Empact Showcase List

“If you're not successful at achieving the first Plan A, get another Plan A. Never settle for Plan B.”~ James Taylor As a single father in high school, James Taylor escaped poverty and beat the odds to earn an athletic scholarship to play college basketball at Lynn University in Boca Raton, FL. Regarded as one of the top guards in the nation; he was a Division II All-American as a freshman, sophomore, junior and senior. Mr. Taylor serves as the founder and president of A Taylored Heart Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that emphasizes the three A's - Attitude, Academics, and Athletics - to provide at- risk youth with vital leadership and character education. Mr. Taylor launched Urban Excellence, his first business, as a 19-year-old college sophomore. The business provided educational scholarship coaching and consulting to high school students to help ease the burden and stress of locating and applying for scholarships. Mr. Taylor traveled around the country conducting workshops and building successful college prep programs for organizations such as the YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, and the Urban League. In 2005, Mr. Taylor signed a professional basketball contract that landed him in Australia, Russia and the NBA Development League. When his Plan A, making the NBA, didn't happen, he changed course; leaving the basketball court for the boardroom. Mr. Taylor launched Taylored Athletes Sports, Inc., and introduced South Florida to his Pro At Your DoorTM Basketball Training Service in 2008. Taylored Athletes Sports now works with 3,000 youth annually, providing educational leadership training through its after-school programs, AAU basketball clubs, 5 on 5 tournaments, school sports consulting, empowerment workshops, summer camps and programs in South Florida. The company has forged strategic partnerships with national organizations such as Sports Authority, Med Express, National Down Syndrome Society Buddy Walk, Lynn University, Florida Atlantic University and Garden of Life. Mr. Taylor was honored on November 17, 2011, at the White House as one of our country's Top100 Entrepreneurs Aged 30 and under. He also was named to the Empact100. Both the success of Taylored Athletes Sports, Inc. and the Empact100 list are testament to the impact young entrepreneurs have on the American economy. The 100 companies on the list are responsible for contributing over 2,500 jobs and over $374 million in revenue. Now, at the age of 29, the former dean of students, author of Taylored Athletes, the journey of self-discovery has landed James and Taylored Athletes Sports in the Aetna 2012 African American History Calendar Celebrating 31 years of African American accomplishments. In addition, he was nominated by Lynn University for the 2012 Men’s With Caring Hearts Award for community service. The accolades continue, as an honoree for Business and Entrepreneurism for the African American Achievers Award by JM Family Enterprises in Memory of Jim Moran. Mr. Taylor holds a graduate degree in sports administration and marketing, and an undergraduate degree in business management from Lynn University. He has been featured in more than 50 state and local news publications on entrepreneurship; black issues in higher education, sports business, and the social effects of cultural diversity in education. Mr. Taylor has trained over 5,000 athletes and provided creative consulting to brands such as Nike® and Jordan®.

• Age: 41
• Ethnicity: Black