Setting the path

For entrepreneur Jay Wolcott, B.B.A.’99, the key to success has always been paving his own path and helping others do the same. The founder and CEO of Digital Roots has spent the majority of his time since graduation growing companies, others and his own, and helping pave the way for others’ success.

Prior to launching Digital Roots, a software company focused on artificial intelligence for social analytics, Wolcott spent eight years post graduation rising in the ranks at General Motors.

“At GM, I was provided many challenging roles that led to very early management responsibilities on large global outsourcing programs,” says Wolcott, who was offered a position at the company before even starting his senior year at WMU. “I attribute this responsibility to my education in integrated supply management at WMU and to my undergraduate studies providing me with a balanced understanding of business fundamentals.”

Eight years after graduation, as one of the youngest executive level employees with global procurement responsibilities at GM, Wolcott launched Digital Roots.

“The second half of my career has been even more challenging trying to create a business from scratch,” says Wolcott. “But like anything else, I have learned a successful approach and leverage that experience to launch and manage additional businesses. To date, we now have five different companies in operation.”

Wolcott attributes his business acumen and his desire to continue growing as a business owner and professional to the faculty at the Haworth College of Business. In particular, Dr. Sime Curkovic, professor of supply chain management, had an impact on Wolcott.

“Dr. Curkovic instantly took an interest in students and the big decisions we were preparing for in regards to our careers,” he says. “I will never forget the consultation he provided about the various job offers we were receiving and the realistic perspective he brought from working in similar environments.”

Now Wolcott helps advise integrated supply management students working towards their own goals, as a part of his role on the ISM Executive Council, a group of industry executives helping to shape and advise the ISM program.

“Selfishly participating on this board also allows me to identify talent coming out of the program as well as providing face-to-face interaction with students,” says Wolcott, adding that being challenged in higher education help set the stage for tasks facing student in the business world. “The second half of my career has been even more challenging trying to create business from scratch. But like anything else, I have learned successful approach and leverage that experience to launch and manage additional businesses.”

For Wolcott, paving multiple paths to success for himself and others is all in a day’s work.