James West and Globe Derivative Exchange

James West, CEO Globe Derivative Exchange

James West is a man who likes numbers, preferably lots of them. His PhD is in Biostatistics and at one stage he was also an ergodic theory researcher. For reference this is the definition of ergodic mathematics:

relating to or denoting systems or processes with the property that, given sufficient time, they include or impinge on all points in a given space and can be represented statistically by a reasonably large selection of points.

I rest my case. Although West explains ergodic dynamic systems using doughnuts because doughnuts are more interesting than regular planes as fundamentally there’s a hole in a doughnut. When asked if it mattered if it was cream filled or chocolate covered the answer was no, neither made a difference, although usually the math department preferred chocolate filled.

For a time, West was also an entrepreneur in residence which was much more than just about numbers. He was employed by a VC to come up with business ideas in an incubator-like environment with 100 other like minded people.

“It was like being in college, only being paid for it,” suggests West. To find out more, please to this very discursive and interesting podcast. You host is Jillian Godsil