Jay was born and raised in Buffalo, NY and attended Boston College before graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2013. He competed on the West Point boxing and judo teams, attending nationals as either a trainer or competitor in both sports. As a cadet he developed and launched a pilot as expedition leader with Team Red, White and Blue resulting in 2 wounded warriors summiting Mount Kilimanjaro.  

On active duty, Jay deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan as a rifle platoon leader for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Freedom Sentinel. After returning from Afghanistan, he graduated from the US Army Ranger School and represented the 101^st Airborne Division in the Best Ranger Competition. During his 5 years of military service, Jay has received numerous service awards, including a Bronze Star and an Army Commendation Medal.

Jay combined his experience with advanced academic training in 2017 by attending the Stanford Graduate School of Business Ignite Program, which focused on innovation and entrepreneurship. This program refined his unconventional approach to problem solving by incorporating lean start up methods, resulting in a fitness app that customizes training to meet diverse goals and requirements. His critical thinking skills were further complimented by deep strategic study through projects including co-writing The New Islamic State and spearheading research into military cyber operations.

In his spare time, Jay focuses on empowering recovering opioid addicts and their families by coaching them to developing resilience skills through his partnership with Save the Michaels of the World.