James Sykes

A proud St. Louisan, James began his public service career teaching Algebra in his home school district, St. Louis Public Schools, through Teach for America. Driven by a passion for educational equity, he became a John Lewis Fellow with Humanity in Action, joining a community of activists and organizers dedicated to championing social causes in the spirit of ‘Good Trouble.’ After teaching, James transitioned to systems change work as a policy advocacy fellow with Forward Through Ferguson, a racial justice organization founded in the aftermath of the Ferguson Uprisings. In this role, he advocated for a city-wide plan for education and supported the Racial Healing Justice Fund, a community-governed grant fund for regional BIPOC nonprofits and businesses. Before joining Princeton SPIA, James served as a Strategic Operations Manager at the St. Louis Treasurer’s Office for two years. During his time there, he oversaw financial empowerment efforts across the city, most notably leading the city's inaugural guaranteed basic income program, which distributed $6 million to support St. Louis families. Motivated by a commitment to social justice and community empowerment, he continues to seek impactful solutions to social issues. In his free time, James enjoys running, tackling overly ambitious DIY projects, and being mediocre at ping pong.