Justin Ray

About Justin Ray

For 15 years, I have been the person organizations lean on when something complex, high-stakes, and important needs to get moving. Strategic planning, enterprise change, operational design. That is my lane. I have built and led large-scale programs across public health and economic development in Ohio. I hold a PMP and a Master of Public Administration from Ohio State\'s John Glenn College of Public Affairs. In practice, that has looked like- Owned the full post-execution lifecycle of 700+ grant and loan agreements representing $300M+ in economic development funding across three Ohio regions. Primary relationship manager for Fortune 500s and major employers through their full 5-year commitments, and the advisor Managing Directors relied on for compliance determinations- Built nine internal systems with no direction, digitized two external-facing processes, and presented the business case for a full team restructure to the CFO, General Counsel, HR Managing Director, and senior leadership. Got a yes on slide two. Four new hires. Promoted to Senior Project Manager, Performance- Orchestrated enterprise change across internal staff and external grantees statewide: executive townhalls, strategic communications, and rollout planning for one of Ohio\'s most complex public health grant systems- Currently leading a team of engineers in a complex, high-stakes operational engagement- Developed people leaders from first-time supervisors to senior executives. Alongside that career, I have built and operated three businesses spanning 15 years, including JRW Design Co. and Ohio Made. But the work that has mattered most to me always started with the same thing: the people. Not the systems. Not the strategy. The people. Years ago, systems failed me. Not catastrophically. Just enough to leave a gap that no training, no framework, no certification fully filled. I kept waiting for the update that would actually stick. Eventually I stopped waiting and built it. 143 Leadership exists because most people are not broken, not unmotivated, and not lacking in potential. They are operating without the right system. I built the one I wish someone had handed me. Being a light in every room I enter has always been the reach. Not always perfectly. But always on purpose. Be the Light was never a framework first. It was just who I was trying to be. If something here resonated, reach out. I\'d love to connect. Be the Light. Leave people better than you find them. Live just in a ray of light so you can be the light for others. Justin Ray

Experience

1. Founder & Executive Producer

   We Are Ohio Made, Llc

   Sep 2016 — Present · Columbus, OH, US

   Founded and manage a thriving statewide event brand focused on Ohio-based makers, overseeing all aspects of operations, marketing, communications, and vendor engagement.• Lead the full communications strategy, including brand voice, messaging, content planning, email marketing, website copy, social media, and stakeholder outreach.• Developed and executed multi-channel campaigns that grew audience reach by 92% on Facebook and 39% on Instagram in 2023.• Created the Navigating Social Media Guide to support vendor success, resulting in increased digital visibility and audience engagement across the event ecosystem.• Own all customer-facing and internal messaging across platforms—email, social, signage, digital guides—ensuring consistency, clarity, and alignment with brand goals.• Manage over 80 vendor relationships annually, handling procurement, communication, contracts, onboarding, and year-over-year retention strategies.• Successfully sold out VIP and Early Access tickets for seven consecutive years, increasing ticket sales by 11% from 2022 to 2023 despite lower pricing.• Oversee strategic partnerships, event logistics, vendor sourcing, and team coordination, ensuring efficient, on-brand execution of a large-scale experience.• Use data insights to refine campaign strategy, optimize communications, and improve both vendor and customer experience.

Education

• John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University

  Master’s Degree, Public Administration

  2013 — 2015

• Capital University

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Political Science, Public Administration, and Sociology

  2009 — 2013