James Rhee

James Rhee serves as the Johnson Chair of Entrepreneurship and Professor of Entrepreneurship at Howard University's School of Communications, Department of Communication Studies. He concurrently holds positions as Senior Lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management, Executive-in-Residence at the MIT Leadership Center, and instructor at Duke Law School. Additionally, he acts as Senior Adviser to Howard University's Center for Women, Gender, and Global Leadership.

His academic foundation includes honors degrees from Harvard College and Harvard Law School, where he edited the Harvard Law Review. Prior to his business career, he worked as a high school teacher.

Professor Rhee specializes in operationalizing purpose through the intersection of capital, race, and gender. His research examines multidimensional transformation in capitalism, values-based investing frameworks, and ecosystem behavior in organizational reinvention. He champions 'kindness and math' as foundational principles for sustainable capitalism, emphasizing trust, joy, and authentic voices in business transformation.

His notable recognitions include:

• Power Player Award from the National Retail Federation
• Frederick Douglass Award from the New York Urban League

Rhee advises global leaders through JPMorgan Chase's Advancing Black Pathways Advisory Council and CEO Action for Racial Equity Governing Committee. His red helicopter initiative creates systemic alliances connecting entrepreneurs with civic leaders, while his Ashley Stewart turnaround exemplifies diverse ecosystem innovation. He is a soon-to-be-published author whose work has been featured by TED Conference and Brene Brown.