Dr. LaKisha James
Entrepreneur | Best Selling Author | Humanitarian | Event Strategist
Dr. James is a three-time international bestselling author, humanitarian, and event strategist recognized globally for her leadership in women’s empowerment, community service, and transformational engagement. She is the Founder of Designer Events by LaKisha and Host of Talks with LaKisha, and serves as Chief Operating Officer for the I Am Enough Empowerment Movement. Everyone has a story — and Dr. James is on a mission to help you tell yours.
Dr. James has been featured in the following publications:
Where Dr. James Makes an Impact
Speaking
Dr. James is a global conference speaker known for challenging audiences toward purpose and action. Drawing on decades in entrepreneurship, humanitarian work, and community leadership, her talks leave people with more than motivation. They leave believing their own story is worth telling.
Books
A three-time international bestselling author with nine publications to her name, Dr. James writes on resilience, healing, and entrepreneurship. From I AM to Wake Up Winning Vol. 3, her work reads less like advice and more like a conversation with someone who has lived it.
Mentorship
Mentorship is core to who Dr. James is, not a side project. She guides young women starting out and professionals navigating major transitions, offering advice shaped by real experience. Her rule has never changed: impact one person, and the work was worth it. It’s guidance that comes from having lived it, not just studied it.
Talk Show
Her talk show “Talks with LaKisha” began as a talk show but grew into a gathering space. Entrepreneurs, humanitarians, and community leaders join Dr. James to talk honestly about their journeys, struggles included. Listeners walk away believing their own story deserves to be told too. Real talk. Real growth.
Corporate Event Planning
Through Designer Events by LaKisha, Dr. James has spent over a decade turning corporate visions into fully realized experiences, from event design to full-scale production. Clients come for the creativity and stay for the execution. Her impact doesn’t stop at borders.
Leadership & Board Positions
Dr. James holds leadership roles across continents, including Board Chair positions in Liberia, a Chairperson role in Pakistan, and advisory positions in the Philippines and India. It’s a global résumé built on the same commitment to service that drives everything else she does.
Featured Talk Show Episodes
A Conversation Worth Sitting With
More Than a Show – A Movement
Featured Bestselling Books
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Dr. James’s leadership reaches far beyond the U.S., with roles spanning five countries and multiple continents.
Dr. James’s work has never been confined to one city or one country. As Board Chair of Trangle Tech Vocational Institute and the Young Visionaries Network in Liberia, she is helping shape the next generation of leaders and skilled professionals. In Pakistan, she serves as Chairperson of the USA Chapter for the Asian Business Forum, building bridges between international business communities. Her influence extends to the United Kingdom as a Trainer for Yes You Can International, to the Philippines as International Advisor for the League of Academic Professionals and Interdisciplinary Society, and to India, where she serves as International Lady Vice President of the International Environment Friends and Multipurpose Organization. Each role reflects the same mission that drives everything she does: showing up wherever she can make a difference, no matter the distance.
Liberia
Pakistan
United Kingdom
Philippines
India
Awards & Recognition
Every award on this list tells part of a bigger story. Dr. James has spent years showing up for communities, causes, and people who needed someone to believe in them, and along the way, that work has been recognized on national and international stages. From leadership honors to humanitarian awards, each recognition reflects the same heart behind everything she does: service first, always.
- 2026 Mandela Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2026 Mahatma Gandhi Global Peace Award
- 2026 Audacious 30: Women Shaping 2026
- 2025 National Leadership Award
- 2024 Global Philanthropist Award
- 2024 Servant Leader Award
- 2024 Event Planner of the Year Award
- 2024 Nelson Mandela Global Humanitarian Award
- 2024 Honorary Doctorate in Humanitarianism
- 2024 World’s Phenomenal and Transformational Leadership Award — Most Outstanding Event Host
- 2024 Global Iconic Woman of the Year Award
- 2024 Shining Star Merit Award
- 2024 Phenomenal Event Designer of the Year Award
- 2024 Most Outstanding Professionals Recognition
- 2023 India Business Magazine Passion Vista Hall of Fame Induction
- 2022 Marquis Who’s Who of Professional Women
- 2021 Global Leadership Award (World Women V.I.S.I.O.N.)
- 2021 Honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Humanitarianism and Conflict Response
- 2019 CEO on the Rise Award (Who’s Who of Urban CEOs)
“Without God, I am nothing! He has equipped me with everything I need to be successful!”