Leleah James

Leleah James joined Related Companies in 2019 to manage the Related Affordable Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization committed to enriching the lives of affordable housing residents and breaking the generational cycle of poverty. She is responsible for spearheading the Foundation’s national philanthropic strategy by funding nonprofits focused on education, food security, health and wellness, and workforce development. Leleah executes grant strategy, implements programmatic services for affordable housing residents, and works cross-functionally with stakeholders to maximize community impact.

Leleah was a founding council member of Related’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Task Force, which is committed to setting new industry standards for the advancement of people from underrepresented groups in real estate. She is currently a member of Related’s DE&I Advisory Group.

Prior to joining Related, Leleah managed multimillion-dollar grants for the City of New York at district attorney offices overseeing municipal, state, and federal funding for law enforcement programs addressing crime prevention and victim services. She is a proud volunteer member of the Grants Advisory Committee for the New York Women’s Foundation, an organization committed to helping create an equitable future for women and families by investing in community-led solutions across New York City. Leleah is also a fellow on the 2023 Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), which is a leadership program focused on improving and promoting diversity within the real estate industry.

Leleah holds a master’s degree in public administration from the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Georgia.