2022 40 Under Forty Awards
James Rajotte, 36
Chief strategy officer, R.I. Executive Office of Health and Human Services
How has COVID-19 changed your industry? COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of improving the living conditions in our communities to avoid devastating rates of illness in our hardest-hit neighborhoods. Moving forward, my industry must ensure we address the root causes that inhibit our community members from achieving their highest potential and healthy living.
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What is the best advice you have ever received? Be positive. Start your day with a smile and use that saved energy to bring kindness to others.
What was your first job? My first jobs were during high school. I worked as an intern for an organization called Initiatives for Human Development and also worked at Build-A-Bear Workshop.
What advice would you give your 22-year-old self? Paint your view of the future with enough detail that others can see themselves in it.
What moment changed your life more than any other? Losing my mom a few years ago has forever changed my life. For me, losing her in her young age is a constant reminder to live life to its fullest, not settle for anything less than happiness and always be my most authentic self.
What led you to pursuing a career in your current industry? While attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute during my undergraduate career, I realized at the time that biology research was not my calling. I then took an elective focused on bioterrorism. Soon after, I immersed myself in science and technology studies focused on public health in addition to my biology degree. I then interned at the R.I. Department of Health and the rest is history.
