About
With over 30 years of experience in finance, media, and tech, I am a visionary and…
Articles by James
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I am looking forward to a special evening on October 2, 2025, at Howard University School of Business as they host the inaugural CHAT Summits @ The…
I am looking forward to a special evening on October 2, 2025, at Howard University School of Business as they host the inaugural CHAT Summits @ The…
Shared by James Francis
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SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT | CHAT SUMMITS @ HOWARD We are honored to welcome James Francis, Chairman & CEO of Paradigm Asset Management, to the stage at…
SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT | CHAT SUMMITS @ HOWARD We are honored to welcome James Francis, Chairman & CEO of Paradigm Asset Management, to the stage at…
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Morehouse College has ascended to the No. 3 position among Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report…
Morehouse College has ascended to the No. 3 position among Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report…
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Experience
Education
Volunteer Experience
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Co-Founder - Chair Emeritus
Council of Urban Professionals
Economic Empowerment
Mr. Francis was a Co-Founder and second ever Board Chair of CUP. He put his stamp on the organization by leveraging his Corporate, Civic, and Entertainment relationships throughout the country to make CUP one of the most intriguing and fastest growing organizations in the US focused on advocating for racial, ethnic, and gender parity in the highest level of business and civic leadership positions. Mr. Francis and a small team organized to create and pass legislation that has ensured greater…
Mr. Francis was a Co-Founder and second ever Board Chair of CUP. He put his stamp on the organization by leveraging his Corporate, Civic, and Entertainment relationships throughout the country to make CUP one of the most intriguing and fastest growing organizations in the US focused on advocating for racial, ethnic, and gender parity in the highest level of business and civic leadership positions. Mr. Francis and a small team organized to create and pass legislation that has ensured greater utilization of WMBE firms across all NY State agencies which has led to 10s of millions of new contracts.
The Council of Urban Professionals (CUP) began as a spark of an idea in a living room in New York City in 2007, where 62 young urban professionals gathered to discuss our desire to help our communities. We yearned for a space where our unique resources – as professionals in the finance, law, media & entertainment, and other sectors – could be maximized. At the same time, we understood that our collective capacity to affect real social change was directly linked to our own individual power to drive this change within our respective sectors and companies. In other words, we each needed to become leaders in our own lives and careers in order to achieve real growth and prosperity in our communities.
Today, CUP comprises a 501(c)(6) and 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to connect, empower, and mobilize the next generation of diverse business and civic leaders. Since 2007, CUP has focused on preparing high-performing professionals of color and women for the rise to senior leadership roles within financial services, legal, media & entertainment, non-profit, and public sectors. The CUP Leadership Institute, our 501 (c)(3) entity, provides structured leadership development programs and serves as CUP’s formal training arm. -
Board Member
CJ Francis III Foundation
- Present 32 years 4 months
Civil Rights and Social Action
Advocating Change - Inspired by a life-changing event, C J Francis III Foundation was established in 1993. Over the years, we have become one of the most trusted and effective charitable foundations, working hard to improve the lives of those in need.
Courses
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Application Development
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Artificial Intelligence
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Big Data
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Design Thinking
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Innovation and Strategy
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Machine Learning
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Organizations
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IAAA | The International Association of Algorithmic Auditors
Member
- PresentAlgorithmic bias is not just about race, gender and age discrimination. AI-powered algorithms can identify the wrong patient, target market, hire, investment, pandemic, X factor, etc. Biases are almost always unknown unknowns. An algorithmic audit assures that algorithmic harms are identified, addressed, and ultimately corrected so that stakeholders can act on informed and vetted AI-powered business recommendations.
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CJ Francis Foundation
Board Member
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Council of Urban Professionals
Former Board Chair
The Council of Urban Professionals develops diverse business and civic leaders in order to strengthen our communities, increase opportunities for minority and women businesses, encourage diversity at all levels of our society, and invest in the future of our children.
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Creativity is evolving in the age of AI. Thanks to Big Kitty Labs, MidwestCon 2025 is bringing leading voices together to explore how technology…
Creativity is evolving in the age of AI. Thanks to Big Kitty Labs, MidwestCon 2025 is bringing leading voices together to explore how technology…
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With AI we are not just building widgets anymore. We’re building tools that shape lives, culture, and communities. That’s why MidwestCon matters…
With AI we are not just building widgets anymore. We’re building tools that shape lives, culture, and communities. That’s why MidwestCon matters…
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We’ve all seen and heard the buzz around the #MIT study warning that over-reliance on AI can create "cognitive debt," undermining critical thinking…
We’ve all seen and heard the buzz around the #MIT study warning that over-reliance on AI can create "cognitive debt," undermining critical thinking…
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You asked for tech and AI, and we're delivering some of the most brilliant minds in the space for TRANSFORM 2025. Get ready to be inspired by these…
You asked for tech and AI, and we're delivering some of the most brilliant minds in the space for TRANSFORM 2025. Get ready to be inspired by these…
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The real history of MidwestCon Circa 2016 when I was Chairman at UC, we launched the Next Lives Here Innovation Summit. That was the first…
The real history of MidwestCon Circa 2016 when I was Chairman at UC, we launched the Next Lives Here Innovation Summit. That was the first…
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Meta’s leaked AI guidelines permitted chatbots to flirt with children. They also allowed racist “arguments” claiming Black people are less…
Meta’s leaked AI guidelines permitted chatbots to flirt with children. They also allowed racist “arguments” claiming Black people are less…
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