In The Early Days

RayZO Founder, Zoraya E. Lee-Hamlin (aka ZO) started her career in the nonprofit industry in 1989 as a graduate student at Rutgers Business School, located in Newark, New Jersey. There she interned with the Carter G. Woodson Foundation.  It was at that time that she learned that she could combine her business management skills to benefit a cause and have a greater  impact in her community.

Upon earning her MBA, she began working for the Urban League of Essex County as Director of Marketing and a member of the senior staff. By 1998, she accepted a position at the National Urban League as Director of Technology and Economic Self-Sufficiency Initiatives and a member of the extended cabinet.

The Start of Something Good

In the early 1990’s, Zoraya and husband Ray Hamlin would host a series of events and group vacations under the banner “RayZo Entertainment” and “RayZo Rendezvous.”  Friends enjoyed the events and trips so much they would often ask “when is the next RayZo party?”

A Pivotal Institution in Newark, NJ

In 1995, Zoraya joined the Board of Directors of La Casa de Don Pedro.  She served for 27 years as a board member, and for 10 of those years, she was its President.   Proudly, La Casa was founded in 1972 by a group of local activists seeking to establish educational and charitable programs to meet the needs of Newark’s Puerto Rican community.  As noted on the website, La Casa was named in honor of Don Pedro Albizu Campos, and has since evolved to become the largest Latinx-led organization in the state of New Jersey, serving 50,000 Newark and Essex County residents annually under three central pillars: Early Childhood (Prenatal, Early Head Start, Head Start, and Pre-K); Healthy Homes (Low Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program [LIHEAP], Weatherization, Lead Remediation/Abatement); and Community Empowerment (Women & Family Center, Immigration, Workforce Readiness, Youth Enrichment, Housing & Home Ownership Support, and Community Organizing). 

Our First Official Event

Zoraya’s first event under RayZo Entertainment was a book signing and cocktail party for media mogul Wendy Williams.  It was Wendy’s first book and the signing was held at The Newark Club, in NJ.  It was a huge success with over 200 attendees and was hosted by TV news anchor, Brenda Blackmon.

RayZO was born

Zoraya built upon the brand and popularity of the events and officially founded RayZO, Inc. combining the names Ray + ZO.

Working with the Largest Community Development Corporation in USA

In 2008, RayZO joined the team at New Community Corporation, where we worked closely with Monsignor William J. Linder, Founder and CEO, and Kathy Spivey, Chief of Staff.  At New Community Zoraya rebranded the organization and was the first to establish NCC’s social media and digital presence with a new Facebook account, a new website, and email marketing service.

Digital Fundraising Becomes the Norm

In the early 2010’s, RayZO began to add more digital marketing and fundraising services as solutions in the non-profit industry became more affordable. This was a critical point in time, where RayZO recruited brand development talent to help elevate the public profile of charitable organizations doing great work.

A Focus on BIPOC Communities

RayZO continued growing its presence in urban communities.  RayZO caught the attention of the Elizabeth Development Company, located in Elizabeth, New Jersey where we provided event management and program marketing services.  Over the next few years RayZO expanded their work to other organizations in Elizabeth, including the Elizabethport Presbyterian Center, where RayZo as project manager relocated their services into a newly built center and established their early childhood development, food bank and senior programs.  She also worked with the United Way of Greater Union County and HomeFirst, located in Plainfield, NJ.

Telling The Story of A Community’s Transformation

Transformational leadership becomes a part of history.

Out of the Ashes Came Hope

Noting the great work of New Community and its dedicated employees, Zoraya encouraged Monsignor Linder to write his memoirs. She believed it was important to record his story in his own words and more importantly for his story to become a part of Newark, New Jersey’s history. Zoraya volunteered her time and served as project manager for Monsignor’s book writing project. The book titled “Out of the Ashes Came Hope” was published in 2015.

