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 was my manager at AWS, and his mentorship was transformative for my career in designing for AI and intelligent systems. What made him exceptional was how he embodied his ‘design is a team sport’ philosophy — creating an environment where I felt empowered to ask questions, experiment, and push boundaries. He challenged me to think bigger and connect my work to broader product strategy and organizational impact.
Nicole Warner
Sr. UX Designer
AWS
In my 20 years in UX, Jay is hands down the most supportive and effective leader I've worked with. He builds teams where people feel trusted and empowered to do their best work — and he knows exactly when to step in and when to get out of the way. Any organization would be fortunate to have him.
Mark Potterf
Head of Design, Network Observability
AWS
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
Open to Principal and Director-level design leadership and advisory roles.
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