Space Conference Speaker

Dylan Taylor

Chairman & CEO, Voyager Space

Years of ISDC:
2023

Dylan Taylor is a global business leader, thought leader, commercial astronaut and philanthropist. A vanguard in the NewSpace sector, Taylor has been cited by Harvard University, SpaceNews, the BBC, CNBC, CNN and others as having played a seminal role in the growth of the private space industry. He is also widely considered the most active private space investor in the world.

As the Chairman and CEO of Voyager Space, Dylan Taylor’s influence drives much of the innovation and advancement of the space industry. However, his influence doesn’t end there. His philanthropic impact in the industry began as the founder of the nonprofit and social movement, Space for Humanity, which seeks to democratize space exploration and develop solutions to global issues through the scope of human awareness to help solve the world’s most intractable problems. Dylan is also the Co-Founding Patron of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, which promotes the growth of commercial space activity. Additionally, Dylan serves as a strategic advisor for both the Archmission and the Human Spaceflight Program. He is also a leading benefactor to the Brooke Owens Fellowship, Patti Grace Smith Fellowship and Mission: Astro Access.

Dylan’s technical background and passion for the space industry makes him not only one of the leading experts, but also a unique figure within the industry due to his own personal spaceflight experience. On December 11th, 2021, Dylan became just the 606th human to go to space as part of the crew of Blue Origin’s New Shepard Mission 19. Dylan consequently earned his commercial astronaut wings with the FAA.

Dylan’s passion has also primed him as a leading advocate of space manufacturing and the utilization of in-space resources to further space exploration and settlement. In 2017 he became the first private citizen to manufacture an item in space when the gravity meter he co-designed and commissioned was 3D printed on the International Space Station. The historic item is now housed in the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

As a thought leader and futurist, Taylor has written several widely read pieces on the future of the space industry for Forbes, FastCompany, SpaceNews, Newsweek, The Space Review, and Space.com. As a speaker, Dylan has keynoted many of the major space conferences around the world and has appeared regularly on Bloomberg, Fox Business, and CNBC.

As a global business leader Dylan has been Fortune 1000 executive in several industries including advanced electronics, finance and real estate serving in the roles of CEO, President and Board Director for multinational companies including Prudential plc, Honeywell, UMB Bank, Colliers and Jones Lang LaSalle. He has had P&L responsibility in excess of $2B with 15,000+ employees in 60+ countries.

For his influence as a global leader and his commitment to creating a positive impact on the world, the World Economic Forum recognized Dylan as a Young Global Leader in 2011 and later named him as a full member of the Forum and a Governor of the Space cohort. In addition, Dylan is a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute and in 2020, Dylan was recognized by the Commercial Spaceflight Federation with their top honor for business and finance, following in the footsteps of 2019’s inaugural winner, the late Paul Allen.

Dylan Taylor earned his MBA in Finance and Strategy from the Booth School of Business at University of Chicago and holds a BS in Engineering from the honors college at the University of Arizona, where he graduated Tau Beta Pi and in 2018 was named Alumnus of the year. In 2013, he attended the Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century program at Harvard University.


Other Conference Speakers at ISDC

Dr. Haig John

Chiropractor, Board of Directors, Odyssey Charter School

John, Haig

Maria Soldatova

High School Student, Thomas S. Wootton High School

Soldatova Maria

Nick Georges

Speaker/Entrepreneur, Astra Nova and CWC Wyoming

Georges, Nick

Mike Mongo

Astronaut Teacher

Mongo, Mike

Nicola Fox

Associate Administrator, Science Mission Directorate

22 Fox, Nicola

Ken Ruffin

NSS Space Ambassador, NSS Director, Region 3

Ruffin, Ken

Stevan Akerley

Space Ambassadors Program Director National Space Society

Akerley, Stevan

Chris Ferguson

Former NASA & Boeing Astronaut

19 Ferguson, Chris

Emmett Spurlock

COO, ZC Institute, Inc.

