Bret W.
5.0
Expert on Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital
Studied at Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern)
Works at Stanford University
Available Monday at 3:00 PM UTC
Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.
Bret’s Entrepreneurship Qualifications
Experience level: Executive
60+ people coached for Entrepreneurship
Bret has helped clients get into these companies:
I've been in Silicon Valley my whole life, and three times I've been through the process of having a startup idea, raising capital, building a team, being a CEO, and eventually managing satisfying exit. Today I teach entrepreneurship at Stanford and work 1:1 with startup founders, helping them to grow, thrive, and succeed.
Bret can help with:
Compensation Strategy
Hiring
Fundraising
Ideation
About Bret
I'm a startup guy. I've been in Silicon Valley my entire life, and have been Founder/CEO of three software companies. Today my focus is on working with other startup founders, helping them to bring their ideas to life. I do this through teaching entrepreneurship at Stanford, coaching startup CEO's at Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship, and doing 1:1 coaching with a few select startups. I have written a book called The Launch Path, and I received my MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Why do I coach?
I enjoy coaching because it's the perfect intersection of my own experiences as a Founder & CEO, and my belief that entrepreneurs have an important role to play in solving problems and creating opportunity, all over the world. The startups I have worked with have gone on to raise tens of millions of dollars in capital, scale-up operations, an thrive.
Work Experience
Author
LAUNCH
January 2024 - Present
The Launch Path is a new book based on my work with hundreds of startups at Stanford and Miller Center. It is designed for anyone who wants to follow an effective and efficient path from a startup idea to a launch-ready, funding-ready venture. In it I explore patterns of startup success and failure while providing a clear process for turning your startup idea into a launched venture that is poised for success and growth. Whether your goal is launching the next billion-dollar tech “unicorn,” a rock-solid mid-sized business, or a social venture focused on global impact, The Launch Path will help to get you there safely and successfully. The book comes with a companion website that has additional resources and tools for entrepreneurs and innovators. You can find The Launch Path on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.
Lecturer
Stanford University
April 2010 - Present
I teach entrepreneurship and innovation, including the Stanford Continuing Studies courses BUS-217 and BUS-219. In my work at Stanford I explore the factors that tend to drive the success or failure of startup ventures everywhere. Based on this work I've developed an eight-step process for entrepreneurs to use in efficiently moving a startup idea forward while mitigating risk and improving chances of success. My students have gone on to raise capital and scale ventures all over the world.
Mentor
Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship
April 2008 - Present
Miller Center runs the leading startup accelerator for social ventures. We have had over 1,000 social entrepreneurs go through our accelerator program and those entrepreneurs have gone on to raise over $750 million in capital and impact over 400 million lives around the world. Our mission is to accelerate entrepreneurship to end poverty and protect the planet, with a particular focus on women's economic empowerment as a direct path toward gender equality, poverty eradication, and inclusive economic growth. I am all-in on this organization - it is the most important place I spend my time.
Chairman
Tredence Inc
January 2017 - November 2018
Founded and served as CEO for the first eight years, growing it from zero into a thriving global organization with five offices around the world. Tivix provides innovation engineering services. Client engagements have included Apple, Microsoft, the European Commission, BestEgg (FinTech platform that has originated over $4 billion), Zoetis ($6 billion pharma company), and more.
CEO
Tredence Inc
October 2008 - January 2017
Grew Tivix into a global leader in Innovation Engineering with five offices around the world. Client engagements include BestEgg (FinTech platform that has originated over $4 billion), Zoetis ($6 billion pharma company), Apple, European Commission, and more.
Mentor
European Commission
July 2016 - 2016
World’s Largest Extreme Accelerator for digital innovations. 258 university students from around the world each took an idea to tech start-up in just 15 days, using curriculum developed by Google, UC Berkeley, The Tallin University of Technology, and Stanford University.
Education
Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern)
MBA
1 Review
Overall Rating
5.0
Bret has helped clients get into these companies: