Dr. Kendall Taylor, DHL
Board Director
Kendall Taylor grew up in a single-mother household with his younger brother Robert, in the city of Gastonia, North Carolina. With no positive male influences present, Kendall found himself deep in the underworld of crime, drugs, and violence. His son Trey was born when he was only 15 years old, and in that same year, Kendall was arrested for the first time.
At the age of sixteen, Kendall was involved in a deadly shootout. He survived multiple gunshot wounds that, to this day, left a bullet lodged in his lungs. That pattern of destruction continued until, at the age of twenty-seven, he turned his back on a life of crime and began to use his abilities to build rather than to destroy. After the last criminal charge in 2007, he began the arduous journey of working to overcome three felony charges. He began by working an honest job in the warehouse of a logistics company in Charlotte, NC. Using his leadership and relationship management skills, Kendall rose from earning $7.25 per hour working for that company, to starting his own company (Courier Logix, LLC). After a few years, Courier Logix merged with Metro Transportation Services, and Kendall secured a 49% ownership stake in the combined company. In less than three years, Kendall’s direct sales efforts contributed to a 400% increase in revenues for the company, generating over $5 million dollars in operating revenue.
Kendall Taylor’s talents, drive, and spirit of determination as an entrepreneur placed him in the league of multi-million-dollar business owners. He was formally recognized by the Charlotte Metro Supplier Diversity Council, Charlotte Chamber of Commerce and Pride Magazine as an outstanding entrepreneur in the City of Charlotte. Kendall has received numerous awards, including a scholarship to the Tuck School of Business Entrepreneur Program, and public recognition for his business achievements and impact on the community.
Never quite satisfied with success alone, Kendall travels the country speaking at prisons and schools and mentors small business owners and youth to inspire and positively change lives.
Kendall created Salute 1st, LLC with one mission in mind: to impact men from all walks of life by challenging faulty perspectives and belief systems, building men of good character who possess the necessary critical thinking and emotional mastery skills conducive to a successful lifestyle.