Ms. Elizabeth Mays

For over a decade, Elizabeth Mays has blended innovation and tradition, navigating
the corporate landscape of printing and publishing with unparalleled expertise. She is
leading her family’s legacy printing and publishing business – Mays Multimedia and
Valley Publishing Group – into its third generation. In a male-dominated industry, Elizabeth’s presence is unforgettably unique, leaving a reputation of stellar discernment, professionalism
and possibility.

That tradition of giving back continues for her today within her beloved hometown of
Detroit. She has been active as a audit & supervisory committee member for
Diversified Members Credit Union, Vice President of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) Detroit, steering committee at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and mentor for Girls Destined for
Greater Mentoring Group. A graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program, she has also lectured at Notting Hill College in Cairo, Egypt, at the invitation of the U.S. Embassy (Cairo) and the Arab Academy Center of Entrepreneurship. Elizabeth also reserves time for event moderation, speaking engagements, and voiceover endeavors. As co-host of The Creative Voice podcast, she uplifts the cherished yet often unheard voices of her community in collaboration with AIGA Detroit.

Elizabeth is a graduate of Western Michigan University with a degree in film, video
and media services and a minor in graphic and printing science.

Mays Multimedia
Mays Multimedia (previously Mays Printing) is a celebrated Black-owned enterprise established by the late J. Caulton Mays, a Tuskegee Airmen and Wilberforce University graduate in 1946. The seeds of the business were sown within the humble confines of a Detroit streetcar — a sanctuary that Mr. Mays embraced it as his inaugural office. He traversed through the city to bring his vision of providing quality printing and book publishing to the AfricanAmerican community to life, one building, store, and church at a time. Following in his father’s footsteps, James C. Mays joined the company as the vice president of printing in 1977, and nearly a decade later, succeeded as President and CEO.

The family business encountered another welcome shift in 2011 when James Mays passed the mantle of the family business to his daughter Elizabeth Mays. Mays Printing is one of the nation’s largest memorial printers in the country. For the past 78 years, they’ve handled the printed and online obituaries and legacy tributes for generations of family members and some of Detroit’s most notable
including Civil Rights Legend Rosa Parks, Boxer Joe Louis and Temptation Dennis Edwards. Now today as Mays Multimedia, the company epitomizes the enduring legacy of the Mays family in Detroit.

With an illustrious 78-year tenure, Mays Multimedia has grown beyond its traditional printing roots to become a destination for commercial printing, signage, graphic design, marketing,
packaging, video, advertising, and book publishing and manufacturing services.

Rooted in heritage and steeped in excellence, Mays Multimedia’s unwavering
commitment to quality solidifies the company as the epitome of reliability.

Valley Publishing
In 1946, J. Caulton Mays, a revered journalist and Tuskegee Airman, founded Valley Publishing in Detroit’s historic Paradise Valley. Paradise Valley stood as a testament to Black creativity, industry, and community, embodying the essence of Mays’ vision. With a commitment to trust and quality, Valley Publishing became the trusted printer for vital communications within the community. Offering comprehensive services including design, consulting, and marketing, Valley Publishing today has established itself as a leader in book and magazine publishing, especially for children’s books and educational materials. Now, under the leadership of Elizabeth Mays, Valley Publishing Group has returned to the forefront, heralding a new chapter of growth and innovation.