Dylan Taylor
Dylan Taylor – Life, Career, and Vision for Space
Discover the life of Dylan Taylor (born 1970) — American entrepreneur, space investor, and commercial astronaut. Explore his journey from business executive to driving innovation in the NewSpace sector, his ideas, and his influence.
Introduction
Dylan Taylor (born October 23, 1970) is an American businessman, investor, and space industry pioneer. While his early career was rooted in real estate services and corporate leadership, Taylor’s later trajectory has seen him become one of the most prominent private investors in the “NewSpace” economy—a sector centered on commercial space exploration and infrastructure. He even journeyed to space himself as part of a Blue Origin flight, reinforcing his deep commitment to expanding humanity’s reach beyond Earth.
Taylor blends executive acumen, strategic risk-taking, technical interest, and philanthropy. His story reflects a shift in the 21st century: from traditional business leadership to frontier technology, sustainable space commerce, and the democratization of space access. Below, we examine his life, career, major accomplishments, public philosophy, and the lessons we can draw from his path.
Early Life and Family
Dylan E. Taylor was born on October 23, 1970, in Denver, Colorado.
Not much publicly documented is known about his mother or siblings. But from early accounts and his later pursuits, it appears that his upbringing fostered curiosity, technical interest, and a willingness to bridge business and engineering worlds.
Education and Early Influences
Taylor’s formal education laid the foundation for his dual interests in technology and business:
-
Bachelor’s in Engineering: He earned a B.S. in Engineering from the Honors College at the University of Arizona.
-
MBA (Finance & Strategy): He later completed an MBA in Finance & Strategy from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago.
-
Further Leadership Education: He also participated in programs such as the Global Leadership & Public Policy program at Harvard University.
Taylor’s combination of technical and managerial training equipped him to move fluidly between engineering-minded ventures and executive-level decision-making. This cross-disciplinary foundation became a key strength when he later bridged real estate, corporate leadership, and space industry investing.
Career and Achievements
Corporate & Real Estate Leadership
Taylor’s early professional life was built in more conventional sectors before transitioning to space:
-
After college, he worked at Saia-Burgess, a Swiss electronics company, managing U.S. operations.
-
He then joined LaSalle Partners, a real estate and investment services firm, progressing through roles of increasing responsibility.
-
In 2009, Taylor moved to Colliers International, a global real estate services firm, and held a succession of executive roles.
-
He helped grow Colliers’ revenue significantly, from close to $400 million to around $3 billion during his tenure.
-
From 2015 to 2019, he served as Global President of Colliers.
-
In mid-2019, Col ll iers terminated him over allegations of trading misconduct; however, after investigation, the parties settled amicably, and no wrongdoing was confirmed.
-
This corporate experience gave Taylor significant exposure to scaling businesses, managing global operations, and navigating corporate governance.
Transition into Space & NewSpace Investing
Around 2007, Taylor’s interest turned to the commercial space sector (often dubbed “NewSpace”):
-
He became an angel investor in space ventures, backing companies such as World View Enterprises, Golden Spike, Relativity Space, and others.
-
In 2017, he founded the nonprofit Space for Humanity, with the mission to democratize access to space and broaden human perspectives through spaceflight.
-
In that same year, Taylor commissioned and oversaw the manufacturing of a gravity meter aboard the International Space Station—making him the first private individual to manufacture an item in space.
His biggest venture into space business came with Voyager Space Holdings (often simply “Voyager Space”), founded in late 2019:
-
Voyager is a space infrastructure holding company that acquires, builds, and integrates NewSpace enterprises.
-
Under his leadership, Voyager has acquired companies such as Altius Space Machines and Nanoracks (via XO Markets).
-
As of now, Taylor serves as Chairman & CEO of Voyager Space.
Spaceflight & Astronaut Status
Taylor moved beyond investment to participate directly in space travel:
-
On December 11, 2021, Dylan Taylor was part of the Blue Origin NS-19 mission and became a commercial astronaut.
-
As a result, he earned FAA Commercial Astronaut Wings.
-
His flight marked him as one of the relatively few private individuals to have ventured to space.
Recognition, Philanthropy & Thought Leadership
Beyond his direct business and space activity, Taylor is active in public discourse, philanthropy, and leadership institutions:
-
He is widely regarded as one of the most active private investors in the space technology sector.
-
He has published articles on space economics, infrastructure, and future trajectories in outlets like SpaceNews, Forbes, FastCompany, Newsweek, The Space Review, and
-
He is Co-Founding Patron of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, a trade association promoting commercial human spaceflight.
