Jay Norris

Visionary entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in real estate and technology.

Jay Norris, Co-Chair at Manhattan Chamber of Commerce

Jay Norris is a visionary entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in the real estate industry and various other fields. He currently serves as the Co-Founder and CEO of Guesst, an innovative platform that connects online retailers with physical retail spaces for pop-up shops and shared leasing opportunities.1 2

Some of Jay Norris' key roles and accomplishments include:

Co-Founder and CEO of Guesst since 2018, a performance-based leasing software that allows property owners to track tenant sales and merchants to secure flexible lease terms1
Board Member of the Westport Weston Family YMCA since 20231
Co-Founder of Startup Westport since 2023, a group aiming to inspire diverse entrepreneurship1 3
Startup Mentor at Techstars Detroit powered by J.P. Morgan since 20221
Chief Executive Officer of BlackLight, the world's first search engine for Black-owned businesses1
Member of the Board of Trustees at The Westport Library since 20221
Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of Lifestyle Equities, a management consultancy specializing in solutions for small to medium businesses1

Prior to his entrepreneurial ventures, Jay Norris held positions such as:

Strategic Marketing Executive at Arista Records from 1994-1997, developing marketing strategies for artists like Notorious B.I.G., Whitney Houston, and TLC2
Promotions Director at Sony Music Entertainment from 1993-19942

Jay Norris holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Howard University.1 2 He is known for his innovative marketing skills, strong relationships, and deep understanding of the retail landscape, which he leverages to curate partnerships and experiential activations between retailers, landlords, media partners, and brands across various sectors.2