About James
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James is a political economist whose research falls within the transdisciplinary field of ecological economics, which is a bridge across not only ecology and economics, but discourses related to community, modernity, resource extraction, money, and "the good life." His teaching largely falls within the realms of political studies, business, and communications.
James holds an MPhil in Economics from Cambridge University, where he studied the social and ecological dynamics of the debt-based money system. He's presently a PhD researcher at McGill University in the "Leadership for the Ecozoic" program, a group of researchers exploring "how systems of economics, governance, and ethics might heal and restore the global community of life." James has a keen interest in testing and integrating forward-looking principles in applied business and organizational settings. He is the Director of the CMU Centre for Resilience, a Board Director with the Assiniboine Credit Union, and a founding member of Prairie Rivers CoLiving. He previously worked as a financial counsellor and business advisor, in public policy positions with lawmakers, and as a social entrepreneur—co-founding a food cooperative (The Fireweed Food Co-op), a coffee shop (Fools + Horses), a composting service (Compost Winnipeg), and an urban land trust. |
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Current Initiatives
- PhD researcher, McGill University, in the Natural Resource Science department's Leadership for the Ecozoic program
- Herman Daly Research Fellow, Centre for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy (CASSE)
- Instructor, Canadian Mennonite University / Director, CMU Centre for Resilience
- Board Director, Assiniboine Credit Union
- Strategic Advisor, CAST Inc. (Creative Applications for Sustainable Technologies)
- Strategic Advisor, Manoverboard Design
Background
- Co-founder, Fools + Horses Coffee
- Co-chair, Transition Winnipeg
- Board Director, Green Action Centre / Compost Winnipeg
- Financial Counselor and Estate Manager, LC Taylor, Trustee in Bankruptcy
- Policy and communications positions with lawmakers and advocacy organizations, including the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce
- Worked in the communications industry as an editor and translator in Asia
- Named one of Manitoba's "Future 40 Under 40" (2015)
Education
- PhD (in progress), McGill University
- MPhil, Cambridge University
- BA in Political Studies (Hons), Theatre (Hons; Gold Medal), and Rhetoric & Communications, University of Winnipeg