Vernae Taylor

Vernae Taylor is an author, coach, entrepreneur, speaker and multifaceted artist whose career spans over 20 years. Born and raised in New Jersey, she got her first taste of stardom in London, England. She studied Communication at Rutgers University and TV & Radio at Connecticut School of Broadcasting. But it was her breakout role in 2005 as Glinda in THE WIZ at the historic Count Basie Theatre that launched her professional acting career. In 2006-2008, she set out on the National Tour of Off Broadway production ALMOST HEAVEN: SONGS OF JOHN DENVER where she was celebrated for her powerful rendition of “Leaving on a Jet Plane” and “Sunshine on my Shoulder.” Continuing momentum, Vernae competed on SHOWTIME AT THE APOLLO “On Tour” in 2008, followed by her first notable background role in 2009 — an IFC comedy series Z ROCK, next to the late Joan Rivers. From 2010-2011 Vernae signed to an independent Christian label, working on her debut album when tragedy struck. As she recovered from a motor vehicle accident and worked through grief for the first time, she experienced an extreme shutdown. She emerged in 2014 contributing to several publications and freelancing as a working artist in music, stage and film. Finding her way back to “the dream” of becoming an author, Vernae signed onto the 2019 release, BREAK THROUGH alongside motivational speaker Les Brown. But like many others, Vernae was forced to pivot due to the 2020 pandemic. From 2020-2022 Vernae accomplished many things, including adding “bestselling author” to her titles in over 15 publications, and “international speaker” in 2024 as a co-host of the first “I Am Free” wellness retreat in Bali, Indonesia. Vernae currently resides in Columbus, Ohio, but continues to represent her origin and roots as the bonafide “Jersey Girl” that she is. Now a Fellow for the “Expand Your Horizon” Incubation Program of the Historic Lincoln Theatre; a Kingdom Image Arts Nominee and a 3x grant recipient for Literary Arts from Greater Columbus Arts Council, she has no intention of slowing down. Upcoming projects include: Backstage at the Lincoln and dare I say, possible music. Coming soon 😉. For more information, bookings and updates follow Vernae Taylor on Linkedin.