James Artis is the EVP for Business Development at GPS Speakers and Events where he works with clients in managing their live events portfolio, including conferences, symposiums, and lecture series. The events company represents exclusive talent such as Dr. Cornel West and Iyanla Vanzant from the Oprah Winfrey Network.
“I’ve always enjoyed the dynamic,” he shares. James’ passion for events goes back to his college days. He previously ran a talent agency while working as the tour manager for Russell Simmons, Def Jam Records’ co-founder.
James likes to listen to podcasts to stay up-to-date and to sharpen his business development skills. His favorites include This Week in Startups and The Pitch. When it comes to staying inspired, he shares that he likes to work at The Mill because “it’s really just a cool space with good energy. It’s also where like-minded people are all working on some great ideas.”
