Ken James / About
Community builder, solopreneur, and self-taught developer
based in Massachusetts.
I build projects that bring people together — in person, on paper, and online. Not because connection is a nice idea, but because I've seen what happens when it's missing, and I believe we can do something about it.
My work lives at the intersection of community, creativity, and behavioral science. I care deeply about showing up honestly, doing things that matter, and making space for others to do the same.
"Don't find your passion. Follow your curiosity." I never quite fit the passion-first model. But curiosity? That one I understand.
Three ventures. One thread.
Physical notebooks that circulate through libraries and public spaces, passed from one stranger to the next. Each one is an invitation to write, reflect, and leave something behind. And for those who want to go further — I'm building lightweight social tools so writers can find each other, connect, and continue the conversation beyond the page, through video calls and more. A small act of faith in other people, with the infrastructure to back it up.
A Saturday morning accountability meetup for creatives and entrepreneurs. We use CBT and DBT-inspired frameworks — not to fix anyone, but to build the habits and honest self-awareness that make the work sustainable. Show up. Ship something. Adjust.
Original abstract pieces with 30% of every sale going toward funding this work and other social good organizations. Art that carries its values openly — proof that what you make and what you believe in don't have to be separate things. Down the road, this expands into uniquely designed premium playing cards — a natural intersection of visual art and a craft I've long had a deep respect for.
Everything I build is grounded in what I call E.P.T. — three honest words for how real progress actually works:
The framework came to me on a snow day — struggling with frozen boot laces, laughing at myself — and I realized that's actually what all meaningful work looks like up close.
I came to all of this the long way. I'm self-taught as a developer. I learned magic and mentalism the way most people do — obsessively, late at night, chasing one more technique. I've juggled, written poetry, kept journals, and stood at a Toastmasters club lectern trying to find my voice in front of strangers.
My father introduced me to magic when I was a kid. A single trick. That moment of wonder — of not knowing how something worked but feeling it deeply — has followed me into everything I've built since. I'm still chasing that feeling, just trying to create it for other people now.
I'm a member of Seth Godin's Purple Space community and a participant in the EforAll Merrimack Valley accelerator. I'm working on a book — working title: North Star — about discovering your real work and living with agency.