BRIAN GLAISTER

Brian Glaister is an experienced executive and entrepreneur working to make the world a better place. He has broad expertise in the entire start-up lifecycle but particularly thrives at the intersection of operations, sales & marketing, and product development to help companies grow to the next level. Currently, he is the Managing Director of Conflux Innovation where he provides strategic advisory and interim management services to innovators in the digital health, medical device, and biotechnology industries. Previously he was the cofounder and CEO of Cadence Biomedical where he led the development and commercialization of Kickstart, a wearable medical device that helps stroke survivors and people with other neurological conditions relearn how to walk. 

He has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Villanova University, a master's degree in bioengineering from Arizona State University, and wisely dropped out of a Ph.D. program in mechanical engineering at the University of Washington to found Cadence. He is also a core committee member and mentor with the Jones + Foster Accelerator at the University of Washington's Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship where he helps promising entrepreneurs in a variety of industries navigate the difficult early stages of the start-up experience. 

He has been honored with the John J. Gallen Memorial Award for an outstanding young alumnus of Villanova University's College of Engineering, as a member of the Wall of Fame at the University of Washington’s Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship, as a Fellow with the National Committee on US-China Relations Young Leaders Forum, and as a “40 Under 40” honoree from the Puget Sound Business Journal among other honors.