Ephren Taylor
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Ephren W. Taylor II is the youngest African-American CEO of a publicly-traded company in the United States[1].
[edit] Early life
Ephren W. Taylor II was born July 17, 1982 in Carlisle, Mississippi, a town with a population of around 200 people. His family lived in a house at the time with a tin roof and no hot water. After his father completed college, his job took the family to several other areas of the country, eventually settling in Overland Park Kansas, outside of Kansas City Missouri.
Learning computer programming at the local library after school, Taylor started his first business venture at age 12, when he began making 3D videogames and selling them to his friends in school for $10 a copy. He sold over 100 copies of the game.
By age 17, he had built a website for teenagers valued at over $3.4 million called GoFerretGo.com. The company was rated #4 of Teen Companies Nationwide by YoungBiz magazine. Taylor began working with churches next, developing unique concepts for investing in their local community. These strategies earned him Kansas Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2002.
Taylor developed several companies using these techniques for non-profits and for-profit. In 2006 he became CEO of City Capital Corporation (www.citycapcorp.com ; OTCBB:CCCN), making him the youngest African-American CEO of any public company in history. At City Capital Corporation, Taylor oversees over $150 million in assets, serving a diverse client list ranging from Wall Street investors, top executives, professional athletes and even entertainment icons.
His concepts on empowering local communities with both profitable and socially-conscious investing and development have made him a frequently requested speaker and panelist for events such as the Wall Street Economic Summit and the Congressional Black Caucus. Taylor is also a well-known guest expert broadcasting to millions of households on local and national television and radio shows including CNBC’s Big Idea, FOX News' Your World with Neil Cavuto, Bulls & Bears and the Doug Bank’s Morning Show. He currently hosts the "Soul of Success" radio show now airing on XM Satellite Radio Station on Family Talk 170XM. Taylor’s appeal stretches beyond the United States borders, as he frequently receives interview and appearance requests from international entities, such as the London-based Wealth Monitor and BBC.
Recently, Taylor launched a 15-city “Urban Wealth Tour” promoting economic empowerment, affordable housing and entrepreneurship in urban communities. The tour brings together private investors, educators, non profit organizations, religious institutes, and government forces to create positive change in urban communities. Beyond his unprecedented accomplishments in the technology and financial industry, Taylor is an author, inspirational speaker and real estate mastermind. He has authored five e-books and was recently signed by business publisher Wiley to release his first book in winter 2007.
Taylor has been asked to create a specialized curriculum for high school and college-aged aspiring entrepreneurs at America’s oldest Historically Black College and University, Cheyney University, in celebration of their 170th anniversary. The Ephren Taylor Entrepreneurship Academy is scheduled to open in July 2007.
[edit] Business Dealings
At the time Ephren Taylor became CEO of City Capital Corporation in 2006, he was the youngest African-American CEO of any public company in America. City Capital Corporation's interests include large-scale real estate developments in several states, as well as producing oil and natural gas wells. The company has a focused, socially-conscious mission, returning a significant amount of its profits to the local communities it partners with.
City Capital Corporation http://www.CityCapCorp.com