Founded The Hunter Foundation

RayZo returned to work with Wendy Williams and her family to establish The Hunter Foundation, a nonprofit charitable organization. Zoraya was its first executive director and established its new brand and fundraising platform for her fans to donate. The foundation’s first round of funding was used to sponsor girls ages 11-14 to attend sleep away camp at Camp Mason in Harding, NJ.  For 3 summers a total of 60 girls were sponsored to attend the camp and characterized their experience as life-changing.  All expenses were paid, including camp fees, food, supplies and toiletries and a stipend was provided so that each of the girls could enjoy and learn without any financial barriers.  Zoraya handed over the position of executive director after three years, due to medical reasons (double knee replacements).

Serving as Chief Development Officer

Small non-profits need big help.  Our niche became serving as a one-stop resource, where we handle all grants management and fundraising activities for organizations who do not have the capacity to employ a fundraising staff.

Elevating an Organizations Public Profile

RayZO worked with local non-profit organizations such as Newark Emergency Services, the Urban League of Essex County, and more providing brand development and fundraising services.  

Not Just for Charities

RayZO has industry expertise in marketing to multi-racial communities and we have  worked with many small businesses that serve families of color, including Superfood Marketplace, Eagle Supermarkets, The Law Firm of Hunt, Hamlin & Ridley, Ori Homecare, Express Employment Professionals and more.

Returning to our Roots

In 2017, now noted as a one-stop-shop for a nonprofit, RayZO became the virtual “Chief Development Officer” for Aslan Youth Ministries in Monmouth County, NJ, the county Zoraya and husband Ray hail from.  

Working with Craig and LynnAnn Bogard, Zoraya and her team have assisted in creating a fund development “department” which has had a tremendous impact on the funding of the organization bringing in new funding sources (foundations, charitable trusts and donor advised funding).  We won the coveted IMPACT 100 – Jersey Shore grant award of $114,000.  

Although Aslan is a small operation their impact is tremendous, providing life-savings services in Haiti as well as USA (Red Bank, Long Branch, Asbury Park and Neptune, NJ). To date, we continue to handle all fund development activities including their premier annual fundraiser, Beauty and the Beach Run for Women.

Digital Services for Large Corporations & Projects

RayZO now provides project-based web design and digital services for large corporations.

Support for Diversity & Inclusion Initiatives

RayZO was picked to build four websites for Paramount (formerly known as Viacom-CBS). The Paramount initiatives, called First Time Directors, First Time Screen Writers and First Time Composers, were designed to recruit BIPOC filmmakers, screenwriters and composers and provide them with opportunities within the Paramount family of brands. We worked with the technology, program and project teams within the MTV Entertainment Studios brand.

Decades of Expertise

RayZO served as a capacity-building consultant for several grantees of The Victoria Foundation. The foundation developed a pilot program to assist their grantees in learning and growing the fundraising expertise.  RayZO was assigned four grantees over a two year period and was able to help these organizations establish their digital fundraising infrastructure, new websites, and social media marketing and grants management protocols.  In their first 6 months, a few grantees grew their individual donor and funder base.  One organization exceeded their holiday fundraising appeal, doubling the amount of funds raised from the previous year.

Back in the National Spotlight

RayZO began work with the NFL Alumni an organization that serves the needs of retired NFL players as they transition to life after the gridiron. RayZO became their website managers and in the first year built a new website and completely revised their membership platform. In addition, RayZO built over 40 NFL Alumni chapter websites and integrated donor management and ticketing software so each chapter could independently raise funds for the charities serving their local community. Many of the NFL Alumni chapters are in the larger urban cities across the country.

Expanding Our Reach

In 2022 we were hired to assist a security firm to develop their web site and provide marketing services for their security guard training school.  Our marketing planning included research on its school recruitment efforts noting that the target audience and demographics in Urban communities are changing to multi-racial first and second generation immigrants.

Celebrating 20 Years of Service

Today, RayZO employs grant writers, web developers, communications specialists, and a team of digital marketing experts!