Jay Rayford is a 5 year veteran of using social media to build both digital and real life relationships for businesses, organizations and individuals. As a BMe (Black Male Engagement) Leader and New Leaders Council fellow, Jay has a passion for utilizing leadership, social entrepreneurship and network organizing strategies to influence and impact urban centers.

Jay is a born and raised, expat and returned Detroiter. Being away for about 5 years in a career as an electrical engineer, Jay lived in Florida, New York and Pennsylvania. While away, he was able to see Detroit from the outside looking in and saw the potential for incredible impact. After sharing thoughts of returning to the city with family and friends, Jay was met with a sense of hopelessness and told it would be best not to return. Deeply troubled by this, Jay was determined to return and focus full time on engaging all aspects of what creates Detroit's sense of place and connecting new and current Detroiters to opportunity, to community and to each other.