/People

James Norman

InvestorFounder

Managing Partner at Black Operator · CEO, Co-founder at Pilotly

Oakland, California, United States

Writes $100K – $5M checks

FoundedPilotly

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1,087 people in our graph can introduce you to James.

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Ask Clayton Bryan to introduce you to James

You →Clayton · together at Transparent Collective (2016–2022) →James

Ask Jamie Chen to introduce you to James

You →Jamie · 3 people · together at Black Operator →James

Ask Sam Okafor to introduce you to James

You →Sam · together at 500 Global Batch 16 →James

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About

Co-founder of Black Operator Ventures who launched the fund in 2021 alongside Sean Green, drawing on his experience as a Black founder.

Invests in

AI & Machine LearningFintechImpact & Social GoodPropTechSaaS

CEO, Co-founder at Pilotly

Intro paths

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In turn, James can intro founders to Pilotly's investors below.

Co-founders at Pilotly

HOHector Osorio
Hector OsorioCTO, Co-founder

Experience

  1. Black Operator VenturesManaging Partnercurrent2021 — presentOakland, California, United States
  2. PilotlyCEOcurrent2014 — presentOakland, CA
  3. Transparent CollectiveChairmancurrent2016 — presentOakland, CA
  4. GroupFlixFounder2013 — 2014Oakland, CA
  5. Ubi VideoChairman of the Board2013San Francisco Bay Area
  6. Ubi VideoFounder / CEO2008 — 2013Detroit, MI
  7. F1RST Motoring ApparelCo-Founder / Chairman of the Board2010 — 2012Detroit, MI
  8. Mitsubishi MotorsWeb Initiatives2009 — 2010
  9. Mitsubishi MotorsProduct Planning2005 — 2008
  10. Shift Marketing SolutionsCo-Founder2003 — 2006
  11. MJH sound.comCo-Founder1996 — 2001Lansing, MI

Skills & more

FlashPHPJavaScriptMySQLAdobe Creative SuiteHTML5vehicle customizationArtificial Intelligence (AI)Machine LearningMarket ResearchUser Experience (UX)DJ
+2 moreDigital FabricationAutomotive Design

From James's professional profile.

Investments

Per curated public sources.

Colleagues at Black Operator

Network2

Investors connected to James in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.

Frequently asked questions

Who is James Norman?
Co-founder of Black Operator Ventures who launched the fund in 2021 alongside Sean Green, drawing on his experience as a Black founder.
Where does James Norman work?
James Norman is CEO, Co-founder of Pilotly and Managing Partner at Black Operator.
What does James Norman invest in?
James Norman invests in AI & Machine Learning, Fintech, Impact & Social Good, PropTech, SaaS.
What check size does James Norman write?
James Norman typically writes checks of $100K – $5M.
What companies did James Norman found?
James Norman founded Pilotly.
What companies has James Norman invested in?
Investments tracked here include Livegistics, Mansa, Stimulus, Whose Your Landlord.
Where did James Norman go to school?
James Norman studied at University of Michigan (BSE, Electrical Engineering).

Founder mafias

Same school

Shared employers