Jim Matheson joined the Harvard Business School Faculty in 2019 and teaches the Entrepreneurial Finance, Tough Tech Ventures and Accelerating Climate Solutions courses and is a faculty affiliate of the Business & Environment Initiative and The Salata Institute for Climate & Sustainability. He also remains active as an investor, board director & advisor for several companies and VC/PE investment groups including as a Special Partner at The Engine and a Venture Partner & Member of the Select Fund Investment Committee at Breakthrough Energy Ventures. 

From 2000-2018, Jim was one of the four General Partners who launched Flagship Pioneering and helped grow the firm to over $3 billion+ AUM. At Flagship, he co-founded, invested in and helped grow a wide variety of businesses and spearheaded the firm’s sustainable technology practice and was involved in myriad U.S. and international efforts to foster entrepreneurship and climate change solutions.

From 2013-2018, Jim also served as President and CEO of Oasys Water, having also been the company’s founding Chairman and Lead Investor since 2009. As CEO, he led the rapid global expansion of Oasys’ award-winning industrial wastewater treatment platform and the sale of the business to their Asian partner in 2018. 

Before embarking on a second career in entrepreneurship and investing, Jim was a Navy F-14/18 pilot with significant combat experience and tours as a TOPGUN Instructor and Officer-in-Charge of the Navy’s Nevada-based Adversary Squadron before retiring in 2008 as Commander. He earned his BS (with honors) from the United States Naval Academy and an MBA from Harvard Business School.