Bloomfield Alumnus Gage Daye ’12: Around the World and Giving Back

The star of his high school basketball team, Gage Daye ’12 was destined for great things. When Bloomfield College Head Basketball Coach, Gerald Holmes, spotted his extraordinary talent, he was determined to recruit him and extended a scholarship offer. This opportunity, coupled with the proximity to Daye’s hometown of Newark and the ability for friends and family to see him play, made it an easy decision for Daye to attend Bloomfield College.

Daye’s four years of college basketball were filled with accolades, including team captain, First Team All-American, East Region Player of the Year, two-time Metropolitan and two-time Conference Player of the Year. He led Bloomfield to its first Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Tournament Championship since 2006 during his senior campaign in 2010-2011, and to the first Elite Eight in the program and conference history. Senior year, Daye was named All Time Leading Point Scorer in the College, the Conference and East Region. Finally, in January 2023, Daye was inducted into the Bloomfield College Athletics Hall of Fame.

Reveling in his Bloomfield years, Daye states, “It was the family atmosphere that kept me there. What stands out the most was the camaraderie with teammates over the years – the bus rides, the games, the parties. It was some of the best years of my life.”

Daye’s strong training ethic extended to his studies, leading him to earn his bachelor’s in Human Resources and Business Management; however, upon graduation, his basketball career was far from over.

NBA scouts had their eye on Daye and offered him a contract straight out of college for the NBA Gatorade League (formerly known as the NBA Development League). Daye played one season for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, affiliates of the Indiana Pacers, after which he was recruited overseas by the British Basketball League (BBL). His journey to England was his first out of the country, and he appreciated the cultural experience; however, after several months of overcast weather and rain, he was happy when the Waratah State League of Australia came calling. He played there for three years and enjoyed being immersed in this new culture. Daye was equally thrilled to play tour guide to the President of his basketball club when he traveled to New Jersey with his family. “I showed him around New York and he came to visit Bloomfield College. That was just a really cool experience.”.

Always planning for the future, Daye took advantage of the downtime between games and practice to continue his education. With dreams of becoming an entrepreneur, he studied online and received an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University. Through hard work and determination, Daye once again made his dreams a reality. After playing professional basketball for over five years, he set out to become an entrepreneur. “It was a challenge not having a stable income and sacrificing stability to live my dream, but the time I took playing overseas and abroad really prepared me to be successful,” he says. “I read entrepreneurial books and books about real estate. It allowed me to hit the ground running.”

Today, he runs three successful enterprises: two businesses and one nonprofit organization. L.A.B. Development (an acronym for Life and Basketball), provides basketball training for youth at different facilities across northern New Jersey. This includes summer camps, clinics during the school year, and individual training. Last year, the organization served more than 100 youth and provided discounts and scholarships to those in need. “It’s a passion of mine. I played sports throughout my upbringing. I never had that type of program growing up – the detailed level of training that we do.”

Daye’s second business, Kleos Ventures, is a real estate development firm. It conducts ground-up development, renovations, refurbishing and “flipping” properties throughout the state; however, he most enjoys working close to home. “I take pride in investing in the area where I was raised. I grew up in the West Ward of Newark and I am looking to improve the quality of life for the people who live there.” Currently focused on ground-up developments, his work has included building several multi-family homes in the West Ward and a larger complex in nearby Irvington.

Daye’s nonprofit venture, A3, which stands for Academic and Athletic Advancement, provides mentorship and scholarship to students from pre-K to college. His dedicated team of volunteers each serve about two or three mentees each year and host back-to-school drives, providing everything from books to sneakers.

Having been successful in his career, Daye credits Bloomfield College as his springboard and seeks to give back to his alma mater in a variety of ways. For some time now, he has served as the Men’s Basketball assistant coach. “I help out with the young guys there and try to be a resource for them.”

Since 2021, he has served as vice president of the Bloomfield College Alumni Association (BCAA). When asked about the group’s work he emphasizes its focus on students. “We work to connect students with resources such as resume assistance, job opportunities and networking with professionals in their field. BCAA has also been able to donate to students in need, including cap and gowns, books and free haircuts during graduation….I’m proud of the work that we’ve done.”

In 2017, Daye founded an endowed scholarship, the Gage Daye Scholarship Fund. The goal is to assist students from his hometown of Newark that are interested in attending Bloomfield College.

Adding the title of author to his litany of distinctions, Daye published a children’s book, Grayson’s Passion, in 2022. “The story is about a young boy who is struggling to find his passion in life. With help from family and friends, he is able to find it.” In terms of his motivation to write the book, Daye states, “I wanted to do my part to push the culture forward.” Grayson’s Passion is available on Amazon and Daye also sells copies through social media.

When asked about his plans for the future, he says, “…to continue to do what I’m doing. I’m big on entrepreneurship and financial freedom. I believe we can all do more if we have better access to our time.”

In August 2024, Daye plans to wed his fiancee, Dre’Shonda Williams ’13, also a member of the Bloomfield College Alumni Association Board. They met as students and Williams played in the women’s professional league in Australia for the same three years he was there. Finally, he plans to spend time with his two children, daughter Gia, age 3, and son, Gian, age 2. In the future, travel to Dubai and Africa are on his bucket list. The sky certainly seems to be the limit for what great things Daye is able to accomplish.

To learn more about the Bloomfield College Alumni Association contact Briana Curtis, Associate Director of Alumni Engagement, curtisbr@montclair.edu. To make a gift to support its mission, visit bloomfield.edu/alumni/make-gift.