# Jay Buys

> Jay Buys is the San Diego-based CEO and co-founder of Visceral, a creative agency founded in 2006 that builds brands and websites for mission-driven organizations. A developer turned executive, he is also a Fervor & Zeal co-founder, co-author of Repurpose, and speaker on business as a force for good.

- **Role:** CEO and Co-founder at Visceral
- **Organizations:** Visceral, Fervor & Zeal, Business For Good San Diego, Electronic Frontier Foundation
- **Education:** State University of New York at Fredonia
- **Known for:** Co-founded Visceral in 2006 and continues to lead it as CEO., Helped build Visceral into a Certified B Corporation, certified since April 2016., Co-authored Repurpose: Be Good At What You Do & Do Something Good with Matthew Billingsley.

## Career timeline

- **1986** — Began writing code, according to his first-person biography.
- **1998-2001** — Attended State University of New York at Fredonia, according to LinkedIn.
- **2006** — Co-founded Visceral with Matthew Billingsley in May after working together at a Washington, DC public relations agency.
- **2011** — Joined WordPress.org in December.
- **2016** — Visceral became a Certified B Corporation in April; co-authored Repurpose, published in September.
- **2024** — Spoke to a University of San Diego marketing class and led a Websites 101 workshop for Business For Good.
- **2025** — Discussed Fervor & Zeal on Entrepreneurs on Fire in November.
- **2026** — Appeared on Stop & Talk in April; Visceral marked twenty years in May.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Visceral in 2006 and continues to lead it as CEO.
- Helped build Visceral into a Certified B Corporation, certified since April 2016.
- Co-authored Repurpose: Be Good At What You Do & Do Something Good with Matthew Billingsley.
- Co-founded Fervor & Zeal, whose model directs 25% of profits to artists and 25% to nonprofit partners.
- Has served on the board of Business For Good San Diego.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Visceral marked twenty years and published a reflection on client focus, operations, profit sharing and B Corp participation.
- **2026-04** — Joined Grant Oliphant on the Prebys Foundation’s Stop & Talk to discuss profit, purpose and the future of business.
- **2025-11** — Discussed Fervor & Zeal’s apparel model and asking for help on Entrepreneurs on Fire.

## Links

- Website: https://thisisvisceral.com/team/jay-buys/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaybuys/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/jay-buys
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-26