MOD DESIGN was created by Sarah Ayala Jones and was Michigan’s first Minority Business Enterprise in the contract interiors field. Sarah has over 25 years of experience in the commercial furniture industry providing sales consultation, project management, design liaison, manufacturer representation and sales management. Beginning in 1980, Sarah was an account representative with Westinghouse Electric Business Units and Subsidiaries in North America. She served as a consultant to architects, project managers, space planners, and was responsible for business development throughout the dealer network. Sarah’s skills led to recognition for a number of achievements, including the winning of a $30 million account and consistently exceeding her region’s sales objectives while remaining within budget and deadline. Sarah understands the kinds of professional skills needed to succeed in the Commercial Furnishings industry, where budget and deadline are crucial to corporate planners and purchasers. That may explain why, since 1994, when Sarah founded MOD DESIGN, annual sales have grown to upwards of $8 million. While building her company, Sarah has also contributed time and expertise to the community. She was on the Advisory Committee of the Hispanic Development Leadership Program sponsored by New Detroit. She developed and instructed a course in basic banking for 150 enlisted military personnel. She has served on the Board of MATRIX Human Services; her predecessor was the League of Catholic Women. She was in the graduating class of Leadership Detroit XIX where she was a classmate with Governor Jennifer Granholm. In 1999 Sarah partnered with Blue Care Network to develop a program to assist and encourage inner-city young women in planning their careers. The program, “Reach High”, was presented to Western International High School in April 2000. It was so well received that within two years, Blue Cross Blue Shield was able to fund the program, renaming it ”The Blue Line to Success”. Currently Sarah is a member of the Hispanic Business Alliance, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Women’s Economic Club, the Detroit Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Women Business Owners, and the Minority Business Development Council. In August of 2003, Sarah was recognized by the Detroit Regional Chamber as one of the regions “100 Top Emerging Business Leaders” and only a few months later, Sarah was awarded by the National Association of Women Business Owners the title of “Michigan’s Top 10 Women Business Owners of Distinction.”
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