Cynthia Gray has always been drawn to entrepreneurship. Her father was a businessman and her parents expected her to be successful. She started working at the age of 12 and had entrepreneurial endeavors in her youth, including a silk-screen T-shirt business and a matching service called Write Date.
“I’ve had mail sent to my home address from people in prison,” she said. “My dad said, ‘Why do I get all these letters from prison?'” So I said, ‘We’re going to start this matching thing.’ ”
Although her matching service didn’t always work out, Gray eventually found a niche that worked for her. She is the founder and owner of Gray’s Analysis, a business analytics company that is hired by companies across a variety of industries to solve complex business problems.
“Because of her expertise, people flock to her and are willing to listen to her stories. She willingly works through scenarios and situations so that everyone is happy and gets what they want at the end of the day. ,” said Jennifer Jumper, who hired Gray as a consultant for the Cambridge life sciences company Biogen. “I know that if I hire her, she’s going to come in and take charge and lead the way and get the job done.”
Over the past 15 years, Gray has frequently collaborated with the life sciences industry to gain a front-row seat to life-changing medicines.
However, working with large companies like CVS and Motorola wasn’t always the goal. When Gray started business school, her ultimate goal was to start a nonprofit organization.
“I didn’t want to work in the corporate world because I didn’t believe in corporate values. I thought if I didn’t show up once or twice or was late, I’d get fired.” she said. “But one of my professors said to me, ‘Cynthia, we have to take you out of your comfort zone and put you in an insurance company.’ You can make companies do better and treat your employees better. ”So I graduated and got a lot of offers and that’s how it all started. I realized that I had an area of expertise in helping companies improve. ”
Gray’s work is based on Six Sigma and lean manufacturing. She goes into the field to identify and solve what’s holding companies back from reaching their full potential. She said she was well-known enough in the industry that contracts were coming her way that she had to turn down jobs. Gray said her reputation will serve her well after she is hired.
“When these vendors see me there, they know that I know not only the technical side but also the business side, so they bring their A-game. ” she said.
Gray’s knowledge of both the business and technology sides of life sciences makes him a valuable asset when it comes to implementing systems, Jumper said. She is a good listener and her big personality and competence make people want to follow her.
Outside of work, Gray is a stand-up comedian. She got into comedy seven years ago and it’s a separate business at the moment because it’s such a big part of her life. Gray said he took up comedy because he needed a hobby. She organizes and performs at charity fundraisers and breast cancer awareness events, including the Worcester JCC.
Gray was young when he moved to Worcester, but at first he felt like a fish out of water, as his cheerful personality was met with New England’s boorish attitude. But Wooster grew on her, and she grew on Worcester, she said.
“This is a really great place and I raised my kids here. People are starting to realize how great Worcester is, but I don’t like it because Target is so crowded now.” she said. “But now people who graduate from college and get master’s degrees stay in college, and that’s always been the problem. People don’t stay, but now they’re staying.”
