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Thomas Taylor
Thomas Taylor
01:01

Thomas Taylor

KitchenTown

San Mateo, CA USA

"Take on as much responsibility as you can. Anytime you get a chance to take on more responsibility within a career, I strongly recommend you do it because that means you’re going to learn more."

Career Roadmap

Thomas's work combines: Business, Food, and Working with Others

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Day In The Life

Director of Operations

I lead operations, blending support for food entrepreneurs with efficient management of daily activities.

03:01

Day In The Life Of A Director Of Operations At A Food Innovation Center

My Day to Day

I first check my calendar to see what meetings I have for the day. Then I check my email and Slack for any urgent issues. After those are taken care of, I check in with my team and review our lists. I then clear my email inbox of all emails. I'll also check in with the owner. I'll check the schedule of makers and enter the hours for the makers into our billing spreadsheet. Between my scheduled meetings, I work on longer term projects and assist my team with any issues that arise during the day.

Skills & Education

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Finance

    Cal State University San Marcos

Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Director of Operations:

Bachelor's Degree: Business Administration and Management

Learn more about different paths to this career

Life & Career Milestones

My path in life has been direct

  • 1.

    I graduated in 2009 with a degree in finance, but I was drawn to operations, which set the foundation for my career.

  • 2.

    My first role as a restaurant manager introduced me to the fast-paced world of food service operations.

  • 3.

    I transitioned to managing a commissary, where I learned the intricacies of large-scale food production.

  • 4.

    Running a USDA cook chill facility for eight years honed my skills in efficiency and regulatory compliance.

  • 5.

    I joined KitchenTown, excited to help food entrepreneurs bring their innovative products to market.

  • 6.

    My current role as director of operations at KitchenTown involves ensuring that our shared facility runs smoothly for over 25 startups.

  • 7.

    Balancing my love for food with my leadership role, I’m passionate about guiding startups through the complexities of food production.

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