Photographs by Charlie Scott Photography
Jay Norris is nothing short of impressive. Norris has experience in many sectors and is currently the CEO and Founder of Guesst Software, CMO and Co-Founder of Blacklight Extension, Co-Founder and CEO of Lifestyle Equities, host of Visionary’s Podcast, Co-Chairman of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce and board member of Westport Downtown Association. And most recent, is the Co-Founder of the new Content Studio of Westport.
Norris grew up in Detroit, Michigan, and attended Howard University in Washington, D.C. After school, Norris worked in the music industry and started Tastemakers Media. He then began his real estate brokerage career as Director for Marcus Millichap and then Eastern Consolidated Properties. He moved to New York City. In 2017, Norris and his wife, Crystal, made the decision to move to Westport to raise their two kids, Jacob and Sophia. The Norrises decided on Westport for a few reasons,
“My wife’s family is from Connecticut, so grandma and sisters lived out here. Another reason we chose Westport was because of the obvious reasons; great housing stock and taxes associated, great school systems, beautifully designed main street, and access to the beach,” Norris said.
However, with all these great factors about Westport, it lacked the diversity Norris was looking and hoping for. During Covid-19 and after the murder of George Flloyd, Norris and three other men came up with the idea for Westport 10. Westport 10 is an organization for Black & Brown professionals that strive to make Westport a more diverse and welcoming town for people of color. It started with four men and now includes 70+ men and their families.
Norris is a boardmember of Westport Weston Family YMCA, the Westport Library and a co-founder of Startup Westport, which fosters technology and innovation in Westport.
Norris loves the YMCA and the library but saw that Westport was lacking a curated and elevated space for people to gather. “We needed a space that isn’t a 501(c) where people can come together,” he said.
He is a member of Spring Place in NYC and had a craving for a space where like-minded individuals could meet, collaborate and enjoy memorable experiences here intown.
In 2022, Chirag Shah bought the space at 20 Saugatuck Ave for his coaching company, Chirag Shah Coaching. And last year, just when Norris was looking for a space to execute his idea, a friend of Norris introduced him to Chirag at the space a year ago.
“When I met Chirag, he shared his goal of helping coach and educate businesses in Westchester and Fairfield county. Essentially the design aesthetic of the space was already there when I walked in. It was like a blank canvas just waiting for masterpieces to be created,” Norris said. “We leaned in on our shared vision, we both bring a wealth of knowledge to the table, plus we also do not aspire to commute to city anymore.”
Boom! The idea of Westport Content Studio was created and they got to work. The renovations of the space took six months and the space opened June 19, 2024. One of the key aspects of the space is the event stage, which was designed with Steve Jobs and TED Talks in mind.
“Picture a space that you can broadcast globally and have an audience to launch your new idea into the world … a place where one can launch, inspire, educate and train the upcoming generation of founders, innovators, entrepreneurs and creators,” Norris said.
The Content Studio of Westport isn’t just a space for private or curated events but also offers customized content production, business coaching and live masterclasses with subject matter experts. They have an in-house team for filming, editing, bartenders, caterers and more.
“Creators, founders, entrepreneurs, designers and CEOs all need a space or lab to create. So when we moved here, I was always looking for a space to bring thought-leaders, creatives and visionary’s together,” he said.
Norris puts the studio to work with his own Visionary’s Podcast. He films the interviews at the studio and has interviewed Dan Woog, Jen Tooker, Cliff Sirlin, Dan O’Keefe, Kal Amin, Foti Koskinas, Jimmy Pitaro and Adam Goldberg.
“This is why we would like the influencers and business owners intown to view the space so they can create their own curated events, memories and experiences here,” Norris said.
The Content Studio of Westport is offering a unique opportunity for the first 40 businesses to join as founding members. As a founding member, you’ll gain access to exclusive benefits designed to help you grow, network, and thrive in the world of content creation.