Taylor Black
Principal Program Manager & Venture Partner at Microsoft & Forum VC
Seattle
Crews
Introduction
Hello Propellers! Happy 2021. 🥳
My name is Taylor and I'm based in Seattle ☔🏔🌲. I help run startup and fund operations at the Invention Science Fund, where we create and develop deep/hard technologies (haptics, biomedical devices, LIDAR, metamaterials, nuclear energy, many more) into stand-alone companies. My role is multifaceted, having aspects of Program Management, Product Management, and startup COO rolled into one. I also am a startup mentor with Venture Out, where we help founders get their early-stage ventures off the ground, and manage Fizzy Inc, a growing web product / SaaS passive income stream.
My background is broad, having worked as a management consultant in business intelligence and social media/web analytics consultant with Unify Consulting for T-Mobile, Disney, ESPN, Microsoft, Juniper Networks, and others. Prior to consulting I founded and ran an inbound marketing and web/mobile design/development agency for a number of years working primarily with small/medium-sized businesses with the occasional Fortune 500 thrown in.
I graduated from Boston College with a JD and an MA in CogSci/Philosophy, BAs from Gonzaga in Philosophy, Classics, Honors Business, and Biochem.
Fun fact: when I’m not working or playing with my wife/kids, I’m distance trail running/fastpacking in the Cascades or Olympics.
Stoked to meet you all!
Professional Goals
I want to serially build successful companies and assist others in doing so.
Currently Investing in
Working in
Functional Expertise
Future Interests
Gives
- Everything startups, from GTM and Customer Acquisition to Operations and HR/Legal.
- Business Intelligence/Data Problems. While I don’t spend much time directly in R/Python/SQL/ML/AI these days, I used to work heavily in these technologies and am happy to point folks in the right direction.
- Connections to the right people for any given issue. I’m a hyper-extrovert with a broad and deep network. Happy to help you find answers.
Asks
- I’m leaving my current role this quarter and am looking for a new remote/Seattle gig. A few different paths on the table (COO, GTM Lead @ another Incubator, perhaps Product Lead @ a FAANG) and excited to learn of other roles/opportunities.
- Fizzy Inc, my side gig/passive income stream hit $2500 MMR with about ~2hrs/month worth of work last year and I think I can grow it 10-30x in 2021. Understanding how best and most efficiently to do this from a group of fellow mentors is super exciting to me.