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Missy Taylor spent two decades in advertising and marketing roles. But in 2025, she made a sharp pivot away from service-based businesses — stepping into the CEO role at Phobio, a company that has built its business around finding new value in old devices.
The Atlanta-based company, founded in 2010, has found an interesting and growing niche in logistics and the circular economy. Since inception, Phobio has returned more than $960 million to businesses and consumers. In 2018, the company built Apple’s original Trade-In for Business program, helping companies unlock real value from the devices they’ve already paid for.
From Agency World to Reverse Logistics
Taylor’s path to Phobio is not a conventional one. She most recently was President of Dagger, the Atlanta-based agency that has worked with clients like Aflac, Apartments.com, Carters & OshKosh B’gosh, Cox Automotive, Fiserv, The Home Depot, and IHG Hotels & Resorts.
But marketing and advertising did not teach her about reverse logistics. That actually turned out to be an advantage as Taylor started networking for her next position.
“[The Phobio team] really liked that I wasn’t from the industry,” Taylor told Hypepotamus. “They liked that there would be some fresh thinking, new perspectives.”
The connection came through what Taylor described as a “weak tie” (an acquaintance rather than a close colleague), which Stanford University researchers said often open more surprising doors in professional settings. Taylor was open to new opportunities, and Phobio was looking for a leader who could bring a different lens to a business that was ready to grow.
She’s the first to acknowledge the learning curve. “I was in [the advertising] industry for two decades, and so you just instinctively see around corners, you knew what to expect, or how to shift and steer,” she said. “Stepping into something really new, there’s been a lot of learning.”
But she’s also clear on what does transfer.
“Leadership can translate across industries. You don’t have to have the experience or the depth in a business to be effective as a leader.”
What Phobio Actually Does
Phobio describes itself as a company that builds products to unlock value in devices. The business model is straightforward, as the company provides trade-in, buyback, and device upgrade options.
The company started out in device-for-device trade-ins, working primarily with OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and carriers. Today the business spans three main areas. There’s the enterprise B2B side, where companies do device buybacks from within their offices. There’s a backend marketplace, where Phobio resells devices to ensure they don’t end up thrown away. And there’s the program side, including powering the trade-in program at Costco, where members can swap an Apple device and receive a Costco Shop Card in return.
“The business has evolved quite a bit,” Taylor said.” “We’ve built different technology products that uniquely support businesses across industries.”
Underpinning all of it is Phobio’s zero-landfill business model. Devices get resold, repurposed, or responsibly recycled rather than discarded. It’s a circular economy approach that keeps used technology out of waste streams and puts dollars back into the hands of the businesses and individuals who hold it.
In 2025, Phobio helped to divert just shy of 80K kg of waste from landfills.
Unlocking a New Funding Stream for Nonprofits
One of the areas Taylor is most energized about is what Phobio has been building for nonprofits.
“We’ve launched a lot of nonprofit partnerships, because one of our products is really simple to deploy for a nonprofit at no cost,” she explained. “A nonprofit can get donations through devices from their community or network. They get the cash, and the donor gets a donation receipt for their taxes. And all of a sudden, we’ve opened up a new funding stream for any nonprofit that wants to sign up.”
The company recently partnered with the Atlanta Vibe, the city’s professional women’s volleyball team, on its “Pass It On” fundraising campaign. And around World Oceans Day, Phobio is launching a new initiative with the Georgia Aquarium focused on driving conservation awareness.
Leading with Energy
Ask Taylor what’s surprised her most about stepping into the CEO seat, and she doesn’t talk about operations or logistics. She talks about energy.
“An individual’s energy can impact the business in any direction,” she said. “My goal is really to ensure that my energy is always focused, always in a realistic but optimistic tone, to really make sure that the team feels excited and passionate about what we’re doing. I’m excited every day by what we’re doing, and I have fun every day at work. I don’t know that everybody gets to say that, so I feel incredibly grateful.”
