# Eric Taylor

> Eric Taylor is the New York-based founder, CEO and chief investment officer of Trident, which he launched in 2017 to invest in established American small businesses. A Harvard graduate and CFA charterholder who previously worked at Goldman Sachs and Brightwood Capital, he combines investment technology with specialist operating partners and efforts to widen access to business ownership.

- **Role:** Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer at Trident
- **Organizations:** Trident, Goldman Sachs, Brightwood Capital
- **Education:** AB with Honors; Social Studies, Harvard University, Phillips Exeter Academy, Eaglebrook School
- **Known for:** Founded Trident in 2017., Earned an AB with Honors from Harvard University and the CFA charter., Built a firm that attracted investments from Bank of America, Moody’s and Robert F. Smith, announced in 2021.

## Career timeline

- **—** — Spent four years in Goldman Sachs Special Situations Group, focusing on lower and middle market companies.
- **—** — Worked at Brightwood Capital as a credit portfolio manager and equity originator.
- **2017** — Founded Trident.
- **2021** — Trident announced seed capital and anchor investments and its American Dreams Advisory Board.
- **2022** — Returned to Eaglebrook as a Hilly Chase speaker.
- **2023** — Trident launched the American Dreams Fellowship and graduated its first cohort.
- **2025** — Discussed independent sponsorship and operator-led value creation in an iGlobal Forum interview.

## Achievements

- Founded Trident in 2017.
- Earned an AB with Honors from Harvard University and the CFA charter.
- Built a firm that attracted investments from Bank of America, Moody’s and Robert F. Smith, announced in 2021.
- Trident’s inaugural American Dreams Fellowship included 13 participants from 11 states; five entrepreneurs received $50,000 grants.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Appeared with Jeff Roth on Part B of BDO’s Private Equity PErspectives discussion about patient sourcing and partnerships.
- **2026-07** — Appeared with Jeff Roth on BDO’s Trust Before Terms podcast episode.
- **2025-12** — Trident announced an investment in The LunchMaster alongside SagePath Capital.
- **2025-09** — iGlobal Forum published a Q&A with Taylor about independent sponsors and small-business investing.

## Links

- Website: https://trident.co
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erictayloriii
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/erictayloriii

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/eric-taylor
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-08