Transforming Ideas into Impact

I am Dr. James "Jim" Sartain—a mission-driven executive, strategist, and I/O psychologist with over three decades of experience leading transformational change across the nonprofit, higher education, and consulting sectors.

I’ve served in a range of leadership roles, including Vice President of a $280M national nonprofit, Executive Director of social service agencies, and Chief Strategy Officer at a private University. I also co-founded a nationally recognized consulting firm specializing in leadership and organizational transformation. Across these roles, I bring clarity to complexity, turn strategy into systems, and lead with transparency and human-centered insight.

My passion lies in aligning people, purpose, and performance, particularly in organizations committed to equity, education, mental health, and community development. I’m especially skilled at building data-informed strategies, empowering leaders through coaching, and designing scalable systems that elevate outcomes for underserved populations.

I hold a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and an MBA, and I’ve been deeply engaged in higher education leadership for over 20 years. I currently serve as Full Professor and Course Lead of the strategy curriculum for a top-five online MBA program, and previously led enterprise-wide strategy at a private liberal arts college in Central Florida. I am committed to advancing academic excellence through innovative, application-based education that prepares leaders for real-world impact.

In my next chapter, I’m open to full-time executive leadership roles, consulting engagements, and fractional leadership assignments with mission-aligned nonprofits or academic institutions. Let’s connect if you’re working on bold initiatives that need thoughtful, people-first leadership.