Ray Schmidt is a certified mentor/coach, author, and speaker. He is the founder of Invested Stories, an organization devoted to helping people find the path to the Abundant Life Jesus promised. Ray grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC, and began his daily conversations with God as boy during summers on his grandmother’s farm in southwestern Virginia. He met his wife, Debbie, at a New Years Eve party spending the entire evening talking with her by the veggie bar. Prior to Invested Stories, Ray began his IT career with Control Data Corporation and held technical, managerial, and executive positions at Raytheon, MicroStrategy, Strategy.com, and was the founding Chief Information Officer at the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB).
 

Ray began his walk with Jesus early in life and has crashed and burned both personally and professionally multiple times along the way. Walking with God in redemption, he developed a keen heart for prayer and deep union with God. Ray founded Invested Stories in 2016 and has coached, counseled, and taught in both personal and professional settings for almost 10 years. Ray and Debbie live in North Myrtle Beach, SC with their four cats (Bubba, Rosie, Scout, and Daisy) traveling as often as they can to see their four children and three grandchildren.
 

Ray loves both the pristine quiet of a snow-covered forest and the earth-shaking rumble of a Formula One paddock. He cherishes early morning beach walks, scallop shells, a good steak, an occasional Balvenie, mountains (any kind), and rolling valleys.  He can talk for hours with allies about life with God and longs for Jesus’ return. His passion is for the discipleship of men. Searching for the truly thirsty. Those who are already asking the next question, seeking deep union with God, and knocking on doors yet to be opened.