I'm a people-centric design leader and principal who has built and scaled world-class design organizations — from co-founding Schoolwires (acquired by Blackboard for $92M) to leading design at AWS. Currently operating as a design leader at Amazon—setting vision, aligning cross-functional teams, and building the frameworks that shape AI-first experiences for 1.2M+ employees.
I've led teams of 15+ designers at Amazon, AWS, T. Rowe Price, and Blackboard, establishing design systems, research capabilities, and transformative user experiences from startup to enterprise scale — and promoted 10+ designers and managers along the way. Core member of the Inc. 500/5000 leadership team for eight consecutive years.
Years leading design teams
Promoted designers and managers
Acquisition value, Schoolwires
Jay's design instincts are unlike anyone I've worked with. His ability to translate how clients actually work into product features that matter is what helped us leapfrog competitors. I haven't met many design leaders who combine those traits.
Marc Rubner
VP, Product and Marketing
Blackboard (Previously)
Jay is one of those rare design leaders who operates effectively at both the Principal IC and Design Manager levels. His work is thoughtful, systems-oriented, and grounded in a strong understanding of user needs and business objectives. What distinguishes him is his ability to calibrate his style to the situation — stepping in with hands-on expertise when it accelerates progress, and stepping back to create space for others to lead.
Randy Kincaid
Lead UX Designer
AWS
Jay is one of the most impactful professionals I've collaborated with. He has a rare ability to drive large-scale projects from concept to execution while keeping stakeholders aligned the whole way. Strategic thinker and hands-on executor — I haven't seen many who do both well.
Ricardo Montes
Sr. Product Manager
Amazon
Open to Principal and Director-level design leadership and advisory roles.
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