James Hooks is a leadership philosopher, advisor, and learning architect for Airbnb. He has previously led learning and organizational development teams for Facebook, Twitter, and PeopleLab.

His doctoral research was on the Meaning Making of African American Leaders in Technology Organizations. He also holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership, from Brandman University, part of Chapman University, where his thesis was on Guiding Leadership Through Technologies in the Development of Transformative Organizational Cultures. Other academic achievements and work include Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business in Corporate Innovation and Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Chapman University.

He previously served as Co-Founder and Vice Chair of Urban City Fresh in Atlanta, a 501(c)3 nonprofit focused on food education, and mentored with Big Brothers Big Sisters in Orange County and Los Angeles.