Business Pioneer and Entrepreneur Jim Weiss ’87 to Deliver Keynote Address at Newhouse Convocation Ceremony
Weiss is chairman and founder of the global health innovation company Real Chemistry and co-founder of the Weiss Center at the Newhouse School.
Jim Weiss ’87, a pioneer and leading entrepreneur in the media, health care and medical technology industries, will deliver the keynote address at the 2025 Newhouse Convocation Ceremony.
The celebration of the Class of 2025 will take place Saturday, May 10, 2025, at 12:30 p.m. in the JMA Wireless Dome.
Weiss is chairman and founder of Real Chemistry, a global health innovation company. A member of the Newhouse Advisory Board, Weiss is an ardent supporter of initiatives that expand learning opportunities at his alma mater. He earned a bachelor’s in communications from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University.
Weiss and his wife, Audra (Nass) Weiss ’89, founded the Weiss Center at Newhouse to develop programming on communications, influencer marketing, artificial intelligence and analytics, and their influence on society and the future of business.
The center aims to ensure students are immersed and educated in the digital world and help them seamlessly transition after graduation into careers in the fast-moving field of strategic marketing and communications.
Real Chemistry also provided the founding gift that established the Emerging Insights Lab. The space is a state-of-the-art social media command center that serves as a central hub for the interfacing of digital media monitored and researched by students and faculty at the Newhouse School.
“Possessing an entrepreneurial spirit and forward-looking mindset, Jim Weiss serves as a role model for students as they begin to forge their own paths in technology-driven industries,” Newhouse Dean Mark J. Lodato said. “He offers a distinct perspective as a Newhouse graduate, longtime champion of the school and leader in strategic marketing and communications.”
Under Weiss’ leadership, Real Chemistry has evolved over the past two decades from a one-person consultancy to a team of more than 2,200 employees who partner with clients at the highest levels of organizational decision-making. A pioneer in the application of analytics, data and precision targeting to the biopharmaceutical and health care business, Weiss has said he learned early in his career to follow the data to get to the right outcome.
Today, Real Chemistry uses real-world data, proprietary technologies and analytical insights to solve the health care industry’s most significant challenges. Weiss prides himself as an action-oriented driver to make the world a healthier place for all.
Graduation Weekend
All graduating students and their families are invited to attend the Newhouse Convocation Ceremony on Saturday, May 10. Visit newhouse.syracuse.edu/convocation for more details.
Syracuse University Commencement will be held Sunday, May 11. For the most current information about Commencement Weekend events, visit commencement.syr.edu.