Dontae Rayford is Head of Platform at Black Operator Ventures. In this capacity, Dontae works as a bridge between the investment team and portfolio companies, focusing on streamlining communications and identifying opportunities and resources that stand to benefit our founders.

He has long operated within the tech sector, oscillating between small and large companies in largely external facing capacities. He specializes in commercializing and scaling new innovations and has cut his teeth in a Sales/BD capacity at companies like Google, Yahoo / Verizon Media, TuneIn, Indeed and January AI.

Dontae earned his Bachelor and Master degrees in Sociology from Stanford University, where he joined his first startup in 2006. He would later receive his Master of Business Administration from the NYU Stern School of Business. Dontae lives in Los Angeles and is an avid collector of sports cards and Black art.