Brian P. Phillips
Brian is a serial technology entrepreneur who now specializes in helping entrepreneurs create, build, and grow their companies. As an entrepreneur, mentor, advisor, CEO, and board member, Brian has worked across a wide range of industries including B2B and B2C software, life sciences and biotech, government / defense industry, manufacturing, supply chain / distribution, agribusiness, and retail. He has worked in 30+ countries on five continents, with strong knowledge of emerging market economies and international business development. Brian has personally been involved in the early stages of a dozen companies, five of which eventually had an exit (two went public, two were acquired, and one was sold via a management buy out). He has raised over $28 million in venture capital. In addition, he launched a new enterprise software division within IBM and was a consulting manager in the Tech practice at Arthur Young & Company (now Ernst & Young). Most recently Brian served for three years as the Global Entrepreneurship Director for TechnoServe, an international nonprofit organization that specializes in economic development in emerging markets. At TechnoServe, Brian was responsible for providing growth services and developing access to finance for over 60,000 SME entrepreneurs globally. As part of this work, Brian has played a leadership role in promoting women’s economic development and female entrepreneurship in emerging economies. Brian serves on the Aspen Institute’s ANDE women’s entrepreneurship task force, which he co-founded. He is an advisor to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), and has worked with both the U.S. and a number of international governments. He has partnered with and advised a number of multinational corporations including Goldman Sachs, Coca-Cola, Nike, MasterCard, and Walmart, and works closely with the Clinton Foundation. Brian has a passion for bringing good ideas to fruition, for making productive connections, and for leveraging his experience to help entrepreneurs succeed. More detailed information can be found here.