James Cross

Founder & Executive Chairman

James Cross is Co-Head of Private Investing for Franklin Equity Group and Managing Director of Franklin Venture Partners, the firm’s specialized investment team that invests in private opportunities, focusing on mid- and late-stage companies it believes are poised for transformative impacts across multiple industries. 

Mr. Cross joined Franklin Templeton in 1998, focusing on quantitative research, risk analysis and performance attribution, before assuming industry coverage in 2000. He then led Franklin Equity Group’s industrial sector team and held research responsibilities for the aerospace and defense industries. He previously served as a portfolio manager of Franklin Technology Fund. Prior to joining Franklin Templeton, he worked as economic planner for the State of Texas. 

Mr. Cross earned a BBA with a major in economics from Baylor University and is a Charter Financial Analyst (CFA) Charterholder. He is the founder of the Silicon Valley Defense Group, a non-profit focused on National Security and Innovation. Mr. Cross is also a board member of EvoNexus, a non-profit start-up incubator, and he is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of California at San Diego’s Institute of Global Conflict and Cooperation.