In December of 2019, Andrew James (BBA14) touched down at Miami International Airport for Design Miami, the premier furniture design exhibition parallel to Art Basel. In the car from the airport, he felt simultaneously curious, inspired, and determined while taking in the humid air and palm trees.

He was on a fact-finding mission to learn how the top tier of the design world operated.

Just five and half years later, he’s navigating the upper echelon as associate director of a posh design gallery in New York City. How did he get so far so fast? And all with a finance degree?

According to James, he worked hard. But just as importantly—he paid attention.

He had an epiphany in Miami, though he’d demur to call it that. A relative newcomer to the scene, James realized that in order for a design studio to be respected, it is essential to partner with a high-level gallery.

He implemented this new understanding immediately in his burgeoning business endeavor, ABDB Designs—James the business counterpart to young designer Djivan Schapira’s artistry.
 

Spoiler alert—it worked. Even if it took some risk taking, luck, and another epiphany to get there, which included pivoting their studio name from ABDB to Djivan Schapira, thus creating a collectible brand with a personal story.

James has a veritable collection of epiphanies, including when to add finance to his marketing degree at Tippie, when to leave wealth management, and when to quit Chicago for New York.

Knowing when to exit is an art, and his willingness to learn and pivot is enviable. The result is an interesting and nonlinear career, including two years at the improv powerhouse The Second City in Chicago as a business development and account manager. (Did you know they give leadership training sessions across the country based on improv principles like“reading the room” and “helping your scene partners”?)

“I credit a lot of amazing people there for helping shape who I am as an adult and a professional. Second City’s incredible talent and leadership taught me things like collaboration, how to carry myself in a world without a script, and have important non-emotional conversations in meetings,” he said.

That leadership included fellow Iowa grad Scott Zoll (BA95), whom James interviewed with for the role. “I knew I got lucky when I discovered he was a Hawkeye,” James said. “I brought it up immediately in the elevator.”

A few years later, he also won over Todd Merrill, a power player in the collectible design world. James got to know him through his promotion of Schapira and his unique resin works. Merrill saw his potential and brought him onboard in 2023.

He is now associate director of Todd Merrill Studio, co-managing a large portfolio of nearly 40 artists worldwide for the Tribeca-based gallery that specializes in some of the world’s most important contemporary design. High-end interior designers from around the world come to them for one-of-a-kind sofas, light fixtures, tables, sculptural wall art, and more on behalf of their elite clients. Pieces sell for anywhere from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“If my ABDB experience was the undergraduate in terms of discovering the industry, I’m going through a full-blown master’s program right now,” he said. “It’s an incredible experience not only to be able to learn from some of the best to ever do it—both from a gallery and an artist’s perspective—but also be able to execute at a high level.”

“It’s amazing that a finance grad from the University of Iowa can end up being a player in this world that I didn’t even know existed,” James said. “I love it.”

He says he aspires to one day open his own gallery. You can be sure this quick study is just an epiphany or two away from making it happen.

This article appeared in the 2025 issue of Exchange magazine.