James Feagin

James has spent the last 20+ years as a disruptor, delivering innovation, impact, and equity to the fields of corporate responsibility, entrepreneurship and mobility. As an economic development practitioner, he has provided strategic counsel for the National Science Foundation, Newlab, the Knight Foundation, MIT Media Lab, the New Economy Initiative, Ford Motor Company Fund, and TED. Currently, in addition to leading investment strategy at Black Bottom Ventures, James also serves as the Director of Economic Mobility for the Gilbert Family Foundation. In this role, he drives equitable wealth creation for Detroiters, overseeing investments like the Apple Developer Academy, Motor City Contractor Fund, and Venture 313. James is a board member of Venture for America, the Marygrove Conservancy, and the Knight Foundation Community Advisory Council.