Spurlock, Emmett

Art Harman

President, The Coalition to Save Manned Space Exploration

Harman, Art

David Cheuvront

Policy Committee Member, NASA (Retired)

Cheuvront, David

Thomas Matula

Professor, Sul Ross State University

Matula, Thomas

Michael Haddad

Author and Member, Astro Restoration Project Team, NASA - Retired

Haddad, Michael

Dennis Wright

Vice President, International Space Elevator Consortium

Wright, Dennis

Adam Williams

Lead Integration Engineer, Lunar Gateway VSI , NASA

Williams, Adam

Kevin Simmons

CEO, Wolfpack CubeSat Dev Team / BLUECUBE Aerospace / Aerospace and Innovation Academy

Simmons, Kevin

Dr. Sherry Bell

Dean of Psychology, Kepler Space University

Bell, Sherry

Maryann Benny Fernandes

Graduate Student, Duke University

Benny Fernandes, Maryann

Dr. Pascal Lee

Planetary Scientist, Co-founder and Chairman, Mars Institute

14 Lee, Pascal

Scott Vangen

Project Lead and President of the Astro Restoration Project (ARP), NASA - Retired

Vangen, Scott

Ankur Verma

Founder & CEO, Lightscline

Verma, Ankur

Savannah Bullard

Communications Strategist, CGI Federal, Supporting NASA Centennial Challenges Program

Bullard, Savannah

Wes Faires

Head of US Operations, Asteroid Mining Corporation

Faires Wes

Roger Arnold

Systems Architect-Engineer, The Atlantis Project (Retired)

Arnold, Roger

Dr. Martine Rothblatt

Co-Founder, SiriusXM Radio

18 Rothblatt, Martine

Susan Kilrain

Former NASA Astronaut

10 Kilrain, Susan

Marc Hartzman

Author, Quirk Books

Hartzman, Marc

Dr. Sian Proctor

Inspiration4 Astronaut

21 Proctor, Dr. Sian

Erik Seedhouse

Associate Professor, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Seedhouse, Erik

Chris Salvino

CEO and Chief Engineer, Lunar Helium-3 Mining, LLC

Salvino, Chris

Joe Latrell

Founder, Quub, Inc.

Latrell, Joe

James W. Draper

Museum Director, Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum, Space Launch Delta 45 | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

Draper, James W.

Fredrick Jenet

National Space Society Board of Directors

Jenet, Fredrick

John Mankins

President, Mankins Space Technology

Mankins, John

Jim Plaxco

President, Chicago Society for Space Studies

Plaxco, Jim

Dr. Gregory Harrison

Chief Technical Officer, Gravitronics, LLC

Harrison, Gregory

Bryan Versteeg

Conceptual Designer, Spacehabs.com

13 Versteeg, Bryan

Jay F. Honeycutt

Former Director, NASA Kennedy Space Center (Retired)

Honeycutt, Jay F.

Kiefer Juliano

Student, Colonial Forge High School

Juliano, Kiefer

Scarlett Hartzman

Student, Mars Institute

Hartzman, Scarlett

Dr. Peter A. Swan

Chief Architect, International Space Elevator Consortium

Swan, Peter A.

Larry Bartoszek

Owner, Bartoszek Engineering

Bartoszek, Larry

Joe Haldeman

Author

12 Haldeman, Joe

Irene Schneider

CEO & Founder, ISE Space Radiation Experts

Schneider, Irene

Tariq Malik

Editor-in-Chief, Space.com

24 Malik, Tariq

Varvara Sofou

Research Scientist (MSc), Mars Institute

Sofou, Varvara

Robert "Hoot" Gibson

Former NASA Chief Astronaut

20 Gibson, Robert “Hoot”

Steven Griggs

President, Space Railway Corporation

Griggs, Steven

Dr. Story Musgrave

Retired NASA Astronaut

23 Musgrave Dr. Story

David Chesny

Chief Scientist, SpaceWave

Chesny, David

Bryan Zetlen

Space Operations Manager, Virtus Solis Technologies

Zetlen, Bryan

Rees Empey

Senior Director of State Government Affairs, Libertas Institute

16 Empey, Rees

Gary Barnhard

President & CEO, Xtraordinary Innovative Space Partnerships, Inc

Barnhard, Gary

Colleen Mcleod Garner

Advisory Board Member, Cecilia.ai

Garner, Colleen Mcleod

Nancy C. Wolfson

The American institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)

Wolfson, Nancy C.

Dr. Greg Autry

Associate Provost, University of Central Florida

09 Autry, Greg

James L. Green

Senior Advisor, NASA Headquarters

11 Green James L.

Jared Isaacman

Mission Commander Polaris Dawn & Inspiration4

17 Isaacman, Jared

Robert Zubrin

President, Mars Society, Pioneer Astronautics

Zubrin, Robert