The Conrey Center for Entrepreneurship at Cal State Fullerton’s College of Business and Economics not only has a new name, it also has a new leader for the first time in over a decade. On July 1, Scott Taylor took over the leadership of the college’s primary entrepreneurial and startup incubator program. Taylor is the third director to lead the center, following the retirement of John Bradley Jackson ’77, who served for two decades, and founding director Michael Ames.

A doctoral candidate at the University of Washington Michael G. Foster School of Business, Taylor, a serial entrepreneur, has served as a research associate at the Harvard Business School and a management lecturer and research assistant at Brigham Young University in Utah.

“I have been blessed to work under some of the most innovative and intelligent thinkers in the business world,” says Taylor. “I am standing on the shoulders of giants. Not only in the classroom, but also in practice.”

In addition to academic experience, Taylor has been an advisor to both small- and medium-sized enterprises and large corporations for business launches, new product debuts and entrance into new markets.

From startup ideas developed in business classes to new product launches from veteran serial entrepreneurs in mid-career in North Orange County, the Conrey Center for Entrepreneurship at Cal State Fullerton advises and supports a wide range of startup concepts. Taylor recognizes the many facets and faces of entrepreneurship and looks forward to engaging with this diversity.

“Each entrepreneurial ecosystem is unique. AI, social entrepreneurship, and many other trends will continue to influence the entrepreneurial environment moving forward. These shifts are exactly what entrepreneurship is all about and we’ve seen this before with the internet, printing press and blockchain,” says Taylor. “The community already has experts in these areas and the college has researchers working on these very issues. I hope to integrate the best practice-based approaches with research frameworks that give the center tools to help entrepreneurs meet these and other future challenges.”

Getting things right the first time and having access to the best resources and industry expertise are some of the benefits of working with the Conrey Center for Entrepreneurship. “The center is here to provide access to resources that can help entrepreneurs in their pursuit, recognize opportunities, and provide expertise that can help acquire the resources one needs to succeed,” says Taylor. “Plus, we’ll help you make fewer and learn more from the mistakes you’re bound to make.”

For more on the center, visit the Conrey Center for Entrepreneurship website. Or read more of our articles on entrepreneurship education and support.