James Lukens serves as Director of Ventures, Operations at Gary Community Ventures, leading a team of individuals dedicated to making new ideas a reality both within Gary and the broader community. With a focus on maximizing efficiencies and building strong organizational culture, James is often exploring new ideas to test and potentially scale.

James has a strong passion for improving educational opportunities for Colorado’s children, and his work has a focus on early childhood, out-of-school learning, and economic mobility for Colorado families. While at Gary,  he has led both the Childcare Affordability Pilot (CAP) and My Spark ventures. 

James holds a bachelor’s degree in international and area studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a master’s degree in education from Chestnut Hill College, and a master’s degree in epidemiology from Tulane University. 

James began his career as a Teach For America corps member and special educator in Philadelphia. After moving to New Orleans, he spent the following 10 years with Collegiate Academies, a charter management organization. During his time there, he founded Opportunities Academy and was Assistant principal at Carver Prep. He also worked as a ninth-grade algebra and world geography teacher and Senior Director of Special Education.

In his free time, James enjoys snowboarding, searching Star Alliance and OneWorld award availability, and spending time with his family.