James West a Native Washingtonian grew up in Washington, DC. After graduating from McKinley Technology HS, he pursued his college education at Marymount University. While at Marymount, James pursued a Major in Economics with a specialty in Management and Sustainability; and a minor in Literature/Composition. His fields of study covered a diverse curriculum: analyzing global consumption choices, resource and human management, business strategy, and decision-making.

James has been involved with organizations concerned with researching and altering the economic and systemic issues that affect under-resourced communities. In 2018, he served on the Alumni Board for the National Non-Profit Urban Alliance, and received a research grant in Enlightenment Literature from the National Endowment for the Humanities. James’ commitment to equitable economic solutions has shown through in his employment at the Washington DC Economic Partnership and Carelife Medical where he served as an Executive Assistant to the President/CEO and Project Management Consultant, respectively.