James and his graduating class in 2008James Gabele’s career took a major leap forward when a fellow IWP student introduced him to the head of a fast-growing tech company. Seizing the opportunity, James joined CyanGate in its early stages and played a key role in building the company from the ground up.
Today, CyanGate is a global provider of digital asset management (DAM) solutions, serving Fortune 500 companies and prestigious institutions such as the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. In his day-to-day work, James draws heavily on the skills he gained at IWP in areas like diplomacy, culture, negotiations, and strategic communications.
Studying with Scholar-Practitioners
A graduate of the University of Dallas—an IWP partner school—James entered IWP’s M.A. program well prepared. He recalls tackling his rigorous four-hour oral examination with confidence, fielding questions from three faculty members. “One question took me over an hour to answer!” he remembers.
James especially valued learning from scholar-practitioners—faculty members with real-world experience. In one memorable case, a class was canceled at the last minute because the professor had been called to advise the U.S. government on a crisis unfolding in Venezuela.
In another instance, during an exam, James proposed a tactic to defeat Osama bin Laden. The U.S., James said, should try to cause disruption in bin Laden’s leadership and locate him by using the “runners” that bin Laden used for communication. James also suggested that the U.S. should suggest that Osama bin Laden was dead and not worth worrying about. His reasoning was psychological—bin Laden’s ego wouldn’t allow him to fade into obscurity, so he would feel compelled to reemerge. Finally, James suggested that if bin Laden were dead or were to die, the U.S. should make his death insignificant so that there would be no hero worship of him. “He would be forgotten, without an enduring reputation like Herostratus who burned down the Temple of Artemis at Epherus,” said James.
That same day, James’s professor attended a meeting at the Pentagon. The next morning, James saw his idea reflected in the headlines – there were suggestions that bin Laden was dead.
Building a Global Business
James began his D.C. career in the nonprofit world when a fellow IWP student introduced him to the Heritage Foundation. There, James worked in accounting, while occasionally mentoring interns and advising staff on intelligence and counterintelligence issues.
James’s transition into the business world came through a serendipitous introduction by a Turkish classmate, who connected him with the CEO of CyanGate. James saw potential and dove in. James and his new wife, Krystle, moved to Texas, where he would help grow CyanGate from a five-person team into a 45-person international company.
Discovering a natural talent for marketing during IWP’s course on propaganda, perceptions, and diplomacy, James now serves as CyanGate’s Sales Operations Manager. He leads a sales team spread across the U.S. and Turkey, overseeing operations that include integrations with platforms like Salesforce.
James splits his workday to serve clients across time zones—mornings for European and Middle Eastern customers, afternoons for domestic and Asia-Pacific clients. His responsibilities span legal reviews, marketing strategy, team leadership, and closing sales.
Resilient Solutions for Complex Challenges
Under James’s leadership, CyanGate has built a diverse portfolio of clients across industries—a strategy that helped the company weather economic shifts, including the COVID-19 pandemic. While some sectors faltered, most of CyanGate’s clients grew during that time.
CyanGate has served companies like Fox, Paramount, PBS, Kohler, Kroger, Monster Energy, Delta Faucet, Merck, Hearst Magazines, and others—ensuring that digital assets across their supply chains are licensed, approved, and efficiently managed through integrated systems.
Among the projects James is most proud of: managing the digital archives for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the J. Paul Getty Trust. “The entire digital archive of the Holocaust Museum has gone through one of the systems built by my team,” he said. “It’s a huge collection—about two petabytes of data!”
Applying Statecraft to Business
James credits his IWP education with shaping how he leads and thinks today. “It helps me think critically, orchestrate competing priorities, and see challenges through different lenses,” he said. “The same lessons you learn from statecraft apply directly to business.”
His foreign policy and cultural diplomacy background has proven especially useful in managing international teams and negotiating with global clients.
“My diplomacy class has helped me tremendously in sales,” said James. “Understanding cultural values and priorities gives me a real edge in building trust and closing deals.”