skip to main content
Jaymes Black
Jaymes Black
01:03

Jaymes Black

The Trevor Project

New York, NY USA

"Most of all, people have to know that they matter and their dreams matter."

Career Roadmap

Jaymes's work combines: Non-Profit Organizations, Business, and Helping People

See more careers and stories that connect to your interests.

Take Roadmap Quiz

Day In The Life

CEO

I guide the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ youth.

02:40

Day In The Life Of The CEO Of The Trevor Project

My Day to Day

I spend my days leading strategy, fundraising, and building partnerships to expand life-saving crisis services for LGBTQ+ youth. I move between big-picture planning and urgent conversations about mental health, always grounded in the mission to protect young people. Whether I’m aligning teams or advocating for change, I’m focused on creating a world where every young person feels safe, seen, and valued.

Skills & Education

Here's the path I took:

  • GED

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Undergraduate

    Strayer University

  • Graduate Degree

    Business Administration and Management

    Colorado Technical University

Learn more about different paths to this career

Life & Career Milestones

I've taken a lot of twists and turns

  • 1.

    Growing up in South Texas, I was outed as a teen and faced rejection, isolation, and the painful belief that I didn’t belong.

  • 2.

    I dropped out of high school and struggled to survive, couch surfing and working to make ends meet.

  • 3.

    Determined to change my path, I moved to Dallas with $70, teaching myself tech skills and breaking into corporate America.

  • 4.

    Over two decades, I rose into executive leadership, proving to myself that my past did not define my potential.

  • 5.

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, I faced a moment of clarity and questioned if I was truly using my story to create meaningful impact.

  • 6.

    I took a leap of faith into nonprofit leadership, becoming CEO of Family Equality and stepping into purpose-driven work.

  • 7.

    Embracing my full identity, I came out as nonbinary, realizing that authenticity was essential to leading and serving others.

  • 8.

    Now, as CEO of The Trevor Project, I lead with purpose, working to ensure LGBTQ+ young people feel seen, supported, and safe.

Defining Moments

Experiences and challenges that shaped me

Click to expand

  • I was outed as a teen in South Texas, where we didn't have any resources to support me as I struggled with feelings of isolation, rejection, and suicidal ideation. That struggle is part of what grounds me in the work that I do today.

Related Leaders

No related leaders found