James WJ Sutton

James is passionate about design, education and all things creative! After graduating in architecture from Nottingham University, he was preparing to make a trip to the Amazon rainforest, when he suddenly discovered that he required urgent heart surgery due to a severe aortic aneurysm. Thankfully everything turned out OK for him and now he is the proud owner of a mechanical heart valve, which according to his surgeon will last for 400 years! Like most people who pass through a life threatening experience, James emerged with a clear focus, resolved to spend his time on things that really matter most to him. For James this has led him to work with online education as a tool to help tackle global deforestation and climate change. More recently, to exploring ideas like crowdsourcing, as a new way to create and publish a book, when the traditional publishing model seems to be out of reach for so many people.

Today James lives in São Paulo with his Brazilian wife, dividing his time between teaching and pursuing new opportunities. Currently he is co-founding a coworking space in Brazil. He is also the founder of the Bloomtrigger project, a pioneering online platform for rainforest conservation and environmental education.

Additionally, James spends far too much time running in the park, trying to get his head around Portuguese grammar and experimenting the endless exotic fruits South America has to offer. He is always happy to talk, so feel free to contact him if you wish to discuss any of his projects or would like to invite him to talk at your event.