General CEU: Panel Discussion #1 Perspective sharing, trend-setting, and collaboration as Black women in ABA

Portia James has spent nearly two decades shaking conference tables — challenging systems that prioritize efficiency over dignity and outcomes over people. As the founder of Behavior Genius, she built the organization from the ground up with a singular conviction: that sustainable performance is impossible without care, clarity, and human-centered leadership. Today, Portia serves as Chief of People & Performance, where she focuses on the lived experiences of both staff and families. Her work centers on organizational behavior management (OBM), mentorship, psychological safety, and performance systems that support people without burning them out. She partners closely with clinical and operational leaders while maintaining a visible, front-line presence — meeting families during intake, mentoring leaders, and ensuring the mission is felt through every interaction with the people she serves. Known for blending rigor with relational leadership, Portia believes that accountability and compassion are not opposites — they are partners. Her leadership reflects a deep commitment to stewarding people well, protecting culture, and “mothering the mission” under the core belief that growth should not cost anyone their humanity. She is also the author of Radical OBM, where she reimagines traditional organizational behavior management through a human-centered, systems-driven lens — challenging leaders to design environments where people can perform, grow, and belong. At her core, Portia views leadership as service — a calling to be present, responsible, and faithful with what (and who) she has been entrusted to lead. Her work is rooted in healing the systems we’ve survived — and building workplaces that people don’t have to recover from. Outside of work, Portia is a wife, a homeschool mother of three, and a collector of experiences in the form of concert tickets, sky miles, and recipe books.