James Evans

Founder & Chief Executive Officer, C.A.R.E. In 2019, inspired by Chetana Mirle and supported by Spring Point’s Life of Riley, James founded Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity (CARE). Under James’ leadership, CARE has made a substantial impact on the field of Animal Welfare while simultaneously establishing a new and broader discipline: Human and Animal Well-being. Since 2019, CARE has been instrumental in supporting Black and Brown-led companion animal-focused organizations and their communities. James is a multi-award-winning creative strategist and leader with over 30 years of experience developing relationships between organizations and their constituents. Prior to founding CARE, James’ expertise has been applied across a diverse range of brands, both nonprofit and for-profit. Notable brand experience includes Timberland, Disney, The Mills Corporation, NAACP, Baltimore Health Department, Maryland Health Department, Kennedy Krieger Institute, CVS Caremark’s Project Health, Safe Streets Baltimore, and numerous other brands. James and his team have initiated several programs, including the pioneering Gulf Spay/Neuter Campaign which lead to HSUS’s Pets for Life program. He has also played a pivotal role in HSUS’s Adopters Welcome, Outdoor Cats Research, Stop Puppy Mills, and HSUS’s Spayathon, as well as Best Friends Animal Society’s Outreach Action Team. James is a husband, a proud father of five children, including two dogs, a brother, and a member of a close-knit group of friends, family, and colleagues. Winner of the 2022 Maddie’s Fund Avanzino Leadership Award Saul Zaentz Film Fellow 2024