James Evans
CARE for Equity | Founder & Chief Executive Officer
We are excited to present James Evans as a Virtual Speaker at the Dog People Evolution Conference 2025.
*James is the Founder & Chief Officer of CARE for Equity and a multi-awarding winning creative strategist and leader with 25+ years of experience developing relationships between organizations and their constituents. His expertise has been utilized across a diverse group of brands, both non for profit, and for profit. Specific 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 many other brands.
More About James
*James and his team have initiated several programs, including the groundbreaking Gulf Spay/Neuter Campaign and HSUS’ Pets for Life. He has also played an integral role in HSUS’ Adopters Welcome, Outdoor Cats Research, Stop Puppy Mills, and HSUS’ Spayathon, as well as Best Friends Animal Society’s Outreach Action Team.
In 2019, inspired by Chetana Mirle and supported by Spring Point’s Life of Riley, James founded Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity [C.A.R.E.].
James is a husband, a proud father of five children [two four-legged], a brother, and part of a great group of friends, family, and colleagues.
Winner of the 2022 Maddie’s Fund Avanzino Leadership Award Saul Zaentz Film Fellow 2024
CARE mission
**In the interest of Human and Animal Well-being, CARE prioritizes and amplifies BIPOC and other Marginalized Voices using Narratives, Research, and Community-Centered Investments.
What is CARE?
**Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity [CARE] is a Black, Indigenous, and People of Color [BIPOC] led organization inspired to rethink and rebuild Animal Welfare [Animal Protection]. Our goal is to do this in a way that honors and reflects the well-being of all people; making Human and Animal Well-being [see terms] our primary focus.
While well-intended toward animals, the Animal Welfare [Animal Protection] Field often falls short of its mission because its philosophy and practices often don’t include Human and Animal Well-being. That includes the field’s failure to be inclusive and less biased toward People of Color and other marginalized groups. The harm and lack of inclusion within the Animal Welfare field [Sheltering, Animal Control, Pet Adoption, Veterinary Education and Medicine, Pet Retail] are rarely addressed even though these collective sectors touch millions and have an economic impact of well over 100 Billion Dollars. As a counterbalance, CARE is creating equitable spaces and policies using a multidisciplinary approach.
To that end, we take a Scholar Advocate approach to Research and Development. This means our research team is in the field, partnering with communities in a quest for information used to tailor solutions. Our Narrative Division is focused on Truth Telling because it’s so needed, and so often more beautiful than fiction. Our CARE Center Division is working with underserved BIPOC communities throughout the country helping to build and assist Human and Animal related organizations. And our Environmental Justice & Policy Division adds a much need layer of policy protection and advocacy over the whole of what we do.
CARE is ultimately a collection of passionate activists and deep thinkers focused on better outcomes for people and pets. But unlike other large Animal Protection organizations, and Non for Profits generally, CARE is not attempting to do the work best done by those directly impacted by inequities. We are however creating tools and opportunities grow Human and Animal Well-being for all communities.