Just What Is Ray J Doing with a Tech Company?
When celebrities enter other business verticals, people have been known to become very doubtful. It’s as if the celeb has been assigned to one career for a lifetime. This stands equally true as we’ve seen them transitioning into the tech space in droves. Are they as authentic as we’re led to believe or are they a brand plastering their name across a fully developed product?
In reality, entrepreneurship is a trait that many celebrities possess; creating something out of nothing. I sat down with Ray J to find out why he built his company Raytroniks, and what role he plays as a tech entrepreneur. Putting on my director’s hat, we played with this interview, wrapping it into a reality-style delivery to give you a deeper understanding of Ray’s decision and show you what Raytroniks is all about.
(Ray J and Sequoia Blodgett talking tech at the Staples Center. Image: File)
Although reality shows can sometimes be loosely scripted, Ray’s passion for becoming a tech entrepreneur is very real. He invested his own money, time, and energy into launching his first product, an electronic scooter called the Scoot-E-Bike, which is one of the many products he plans to roll out under the Raytroniks brand. Although he didn’t conceptualize the bike, he has been heavily involved in the creation, business, and distribution strategy.
“I finally now can transition from music and TV, something that I love to do but, you’re getting paid for your talent so you’re showing up and you’re getting paid to show up,” said Ray. “At some point, you gotta branch out of that and start taking some money that you make and investing it in something that could be profitable, or take a loss, you know, whatever it is. It can’t be Groundhog Day in an entertainment world.”
Additionally, contrary to popular reality TV show belief, his wife Princess has been very supportive throughout this entire endeavor and Ray’s business partner Billy Jones has been hustling hard to make sure the two secure brand deals and celebrity endorsements.
Peep the clip below and come kick it with Ray J and his business partner Billy Jones as they take a deeper dive into the business at Black Enterprise’s TechConneXt Summit, Oct. 9th and 10th in Burlingame, California.
