Born and raised in Oakland, California, James developed a deep respect for environmental stewardship, shaped by his parents and Japanese grandparents who were sharecroppers in Salinas before their incarceration during WWII. His connection to agriculture deepened at Dinner Bell Farm near Grass Valley, where he first gained hands-on experience working with flowers, vegetables, and pasture-raised livestock. Inspired by this, he pursued formal training at the Center for Agroecology at UC Santa Cruz in 2013.

James has gone on to manage diverse farms along the Central Coast and South Bay, specializing in regenerative, sustainable, and organic practices while strengthening his strategic business and operational skills. In 2020, he joined Kitchen Table Advisors (KTA) as a Business Advisor, supporting a cohort of 18 small-scale farmers and ranchers along the San Mateo Coastside and East Bay with tailored, one-on-one business guidance.

James now serves as Program Manager for Ecosystem Building at KTA, overseeing strategic initiatives that build connections across food system stakeholders to improve equitable economic opportunities for regenerative producers. In this role, he cultivates partnerships, stewards projects focused on land access, capital, and markets, and drives systemic change by leveraging his deep agricultural expertise and strategic business acumen to empower farmers, strengthen communities, and create a more just, resilient food system.