About
James W. Riley is a Faculty Associate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. He serves as Principal Investigator of the blackbox Lab within the Digital, Data, Design Institute, focusing on interdisciplinary research addressing digital transformations and systemic inequities. His work bridges economic sociology, organizational culture, and innovation-driven industries.
Education: Ph.D. from MIT Sloan School of Management; M.Sc. in Urbanization and Development from the London School of Economics; B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California.
Research Interests: Explores status dynamics, norms, and social valuations in creative industries, cultural markets, and tech-driven organizations. His lab investigates how digital, data, and design innovations can disrupt historical inequities in race, culture, and business contexts. Methodologically, he employs ethnographic approaches and grounded theory building.
Labs/Teams: blackbox Lab (Digital, Data, Design Institute at Harvard).
