Entrepreneurship to alumnus Jake Sigal.
The Konneker Medal — named in honor of OU alumnus Wilfred Konneker — recognizes current and former faculty members or students who have demonstrated excellence in innovation, invention, commercialization and entrepreneurship, according to OU’s website.
“Jake Sigal is an alumnus who has rapidly achieved prominence as an inventor, with multiple patents, and also as an entrepreneur,” Joseph Shields, vice president for research and creative activity and dean of the Graduate College, said in an email. “(He) exemplifies the kind of creativity and success that the university seeks to recognize with the Konneker Medal.”
Recipients of the award are nominated with an email submission. Nominations closed Oct. 31 and Sigal was announced as the winner Dec. 1. The Konneker Medal will be awarded Wednesday during the Inventors Dinner.
Sigal has created two startup companies and has been awarded 11 U.S. patents, according to the OU's website. He earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees in industrial and systems engineering from OU's Russ College of Engineering and Technology in 2003 and 2004, respectively.
Currently, he is the CEO of his second startup company, Tome Software, which develops products that keep customers “mobile and active.” The company launched in 2014.
In 2008, he created his first startup company Livio out of the Metro Detroit area. Originally, it was a consumer electronics startup, but later transitioned to a mobile software and web technologies. The company was acquired by Ford in 2013.
He said he attributes his technical expertise to the engineering degrees he earned at OU.
“I think that the experience of Athens both in class and out can teach you how to grow up and be social and have communication skills and learn grit,” Sigal said.
While Sigal is happy to accept the award, he said it is more of a success for entrepreneurs and small business owners as a whole.
“The award means more to the entrepreneurship community in that, I think that I did my part, but the award is more than me,” Sigal said. “It is showing that you can create jobs when you leave school and not just go get a job.”
Sigal said that being “entrepreneurial” is not merely owning a business. He believes anyone in any position can be an entrepreneur as long as they know how to hustle, know how to communicate effectively and, above all else, know how to be creative.
“If you want to invent, if you want to create, there is nothing to hold you back in this country to do it,” Sigal said.
