Geilia Taylor

Geilia, a graduate of Jackson State University, completed specialized training courses for the management of minority, women and disadvantaged business programs at the National Institute on Inclusion and the Tuck School of Business.  Geilia has over ten years experience in small and minority business development. She recently partnered with Andrew Morrison and hosted Teens in Business Camp – Mississippi, where 25 youths were introduced to the basics of starting and operating their own businesses. She also partnered with George Fraser to promote his free online resource for youth, The YES Net, which provides training, motivational messages and opportunities to network with thousands of professionals around the country.

Geilia has been a counselor with Jackson State University’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC). She also served as the City of Jackson’s Equal Business Opportunity (EBO) Officer where ensured that opportunities were made available to minorities and women and increased inclusion from 7% initially to over 36% annually.  With the Arkansas-Mississippi Minority Business Council (AMMBC), an affiliate of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), Geilia helped secure a grant from the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) to fund the Mississippi Minority Business Enterprise Center (MSMBEC).

Geilia has participated in Leadership Jackson and Leadership Mississippi. She has been on numerous committees including the Minority Business Outreach Committee organized by Governor Haley Barbour and most recently, she co-founded the Mississippi Business Diversity Coordinators Roundtable which provides continuing professional development and peer networking opportunities for supplier diversity professionals throughout the state. As former Board Chair of Jackson 2000, she is a trained facilitator for community Study Circles. She has received several awards and recognitions for her community service.  Geilia understands and believes that diversity “is just good business.” She recognizes the benefits diversity brings to the State of Mississippi as a whole and works diligently to build relationships and encourage inclusive practices in the public, private and non-profit business sectors.