He holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Syracuse University and a Master of Science in Architecture degree from Pratt Institute. He has taught digital media and emergent technologies at Pratt Institute, Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania. From 2013 through 2015, James was selected as the Design Innovation Fellow within the Department of Architecture at Ball State University. In addition to academia, James is a registered architect in the state of Pennsylvania where he worked at various architecture firms in the Philadelphia area.