James moved to the Netherlands from the United States in 2009. He founded the community of Hackers & Founders Amsterdam in 2011. Hackers & Founders opened a co-working space in the Herengracht in Amsterdam which houses nearly 100 members.

In 2013, James co-founded Hackers & Designers a community and cooperative focused on bringing technology, art and design together. Hackers & Designers hosts workshops year round, but most significantly a 2 week summer academy for the past 5 years in Amsterdam.