Octagon Experts Bureau
James Kevin Calhoun
HR Strategist & Organizational Development Consultant
Most HR and talent consultants specialize in either corporate strategy or nonprofit capacity building — I operate fluently in both. My background spans senior talent leadership at companies like Coca-Cola, Priceline and Truist bringing academic rigor and real world expertise into focus for viable solutions.
Areas of Expertise
Engagement Types
About James
Kevin’s approach is grounded in over two decades of senior HR and talent leadership at Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, Cash App (Block, Inc.), SunTrust/Truist, and CRH/Oldcastle, where he built learning and development programs and led organizational change at scale. He brings this corporate depth to his work with nonprofits and mission-driven organizations, helping them professionalize talent strategy alongside program growth.
He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and two M.Ed. degrees from the University of Georgia, a B.A. in History from Winthrop University, a Cornell Executive Education certificate in HR/Talent Management, and a SHRM-CP credential. He has taught at Clark Atlanta University, the University of Georgia, Georgia State University, and Emory Continuing Education.
Kevin speaks and consults on building talent pipelines for underrepresented leaders, modernizing workplace culture, and turning HR strategy into measurable organizational impact. He is based in Atlanta, Georgia.
Watch James in Action
Signature Talks
Keynote
Talent Development in the Age of AI
Keynote
Building Equitable Workplace Culture
Keynote
Minorities Leadership Pipeline Development
Keynote
Nonprofit Capacity Building & Development Strategy
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