James Okina is a social entrepreneur, child rights advocate, and leader with over a decade of experience working to improve the outcomes of at-risk youth, street children, and marginalized populations. James currently serves as Director of Design at Watson Institute, where he helps to curate world-class Fellowships powered by global corporations like Western Union and Ford Motor Company for highly promising entrepreneurs and leaders, primarily from historically disenfranchised backgrounds.

At age 9, James indulged in dreadful experiences on the streets after his parents separated, turning to vices as an adolescent for meaning and a sense of belonging. After an unprecedented turnaround, grounded by his experiences, James founded Street Priests in 2014 at age 15. Over the past 10 years, Street Priests Inc. has impacted thousands through community programs that combine social and emotional learning to help them reintegrate into society. This story has been shared by the BBC, NPR, Forbes, Stanford Social Innovation Review, SAP, and ZDFheute, amongst others, on four continents. James provides strategic leadership on the board of several global organizations for increased leverage in building a better world for young people.