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Alumni Spotlight

Champion Launcher

November 17, 2017

Champion Launcher

Taylor Meyer ’08

As a student at Cary Academy, Taylor Meyer pretty much lived for tennis – and was part of CA’s first state championship team his senior year.

“That’s one of my biggest memories. And I loved going to CA. People I met as a sixth grader – students and teachers – are still some of my closest friends today,” he said.

When it came time for college, UNC was a magnet for Taylor. “I was going to play tennis, and Chapel Hill’s tennis team was number two in the country. Plus, academics are really strong, and it’s close to home – my family is very important to me, and I wanted to stay close.”

“I’ve always been into math and science. At UNC, I majored in chemistry – I’d gotten pretty far through physics, math, and chemistry, and needed to pick one as a major. My grandfather earned his PhD in chemistry, so that tipped the scale. Junior year, I started getting into technology and software.”

“My team and I want to encourage and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.”

He was a senior when he and a friend developed UConnection, a dining and nightlife app catering to college students.

“It’s Yelp meets Groupon for college students,” Taylor explained. “It got super-popular at UNC – about half of the undergrad population was using it. Then we went to college towns across North Carolina and grew as we gained traction.”

By the time they sold it to a private equity firm in 2016, UConnection was serving more than 500 colleges in 45 states.

This summer, Taylor and his business partner launched Hyperspace Ventures. Their mission? To provide resources and inspiration for entrepreneurs to make a dent in the universe – through design, development, and venture capital.

“We’re taking what we learned with UConnection to help others. My goal is to build or invest in things that are going to have a big impact on the world. I like creating things that can be revolutionary for a lot of people through technology,” he said.

The new firm already has clients in
New York City, Silicon Valley, Florida, and the Research Triangle.

Taylor’s adding to his knowledge and skills as well as his client base, earning his MBA at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. “Going in, I felt confident in my knowledge of digital marketing and entrepreneurship because of my experience. I’m definitely improving my skills in finance and accounting – that’s the language that investors speak.”

That’s not all that’s keeping Taylor on his game. Come spring, you’ll find him on CA’s tennis courts – as head coach.

“I’ve been playing tennis since I was two. After college, I wanted to stay involved in the game – and connected to Cary Academy. My coach at CA, Andrew Corcoran, was ready to retire and was searching for his replacement. And it worked out great! I was his assistant in a transition year and then took over as head coach. The kids are really fun to be around. I’ve been head coach for four years, and we’ve won three state championships in that time.”

You’ll also find him in start-up mode, hosting a pitch competition for CA students. “We want to encourage and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs. We’ve recruited an impressive panel of judges who’ll hear students’ best pitch ideas. And we’ll award $1,000 to help take the winning idea further.”

“My team and I want to encourage and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.”

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