Jim Kennemer
Jim has been sourcing products from factories across Asia since 2012. He founded Cosmo Sourcing in Shanghai, moved operations to Vietnam in 2014, and built the company into one of the most experienced sourcing firms in Southeast Asia. He still personally visits factories, manages key client relationships, and leads sourcing operations across six countries.
Jim started Cosmo Sourcing while completing his MBA in Shanghai. Friends and contacts kept asking for help finding manufacturers, and what started as sourcing outdoor sports equipment under the name Hartford Outdoor Sports Supply grew into a full-service sourcing company spanning every product category.
In 2014, Jim recognized Vietnam's emerging potential as a manufacturing hub and moved operations to Ho Chi Minh City, making Cosmo one of the first dedicated sourcing companies in Vietnam, years before the US-China trade tensions drove widespread supply chain diversification.
Jim received his MBA from Hult International Business School at its Shanghai campus, where he developed the China market knowledge that led directly to founding Cosmo Sourcing. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Alabama, majoring in finance and economics, and studied Chinese at Ocean University in Qingdao.
Before moving to Asia, Jim worked in the United States House of Representatives in Washington, DC. His first role after college was volunteering for a year with Impact Alabama (now Impact America) through the AmeriCorps VISTA program. He also spent time as a whitewater rafting guide on the Pigeon River in Tennessee.
Jim and his wife spent eight years as full-time digital nomads, running Cosmo Sourcing from countries across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Since 2020, they've settled in Madison, Wisconsin. When he's not visiting factories, Jim spends his time with his two daughters. His interests include hiking, running, curling, architecture, and street food.
