Leadership & Staff

James LaMarca is the Founder of Contemporary Climate Gallery and currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, he currently works for institutional investment advisory firm, Prime Buchholz LLC, as an Investment Data Analyst covering Global Equity markets. Additionally, James serves on the Editorial Committee of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association. James LaMarca graduated from Colby College with a major in Sociology and minors in Art History and Economics. He received three independent research grants related to the commercial art industry, fashion, and environmental sustainability, while having experience as a part-time Gallery Associate for the Lucy Lacoste Gallery.

Aakanksha is a founding Board Member of Contemporary Climate Gallery. She is currently pursuing a Masters of Art History from the University of London at the Courtauld Institute of Art and most recently worked at The Clark Art Institute as the Lunder Special Assistant to the Director in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Aakanksha graduated from Colby College with a dual major in History and Global Studies and a minor in German. While at Colby College, she worked as a Student Guide for the Colby College Museum of Art. Additionally, she worked as a Prints & Drawings Intern at the Art Institute of Chicago, as well as a Museum Diversity Intern at The Adirondack Experience.

Sam is a founding Board Member of Contemporary Climate Gallery. He currently works as an Outbound SDR at ZoomInfo in the Greater Boston area. He graduated from Colby College with a degree in Sociology. While at Colby College, Sam worked as a Rotational Intern at Advanced Manufacturing Group (AMG) in Jinjiang, China and conducted a semester-long independent research study exploring the applications and effects of artificial intelligence from a sociological framework. He also previously worked as a Rotational Intern at StarCard Sports Games, assessing the risk of startup venture projects related to cryptocurrency and developing a VR gaming product.

Joseph (he/him) is a Board Member of Contemporary Climate Gallery. Based in Houston, Texas, he currently works as a Freelance Photographer with clientele including the Wall Street Journal, the Houston Chronicle, and the Texas Tribune. He is a member of the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) and the Asian American Journalist Association (AAJA). Joseph is currently pursuing a Masters of Photography from the University of Houston. Joseph graduated from Colby College, studying Studio Art with a concentration in Photography and is a Houston-based editorial, documentary, and portrait photographer. While at Colby, he was awarded the 2022 President’s Purchase Prize, for outstanding artwork. Identifying as Vietnamese-American, he developed an interest in storytelling on topics of relationships between people, community, identity, culture, and the theme of “home”. This led to him telling the stories of the Queer Community in Waterville, Maine, and most recently his own family in Houston, Texas through his photo book and series, “I Love You. I Miss You. Have a Good Day.”

Elian is a Board Member of Contemporary Climate Gallery. He is a current student at Colby College, with a dual major in Economics & Latin American Studies, and an incoming Summer Analyst at SMBC in New York City, in the Corporate Finance Group covering Latin American markets. He most recently worked as a Summer Analyst at Vibrant Cities, a Seattle-based Commercial Real Estate Development firm and previously as a Project Management Intern for the Center for Children & Youth Justice in Seattle, Washington. At Colby College, Elian is a member of the Colby Football and Track teams and studied abroad in Argentina. While at Colby, Elian was a member of the Washington State Becca Task Force and the LINC Program helping protect at-risk youth.