Ray Leach is the founding CEO of JumpStart Inc., a Cleveland, Ohio-based non-profit venture development organization that has gained a national best-in-class reputation for its innovative economic development models and its ability to leverage its experience and expertise across the U.S.

Ray is considered a national thought and practice leader at the intersections of public, private and philanthropic partnerships that accelerate job creation and increase inclusive economic outcomes neighborhoods, cities, states and regions.

Ray was a Sloan Fellow and a graduate of the MIT Sloan School of Management and the University of Akron. He began his career at IBM and went on to co-found four startups. Ray was a founding member of the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE) and a founding member of the National Venture Capital Association’s Diversity Task Force.

Ray currently serves on the for-profit board of The Smithers Group and Signet Enterprises. He also serves on the board of the Venture Capital Foundation, VentureOhio, the National Inventors Hall of Fame and NOCHE (Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education).