Craig Taylor is the veteran founder and CEO of Iapetus Holdings LLC, a Houston-based suite of eight companies solving the most urgent needs in energy sustainability, efficiency, reliability, and safety. Business verticals served to include energy brokerage, retail energy consulting, vegetation management, safety consulting, and tech-enabled infrastructure inspections. Craig spent several years as a leader in the U.S. Navy. He holds a University of Maryland B.S., a Fordham University J.D., as well as a Columbia University and London Business School joint M.B.A. Craig spends his time between Houston, Aspen, and Los Angeles. He is passionate about affording high school students with opportunities in the professional world through the non-profit he cofounded, Atlas Scholars.

I grew up in Venice, California. I didn’t have a lot of odds in my favor. I consider myself very fortunate to be where I am now. I didn’t have many positive professional role models, and that is what inspired me to pay it forward by co-founding Atlas Scholars, a 501c3 that provides motivated high school students with paid internships, scholarships, and mentorship. The three-year internship exposes youth to hands-on experience in the worlds of energy and finance. I believe this is a powerful way to disrupt and help level the playing field.

I started my first business, Atlas Commodities, when I was a trader on Wall Street, and I realized all I needed to have my own business was to have a phone and a computer. Today we have become the #1 Veteran-owned company in Houston based on revenues serving multiple energy verticals. You could say I’m a serial entrepreneur. And I’m definitely a Disruptor!

Just get started! It’s not going to be perfect from the get-go. And my favorite Mike Tyson quote about grit: “Everyone always has a plan until they get punched in the face”.