A former GreenBiz 30 under 30 sustainable business leader, James Connelly is vice president of strategic growth at the International Living Future Institute. He leads the organization’s business development strategy; cultivating new business and partnership opportunities to grow the Institute's revenue and impact globally. James leads the Institute's strategic consulting for corporations and conducts technical consulting for high profile Living Building Challenge projects both in the United States and internationally.

In his previous role as VP of Products, James led the Institute’s corporate and manufacturing initiatives including the Living Product Challenge (a program that re-imagines the design and manufacturing of products to function as elegantly and efficiently as anything found in the natural world), Just (a social justice and corporate responsibility label for leading progressive organizations), Declare (an innovative ingredients transparency label and database of non-toxic sustainably sourced products).

Prior to joining the Institute in 2012, James received a Fulbright fellowship to conduct research on green building rating systems in China. James is a frequent national and international speaker on regenerative design, sustainable business and ecological manufacturing. He is an avid writer and his research and commentary has been featured in news outlets such as China Dialogue, Trim Tab, BuildingGreen, GreenBiz and Engineering News Record.