# James Schmachtenberger

> James Schmachtenberger is the Austin-based CEO and co-founder of Qualia Life Sciences, a founder and operator whose unconventional path runs from leaving school after seventh grade to managing a book company, buying and operating Body Mind College, producing documentaries, organizing cannabis-policy groups, and building a consumer life-sciences company with his brother Daniel Schmachtenberger and Jordan Greenhall. Across those chapters, his consistent themes are systems thinking, empathy, long-term incentives, and turning specialized ideas into organizations people can actually use.

- **Role:** CEO and Co-Founder at Qualia Life Sciences
- **Organizations:** Qualia Life Sciences, Neurohacker Collective, Body Mind College, Citizens for Patients Rights, Patient Care Association of California, Association of Cannabis Professionals, Mankind Cooperative
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Holistic Health Practitioner, Body Mind College, Maharishi University of Management, Institute for Omniology
- **Known for:** Bought and operated Body Mind College while still a teenager and ran it for nine years., Executive-produced Medicinal Cannabis and Its Impact on Human Health., Helped raise more than $250,000 for San Diego drug-policy reform campaigns, according to an archived LinkedIn profile filed with the SEC.

## Career timeline

- **Teenage years** — Managed a book company for part of each year while also attending community college.
- **Circa 2000** — Attended Body Mind College at 17, then persuaded its management to let him run the school.
- **2001-2010** — Bought and operated Body Mind College for nine years before exiting in 2010.
- **2010-2011** — Started a film production company and served as executive producer of Medicinal Cannabis and Its Impact on Human Health.
- **2011** — Became treasurer and spokesman for Citizens for Patients Rights and helped raise more than $250,000 for San Diego policy campaigns, according to his archived LinkedIn profile.
- **2012** — Served as president of the Patient Care Association of California, establishing a code of ethics plus accreditation and certification programs.
- **By 2014** — Co-founded Mankind Cooperative and developed the concept that became Qualia.
- **2015** — Co-founded Neurohacker Collective, now Qualia Life Sciences, and became CEO and a director.
- **2017** — Delivered the TEDxCardiffbytheSea talk Empathy: The Catalyst for Global Change.
- **2025** — Qualia appeared on the Inc. 5000 at No. 3,238 with 124% three-year growth.

## Achievements

- Bought and operated Body Mind College while still a teenager and ran it for nine years.
- Executive-produced Medicinal Cannabis and Its Impact on Human Health.
- Helped raise more than $250,000 for San Diego drug-policy reform campaigns, according to an archived LinkedIn profile filed with the SEC.
- Established a code of ethics and accreditation and certification programs while president of the Patient Care Association of California.
- Co-founded Qualia Life Sciences in 2015 and has served as CEO and a director.
- Delivered a 2017 TEDx talk on empathy and global change.
- Led Qualia during its 2020, 2021 and 2025 appearances on the Inc. 5000.

## Latest updates

- **2026-01** — Appeared on episode 550 of Get Yourself Optimized, where he discussed Qualia's complex-systems approach, his partnership with his brother Daniel and his role in turning research into an accessible company.
- **2025-08** — Celebrated Qualia's inclusion on the 2025 Inc. 5000; Inc. ranked the company No. 3,238 with 124% three-year growth.
- **2025-06** — Appeared on the Live Long podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about Qualia and his career.
- **2025-04** — Appeared on The Joel Evan Show to discuss the creation of Qualia and its product-development approach.

## Links

- Website: https://qualialife.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesschmachtenberger
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/theneurohacker
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesschmachtenberger/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamesschmachtenberger/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/james-schmachtenberger
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-25