Davis is the founder and Chancellor of the Global Center for Advanced Studies (GCAS), an innovative, scholar-led institution dedicated to providing high-quality, debt-free education. After earning his Ph.D. in Philosophical-Theology from the University of Virginia, along with studying at Oxford, Duke, and Yale, Davis served as an Associate Professor at Rollins College. Disillusioned with the traditional, debt-driven educational system, he made the bold decision to resign and invest his retirement savings into creating GCAS. His vision was to establish a democratic, co-owned academic model that prioritizes intellectual rigor and social transformation without the burden of student debt. Under his leadership, GCAS has grown into a global network, offering accredited BA, MA, and PhD programs, and has collaborated with renowned thinkers.

Davis has published books with The MIT Press, Columbia and Duke University Press. He is the creator of and co-edits the Insurrections: Critical Studies in Religion, Politics and Culture series, an academic book series published by Columbia University Press.

He currently researches future consciousness, sustainability, and advanced technologies.