Preston L. James III

DivInc Cofounder & CEO

Preston L. James III is the Co-Founder and CEO of DivInc, Texas’s first accelerator dedicated exclusively to underrepresented tech entrepreneurs. Founded in 2016, DivInc has launched over 120 startups, helping founders of color and women-led companies scale and secure millions in early-stage capital. James, a former 20-year executive at Dell, previously led the Dell Global Center for Entrepreneurship, overseeing a $100M credit fund and driving $250M+ in revenue through enterprise IT sales and consulting. He earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Howard University.

A passionate advocate for equity in innovation, James co-founded DivInc to bridge the gap between diverse founders and the resources they need to succeed. Under his leadership, DivInc launched the Startup Sistas initiative to support women of color entrepreneurs and the Social Justice Innovation Program. James was named an Austin Business Journal Power Player in 2023 and 2024 and received the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award from President Joe Biden.