James “Jay” Guilford
Corporate Giving Specialist, International Museum of Dance
James “Jay” Guilford (he/him/his) is the Founder and Managing Partner of CoWorks Leadership Strategists, a professional services firm that provides transformative training experiences for corporate groups. With a career spanning both the nonprofit and corporate sectors, Jay has dedicated his work to fostering meaningful connections between businesses and the communities they serve.
Before launching CoWorks, Jay spent several years with Cirque du Soleil. There, he led Cirque’s corporate giving and community engagement programs across the U.S. To do this, Jay developed innovative partnerships that bridged the gap between corporate philanthropy and real community impact. In the second half of his tenure at Cirque, Jay transitioned into designing and facilitating immersive, interactive learning experiences for corporate groups, leveraging Cirque’s artistry and performance philosophy to enhance leadership and team dynamics.
In Jay’s 15-year career, he has worked with various corporate and nonprofit organizations, including Google, Microsoft, Mastercard, LifeTime Fitness, Nevada Ballet Theatre, Upward Bound, The Empire State Building, and InFlight Gymnastics.
Jay will leverage his expertise working across the corporate and non-profit sectors to help forge strategic partnerships that align corporate needs with IMOD’s diverse capabilities, creating meaningful and impactful partnerships.
Jay holds a B.A. from Emory University (Atlanta) and an M.A. from Columbia University (New York City).
Jay’s favorite dancer and film are one and the same. In his youth, he was mesmerized by Janet Jackson and her cinematic Rhythm Nation 1814 black-and-white short film that promoted the album.