Richard James, a graduate of the New York Institute of Technology, has been involved in creative businesses his entire life. A copywriter by trade, Richard began his career at ad agency giant, J. Walter Thompson Co. After a stint at ABC-TV Network, Richard rose-up the ranks of the competitive New York ad agency world to become an owner guiding creative direction on business that included clients: Volvo NA, Coca-Cola, Black & Decker, and others. In the 1990s, Richard exited the industry after the successive sale of two ad agency brands he built from the ground up.