Company Info for zeroth.ai | IcebreakerMembers
As COO at Animoca Brands, I helped scale the company from a market cap under $5M to a $6B valuation, transforming it from a mobile game developer into a global Web3 powerhouse. In 2024, I launched Mootiez (mootiez.com), a venture dedicated to turning fans into engaged communities through interactive, gamified experiences.
Passionate about AI, Web3, and community-driven ecosystems, I also advise and mentor startups, leveraging my background in legal, corporate operations, licensing, and entrepreneurship.
I welcome connections with investors, tech enthusiasts, and fellow innovators. 
I'm a New York-based entrepreneur, advisor, and educator passionate about exploring the intersection of psychedelic medicine, community, and education.
Previously, I served as CEO and Co-Founder of River, a groundbreaking news aggregator powered by machine learning, which was acquired by Roca in 2021. Before River, I co-founded Wander (acquired by Yahoo in 2014). At Wander, we pioneered the 'stories' sharing format with our flagship iOS app, Days, laying the groundwork for Snapchat Stories and Instagram Stories. Prior to that, I founded the first social platform for local recommendations. 
James is Head of Animoca Ventures.
Since joining Animoca Group in 2018, James directly managed or originated early investments into numerous Web3 companies (including Yield Guild Games, Opensea, Magic Eden, Matic and Immutable X). Many of these companies are today the giants in the Web3 space, and more than a few have achieved unicorn status.
With a track record of over 200 deals, James brings unique and battle-tested experience and acumen to Animoca Ventures’ mission of identifying the Web3 giants of the future, and building an ecosystem that boosts the performance of every investee company.
Prior to Animoca, James was a serial entrepreneur & builder. His past companies had served discerning global clients such as LVMH, Richemont, Chanel, Sothebys’ to name a few. 
