“By joining TEC, I had access to a group of other CEOs that were focusing their intellectual capital on my business and strategizing about how to make sure it was successful – ensuring that we weren’t growing too fast or going left when we should have gone right. It allowed PurePave to grow more strategically, profitably, and overcome our hurdles faster,” – Taylor Davis, Founder and CEO of PurePave Technologies, Founder and President of SmartGreenCities.io, and TEC member
TAYLOR IN 100 WORDS
Taylor Davis is the quintessential entrepreneur. His talent for converting unmet needs into viable, scalable businesses has resulted in a chain reaction of successful ventures that are changing the world and how society lives in it. Outside of his notable success as an entrepreneur – which includes being the Founder and CEO of PurePave Technologies and Founder and President of SmartGreenCities.io – Taylor is a funded Scientist of The National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) and is widely accredited for his scientific research and development of green infrastructure technology.
With his innovative thinking approach that is guided by genuine interest and passion, Taylor’s aptitude for materials science and systems that improve the environmental quality of cities continues to be revolutionary for reducing the escalating impacts of climate change – and cementing a personal legacy of social entrepreneurship along the way.
COMPANY PROFILES
PurePave Technologies: Developed by Taylor Davis, PurePave is a revolutionary, eco-friendly, and winterized permeable surface solution. PurePave’s combination of porous base construction and permeable surface allows an unprecedented amount of water to move freely through the pavement’s porous cavities, allowing it to functionally expand and contract during routine freeze and thaw cycles – eliminating the negative heaving effects of traditional pavements such as asphalt and interlock as a result.
Purepave’s proprietary technology has been tried, tested, and proven with international distributors across North America and is featured at the National Research Council of Canada’s construction technology headquarters and Conservation Ontario. PurePave creates the strongest – and the best looking – eco-friendly surfaces available today.
SmartGreenCities.io: SmartGreenCities.io is a climate-tech platform that facilitates and accelerates the transition toward more sustainable cities. The platform introduces a new shopping format for Smart|Green construction services, automating the sales process for contractors and simplifying the buying process for homeowners. SmartGreenCities.io allows visitors to design, price, and order contractor services online – while browsing its catalog of eco-friendly products and technologies for the modern home.
WITH TEC
After building PurePave from the ground up and seeing its success, Taylor avoided the common entrepreneurial pitfall of being self-congratulatory too soon. “One of our largest clients at the time was a TEC Canada member. He observed what we were doing with PurePave and noticed there was a lot of room for improvement in our systems, logistics, and operations. He strongly recommended that I check out becoming a TEC member – and I’m glad I listened,” said Taylor.
While many business owners can conflate success with a sudden spike in demand and a faster pace of production, Taylor realized that getting rid of his blind spots was necessary for achieving true success – longevity. “Before joining TEC, I was a solopreneur that was always working by myself. Everything relating to business development, marketing, and R&D was going extremely well – but I wasn’t leading our teams and securing collective dedication towards PurePave’s organizational goals. Joining TEC was key for me in learning how to effectively do that and growing to our full potential,” said Taylor.
TEC’S IMPACT
On the heels of its successful R&D cycle that solidified PurePave as the new benchmark for both aquatic and structural permeable pavements, Taylor faced complex and monumental decisions about PurePave’s future. “By joining TEC, I had access to a group of other CEOs that were focusing their intellectual capital on my business and strategizing about how to make sure it was successful – ensuring that weren’t growing too fast or going left when we should have gone right. It allowed PurePave to grow more strategically, profitably, and overcome our hurdles faster,” said Taylor.
As the CEO of a booming new company, Taylor continued to have a growing involvement in PurePave’s production, logistics, and the training of its teams. These compounding pressures made giving up equity in PurePave more attractive as time went on. “We weren’t only being approached by a growing number of customers and contractors that wanted to buy our product – we were also being approached by a lot of investors for our intellectual property,” said Taylor.
He continued, “As a CEO, you want to take advantage of investment opportunities that will help you grow the business, but if I gave up equity in PurePave for what was being offered at the time – which was a lot – it would have been a colossal error. Having a place where I could receive advice and support from my TEC group and Chair Pascal St-Jean empowered me to maintain ownership of our intellectual property. Today, I’m extremely thankful for that.”
