Tim Taylor

Tim Taylor is the Co-Founder and President of America Succeeds, bringing a unique background of executive, nonprofit, and public policy experience to the organization. Prior to launching America Succeeds, he served as the founding President of Colorado Succeeds.

Tim began his career on Capitol Hill as a Senior Legislative Assistant to a Member of Congress. After relocating to Colorado in 1998, he served as an independent political consultant, Director of Public Relations and Government Affairs for the Colorado Health Care Association, and founder of Open Fairways—a non-profit organization.

Tim is a fellow of the 14th class of the Aspen-Pahara Education Fellowship and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. He was named one of Getting Smart’s “60 People Shaping the Future of K-12 Education”, has appeared on NPR’s Talk of the Nation, and speaks frequently at national events such as SXSW EDU and ASU+GSV.

Tim is a graduate of Randolph-Macon College in Virginia and earned a Master’s degree in International Affairs from The George Washington University.

My advice to students is...

I would share Elizabeth Gilbert's advice, "I am a big advocate of curiosity. We are constantly being told to pursue our passions in life, but there are times when passion is a tall order, and really hard to reach...Passion is rare, curiosity is everyday. Curiosity is therefore a lot easier to reach at times than full-on passion - and the stakes are lower and easier to manage."

I'd add, figure out what problem you want to solve. Don't attach yourself to a person, place or company. Instead, attach yourself to a mission, a calling, or purpose. That's how you keep your power and your peace.