About Alisha

With nearly two decades of career experience spanning from law enforcement and government to startup entrepreneur and now corporate executive, Alisha S. James has walked an unconventional path to leadership and success. She embodies the next-generation of leadership and inspires others to embrace diverse paths, people, and ideas in their own quests to level up.  

Alisha began her career as a Metropolitan Nashville Police Officer, serving as a patrol officer, undercover detective, training instructor, and background and recruiting investigator. In 2009, she was selected by the Obama Administration for an internship with the Presidential Personnel Office, where she recruited and selected qualified candidates to serve the President of the United States.

After several years of service in law enforcement, she transitioned into government, joining the United States Probation and Pretrial Services Office - Middle District of Tennessee. Next, she served the Tennessee Department of Corrections and was appointed assistant commissioner for community supervision. Her outstanding work was recognized by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in 2018 when she was named one of the top 40 Under 40 in Law Enforcement globally.  

In 2019, Alisha founded James Group Consulting, a criminal justice consulting firm serving government agencies and private corporations, and launched QwickTouch, a technology startup with a mission to revolutionize probation, parole, and reentry services. Most recently, she joined Aventiv Technologies leading the Post-Incarceration Business Unit.   

Alisha is a frequent speaker on a variety of topics including corrections and criminal justice reform, leadership, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and unconventional paths to leadership, among others. As a woman of color with two decades of experience working in tough, traditionally male-dominated industries, she also often speaks on professional agility and resiliency for success. Alisha has spoken at conferences and events across the U.S. and internationally in locations ranging from Canada to Argentina and Australia.