WILMINGTON—A little more than two years ago, a 16-year-old was killed in a gang-related drive-by shooting in Wilmington. George Taylor, a Wilmington serial entrepreneur who founded six companies, disturbed at seeing gang violence in the city, decided to do something about it.
Taylor, who is currently on the board of Wilmington startup, Nextglass, reached out to Wilmington District Attorney Ben David, who connected him with police. They in turn, put him in contact with leaders of Wilmington Bloods, Crips and GD gangs.
He spent a considerable amount of time talking to gang members in Wilmington and nationally to discover who they are and what drives them. He apparently decided they might thrive in entrepreneurial environments.
He already employs more than 12 active gang members selling software and in entrepreneurial activities. They’re required to maintain gang membership to retain their influence in them. Now, Taylor is launching TruColors Brewing, a combination brewery and brewpub he says expects to hire 90 or more active Wilmington gang members over the next 18 months.
In a description of a documentary short film about his plan to re-establish gangs as a positive and important force in the community teaching self-reliance and entrepreneurship, Taylor writes, “Together the TruColors team believes Unity is the New Gangster.”
Taylor has a 30-year history as an entrepreneur. He founded GWB Technology, Performance Group, Momentum Performance, and National Speed.
The hour-long film, “,”Wil runs at 4:15 p.m., Thursday, November 9 at the Cucalorus film and business conference in Wilmington.
