Ryan Ray

President and CEO

President & CEO

Ryan is an accomplished, results-oriented entrepreneur with a passion for developing leaders and building collaborative partnerships across both the public and private sector. He began his career in sales and marketing upon graduation from North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC). Leveraging a strong work ethic and tenacity, he has since enjoyed a blossoming career across various industries, building an extensive background in organizational leadership, consulting, public speaking, team building and development, training, process improvement, cost reduction, and fundraising.

In 2003, a near fatal car accident left Ryan with lots of time to reconsider “his idea” of success, and thus changed the trajectory of his life. He was introduced to a mentor and personal development, sparking a journey to impact lives through business ownership. During this time, Ryan served as Business Relations Manager for Arks, Inc. (a church financing and construction firm) managing a portfolio of millions of dollars in projects and capital stewardship programs. As a result of his community engagement, Ryan was later recruited as the Education Director of the Dunn Police Athletic League. Recognizing the need and forecasting the direction of nonprofit funding, he was instrumental in transforming a sports-focused organization into an educational-focused organization. As a result, Dunn PAL has secured thousands of dollars of education-based funding and support.

Prior to his role as CEO of Jobs for Life, Ryan led Triangle Entrepreneurial Leadership. He founded TEL in 2015 to create a safe haven for entrepreneurs to dream, to grow, and to lead their lives and businesses. The company’s mission is to educate, empower, and equip entrepreneurs with the thinking and skillsets necessary for financial, personal, and professional success; a people-focused company. TEL was birthed out of the need for entrepreneurial training and support, which Ryan recognized while working with individuals who feared starting their own business. TEL has developed into a business ecosystem that works collaboratively to ensure the success of its members. Through TEL, Ryan has created a network of over 5,000 “learners” providing weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual events serving hundreds of attendees. In addition to events, Ryan has mentored more than 30 small business owners in various stages of business.

Personally, he has been involved in the development of several programs in the communities in which he has served. He has most recently become recognized as a champion for Financial Literacy, developing a curriculum titled “Faith Focused Finances”. He continues to mentor individuals and families through this life-changing program. He has received numerous accolades over the years and has served in prominent leadership roles on a number of boards in Raleigh and Dunn, NC.

Now as President and CEO of Jobs for Life (JfL), Ryan looks forward to continuing his mission of changing lives and transforming communities. He believes that in order to build any successful institution, we must first build its people!

Ryan is a native of Dunn, NC. He lives in Garner, NC with his lovely wife, Tamia, and their son, Isaiah.