James Carlson is the Founder and CEO of Bucket Brigade, Inc. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. James lives and works at the crossroads of the co-working and maker movement. After leaving high school at 16, James launched a successful career as an entrepreneur and technologist, but never stopped looking over his shoulder at school. At the heart of his efforts is James’ fundamental passion and belief that all people are creative; each person has a “genius” which, given a place and the tools, will flourish. Through his work James strives to spark the creative potential in everyone, and change the game of economy, education, and community development.

To engage the business community in this conversation, James and his team created the Bucket Brigade, a for-profit company that brings the values of open source, open communication, and transparency into the workplace through social technology and social experiences.