# Preston L. James II

> Preston L. James II is the Austin-based co-founder and former CEO of DivInc, a nonprofit connecting underrepresented technology founders with education, mentors, networks and capital opportunities. A former Dell executive and Howard University engineering graduate, he became DivInc’s Founder & Strategic Advisor in March 2026, focusing on capital structures, business ownership and lasting economic opportunity.

- **Role:** Founder & Strategic Advisor at DivInc
- **Organizations:** DivInc, Dell (former executive), E3 Angel Network, Capital Factory (mentor), The University of Texas at Austin, Herb Kelleher Center (former entrepreneur in residence), Black Innovation Alliance
- **Education:** B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Howard University
- **Known for:** Co-founded DivInc and led it through its first decade., DivInc reported supporting more than 140 startup launches and founders raising over $28 million in early-stage capital by March 2026., Led Dell teams responsible for over $250 million in revenue and oversaw its $100 million small-business credit fund.

## Career timeline

- **1997** — Moved from Georgia to Austin for work at Dell’s Executive Briefing Center.
- **2014** — Took early retirement after a roughly 20-year Dell career, including leadership of the Global Center for Entrepreneurship.
- **2015-2017** — Served as entrepreneur in residence at the University of Texas at Austin’s Herb Kelleher Center.
- **2016** — Co-founded DivInc with Dan Austin, Dana Callender and Ashley Jennings; the first pre-accelerator cohort began that September.
- **2020** — DivInc launched its Social Justice Innovation Accelerator.
- **2021** — DivInc expanded to Houston.
- **2023** — DivInc partnered with Filecoin Foundation for the Decentralized Web on the DWeb for Social Impact Accelerator.
- **2026-03** — Announced transition to Founder & Strategic Advisor on March 4; DivInc announced Tauri Laws-Phillips as CEO on March 18.

## Achievements

- Co-founded DivInc and led it through its first decade.
- DivInc reported supporting more than 140 startup launches and founders raising over $28 million in early-stage capital by March 2026.
- Led Dell teams responsible for over $250 million in revenue and oversaw its $100 million small-business credit fund.
- Named an Austin Business Journal Power Player in 2023 and 2024.
- Recipient of the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award from President Joe Biden.

## Latest updates

- **2026-03** — Moved to Founder & Strategic Advisor as part of DivInc’s planned succession; Tauri Laws-Phillips became CEO.
- **2026-07** — Joined Laws-Phillips at DivInc’s Innovation & Influence Accelerator Demo Day, as pictured in September reporting.
- **2026-09** — Coverage of DivInc’s Women in Tech Accelerator relaunch identified James as founder and former CEO.

## Links

- Website: https://divinc.org
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/preston-l-james-ii-9438721b
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/PrestonLJ2

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/preston-james
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-22