From Sunshine Coast surfer, to US Board member and CEO

James Colquhoun, who grew up surfing the waves and playing in a punk rock band on Australia's Sunshine Coast, has charted an unlikely course into the boardrooms of America by being appointed the new CEO of US listed conscious media streaming company, NASDAQ Gaia Inc.

After insisting his surfer-musician son get a "proper job," Colquhoun moved into a career in the maritime industry. He worked as a ship's officer, serving on Australian and international vessels and  in private yachting. But his career trajectory transformed when he received news of a family health crisis which ignited a passion for nutrition and natural remedies as he looked for ways to help improve his father's health. 

A foray into unique filmmaking began when he produced "Food Matters" (2008) with Laurentine ten Bosch, a documentary that examined the profound role diet and nutrition play in health and disease prevention. The film's research helped his father transition off six medications and went on to become an international hit, translated into 13 languages and featured on Netflix. Buoyed by the film's international success, Colquhoun and ten Bosch followed up with "Hungry for Change" (2012), cementing his status as a food-as-medicine authority. 

This success laid the foundation for his next venture as the founder of Food Matters TV (FMTV),  a health and wellness streaming platform dedicated to evidence-based health information. In 2019 FMTV was acquired by Gaia, Inc., alongside his latest docu-series "Transcendence" (2018 & 2020) which featured Novak Djokovic, Wim Hof and others, and Colquhoun became a member of Gaia's board of directors in 2020.

A specialist streaming service that features programming based around activities such as yoga, transformation and alternative healing in English, Spanish, French and German across 185 countries, Gaia's  library includes over 10,000 titles and more than 85% of the content is exclusive to Gaia. It is available on Apple TV, iOS, Android, Roku and Chromecast, and is sold through Amazon's Prime Video and Comcast Xfinity.

Jirka Rysavy,  founder and Executive Chairman of Gaia Inc. said, "I had an eye on him since the FMTV acquisition… He brings strong digital marketing and brand building skills and I'm looking forward to working with him in his new expanded role." In his new role as Chief Executive Officer and board member, Colquhoun will be responsible for overseeing Gaia's growth and day-to-day operations with a mission to use the power of media to support his ongoing commitment to transform individual and collective health and consciousness. 

He says; "I'm honored to lead Gaia through its next phase of growth. We have an incredibly talented team fully committed to our mission of creating a transformational network that enlightens, empowers, and connects our community through unique conscious content. I look forward to partnering with Jirka, our board and the entire Gaia family on this journey."

 

Relocating to Colorado full time to take up the position, Colquhoun's immediate goals for the company will be to focus on maintaining cash flow positive growth. One of  his first initiatives has been the launch of an AI powered search to unlock the world's largest conscious media library. Additionally, his latest film project "Love Over Money" (2023) with Executive Producer Joaquin Phoenix, will be launching on Gaia later this year. 

For more information on Gaia Inc. head here | Connect with James on: Instagram and LinkedIn.

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For more information, images and interview requests, please contact: Julia Ferracane, Righteous PR

Email: julia@righteouspr.com.au | Mobile: 0424 180 420