Marcus DeWayne. Taylor was born in 1979 in Memphis Tennessee to his African American parents, his mother an college cheerleader and his father a model and business person. They lived in the Orange Mound neighborhood, which was notable for its rich history of being an exclusively historically African American built community. Marcus was the older sibling and lived with his younger sister and his mother after the 1983 dead of his father.
In school, he excelled in his education at an early age becoming the salutatorian of his preschool and on maintaining high mark throughout his elementary school years. Marcus also excelled in sports playing basketball, track, and football. He developed a high intensity in the martial arts of taekwondo, karate, and kickboxing after being bully most of his youth for "being too white or light skinned". In 1998 Marcus graduated from Melrose High School whereas he and his team member broke state records and went to the State Championship two years in a row winning one and becoming the runner-ups in another.
Academically Marcus was interested in business and biology. He reluctantly joined the Physics Club and was a young aviators nominee 1994. He worked at the Saint Jude Research Hospital in the genetic science labs during a summer internship for high school students.
In 1998 shortly after graduating he left Tennessee to attended Texas Southern University an HBCU located in Houston Texas where he majored in Biology and minored in Business. He was also a member of the TSU Tigers Football team. While attending TSU, he joined the Fraternal Order of Classy Gentlemen: Sigma Rhomeo Inc. a non-PanHellenic fraternity on the campus. After Sept 11, 2001, he enlisted in the Army and left for Basic training in November of the same year. He chose to be an Automated Logistics Specialist attempting to hone business skills while in the army. He became an Infantryman and later in his career became a Supply Sergeant. Upon working in an elevated role, he began to shape into an independent business man inquiring about how business was conducted at high levels of the government and volunteering for any and all classes or training his leaders requested. During his time in the Army, he has been awarded numerous awards and medals. His Most notable achievement was in 2009-2010 Iraqi Freedom Campaign. During the deployment, he was responsible for the life-support of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Prosperity. Duties within the role were the primary billeting and contract officer representative. He was in charge of the management of maintaining the FOB’s water shipments, food, transportation, housing, and electricity, as well and supported the supplies and other support features for the area. He was also in charge of resident’s movements, procurement of necessary support items, and inventory accountability of arms, rations, and equipment.
In July 2012, he was honorably discharged from active service and placed on inactive ready reserves (IRR) to complete his education and pursue civilian employment. Shortly after his peers voted him as the National Executive Director for his fraternity where he introduced a more discipline structure for the faltering organization. He developed updated manuals and was instrumental in creating the new membership intake process as well as creating book and role for all officers and with more useful definitions based on best practices.
In Jan of 2013, he took a position as Supply Chain Manager from an international oil technical service company and worked out of its Houston, TX location and its Lafayette, La location. He would be the youngest Supply Chain Manager in the company and the only one with no degree but had the experience. Unfortunately, he was laid off due the beginning of the Oil plunge.
In between finding new employment and completing his Bachelors of Management, Marcus started a design company out of the need of his love for graphic designs. He taught himself the skill as a way to use his time more productively while on multiple deployments. Marcus created the company as a way to accommodate the small business and lower startups. He felt that if new start-ups/small businesses could use his services then, they could focus on building their business with highly professional appeal at a very low cost thus transferring other associated coat towards other aspects of their business. Determined to earn his degree he graduated from the University of Phoenix online and immediate went to pursue his Executive MBA from Prairie View A & M University at its North Houston Campus. Marcus is scheduled to Graduate in the fall of 2016. He has started several new business ventures, in entertainment, consulting as well as working on creating his nonprofit organization geared to developing African-American businessmen and entrepreneurs at local high school and communities around Houston. Marcus also will be pursuing his Doctorate of Business Administration Spring of 2017.
Joint Service Commendation Medal (2010)
Army Commendation Medal (3x)
Army Achievement Medal (4x)
Army Good Conduct Medal (4x)
Texas Medal of Merit (2x)
Armed Forces Reserve Medal (2004)
Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (2x)
National Defense Service Medal (3x)
Iraq Campaign Medal (2010)
Kosovo Campaign Medal (2006)
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (3x)
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal (2x)
Armed Forces Service Medal (3x)
Army Overseas Service Ribbon (2x)
Army Reserve Overseas Training Ribbon (2004)
Army NCO Professional Development Ribbon (2x)
Army Service Ribbon (3x)
Texas Outstanding Service Medal
Texas Federal Service Medal (2x)
Texas Adjutant General's Individual Award (2x)
Texas Combat Service Ribbon (2010)
Tennessee War Service Ribbon (2004)
