Though she describes herself as “easy like Sunday morning” when it comes to relaxation, Wray Clay is a fierce advocate for children. Her belief in the importance of “getting it right early” suffuses every aspect of her work at United Way of Greater St. Louis, which is dedicated to improving quality of life. Wray will be joining United Way Worldwide’s Darlene Slaughter and United Way of Racine County’s Rodney Prunty to lead a workshop Friday morning at Upswell, then a focus group to kick off the Friday afternoon lineup. Here’s a bit about Wray before she joins us in LA next week!

Q: Who are you, what drives you, what are you working on, and why are you inspired to make the world a better place?

WC: I am a seasoned professional who has spent much of my career developing strategic, unique, and intentional strategies and processes that address conditions affecting quality of life. I have a strong passion for children. Getting it right early helps improve the trajectory. I also strategically link those that have limited access to resources to opportunities, and help position and build capacity beyond the usual suspects to help people compete for resources and develop solutions most meaningful to those affected.

Q: What’s your favorite way to relax?

WC: I’m “easy like Sunday morning.” To relax, I like listening to live music, preferably in an outdoor venue.

Q: What’s the last issue you personally advocated for and why?

WC: I advocate for children. We need to become guardians of childhood. So many children exist in settings that would prove difficult for most adults. We can’t expect them to learn, grow, and thrive without support.

Q: If you could walk away from Upswell with one big thing, what would it be?

WC: Concrete strategies for engaging business leaders in effective ways to demonstrate commitment to racial equity, diversity, and inclusion in the communities served.