-
He supports Fellowships like Brooke Owens Fellowship and Patti Grace Smith Fellowship, which encourage underrepresented groups in aerospace.
-
Taylor has been honored by institutions such as the World Economic Forum (as a Young Global Leader in 2011) and as a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute.
Historical & Sector Context
To understand Dylan Taylor’s significance, it helps to frame his activity in the broader trajectory of commercial space:
-
The rise of NewSpace: Since the early 2000s, private companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and others have shifted space exploration from state monopolies to competitive markets. Taylor’s move into investing and integration aligns with this transition.
-
Infrastructure, not just launch: While many early space companies focus on rocketry or satellites, a gap has long existed for infrastructure—stations, servicing, in-space manufacturing. Taylor’s Voyager Space is positioned to fill precisely that niche.
-
Democratization of access: Taylor’s Space for Humanity and his own spaceflight echo a trend to make space more accessible—not only to corporate and government actors but to individuals and institutions globally.
-
Public-private collaboration: Voyager’s business model often involves partnering with government space agencies (e.g. NASA) and leveraging public contracts alongside private investment.
Taylor’s work exemplifies a pivotal phase: moving from “who can build rockets” to “how to build sustainable space economies.”
Personality, Approach & Vision
Taylor has cultivated a persona of the visionary pragmatist. Here are some of his traits and approaches:
-
Bridge-builder: He seamlessly bridges worlds—corporate real estate, engineering, aerospace, philanthropy—leveraging each domain’s insights.
-
Long-horizon thinking: He invests in infrastructure that may take years to mature, reflecting patience and belief in cumulative innovation.
-
Hands-on curiosity: His decision to manufacture a device in space, and eventually fly to space himself, suggests he does not remain a distant backer but engages with the technical and symbolic.
-
Advocate for inclusion: His founding of Space for Humanity suggests he sees space not just as a frontier for elites, but as a domain for broad human involvement.
-
Public communicator: He frequently speaks at conferences, writes opinion and analysis pieces, and positions himself in the public conversation about the future of space.
Still, critiques or challenges must also be acknowledged. The commercial space industry is capital-intensive, risky, and loaded with regulatory, technical, and economic hurdles. Taylor’s bets depend on climate, contract success, and breakthrough technologies.
Selected Notable Quotes
While public sources don’t show a vast trove of famous one-liners for Dylan Taylor, here are some representative statements from his public profiles:
-
“If you can dream it, it can happen.” — This motto appears on his official site and reflects his aspirational ethos.
-
In his media and interview appearances he often emphasizes that space is not just a frontier of hardware but “a frontier for humanity” (paraphrase from his articles).
-
In public speeches he frames space growth in economic and social terms: he calls for “democratizing space access” and using in-space manufacturing and resources as levers for sustainable expansion.
These statements, while less epigrammatic than those of older historical figures, encapsulate his philosophy toward space, business, and possibility.
Lessons from Dylan Taylor
From Taylor’s life and career, we can draw a number of insights:
-
Be willing to pivot: Taylor’s shift from real estate and corporate leadership into space investing shows that one can reinvest one’s skills in emergent domains.
-
Cultivate domain breadth: Blending technical, business, and public-facing roles can magnify your impact, especially in frontier fields.
-
Invest in infrastructure: Sometimes the greatest long-term value lies not in flashy products but in foundational systems (e.g. space stations, servicing platforms, supply chains).
-
Embed personal stakes: Taylor’s direct involvement—e.g. flying to space—adds credibility and alignment with his mission.
-
Promote inclusivity: Recognizing that breakthroughs matter more when they serve broader humanity is a powerful leadership posture.
-
Communicate consistently: In high-risk, futuristic sectors, shaping narrative and vision helps mobilize capital, talent, and legitimacy.
Conclusion
Dylan Taylor represents a new generation of business leaders—those who pivot from traditional sectors into cutting-edge frontiers, who merge executive leadership with technical interest, and who carry vision into action. His journey from real estate to becoming a key player in space infrastructure and investment reflects not just ambition, but adaptability.
In a world where the commercial space domain is still nascent, the bets he places—and the institutions he builds—may help determine which projects succeed, which capabilities scale, and how inclusive the next frontier will be. If you’d like to dive deeper into one of his ventures (like Voyager Space or Space for Humanity), or explore comparisons with other space investors, I’d be happy to write more.