James Karmin was raised in a northern suburb of Chicago, he attended New Trier High School and upon graduating, attended Ithaca College where he received a BA in Political Science. While attending Ithaca College, James interned with Drexel Burnham Lambert at the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). This internship led him to a position facilitating orders for Drexel then Rodman & Renshaw and ultimately becoming a Member of the CBOT.
While actively trading commodities, James purchased, operated and eventually sold a restaurant parts and supply business. He also took an active role in retail property management where he was personally responsible for a large portfolio of retail shopping centers located throughout the midwest. In addition during the same time period, James designed, patented and manufactured medical garments, two of which are still sold internationally today.
Leveraging his experience in property management, James accepted the position of Executive Vice President for a leading mattress manufacturer/retailer located in Southern California. He was directly responsible for managing all aspects of existing/new real estate and store policy. Since that time, he played an acting Executive Director role for the C5 Youth Foundation of Southern California for almost one year and launched and managed a telecommunications company in the Southern California region.
Most recently, James owned and operated an insurance brokerage firm specializing in niche liability policies and he continues to oversee various real estate holdings across the country. James is also very active philanthropically with the Karmin Family Foundation as well as in board roles for operating nonprofits such as the C5 Youth Foundation of Southern California.