As an educator, Brent is an award winning Teaching Professor at the University of Victoria Peter B. Gustavson School of Business where he teaches Entrepreneurship, Strategy and Indigenous Entrepreneurship.
As an entrepreneur, Brent raised venture capital and commercialized technology and intellectual property in the areas of telecommunications and software. Brent was a judge for CBC’s Dragon’s Den regional screening of entrepreneurs. Brent was recognized as a “Top 40 Under 40” visionary on Vancouver Island.
Brent has personally written over 70 entrepreneurial business plans and strategic plans, evaluated over 700 plans. He has taught and coached over 5,000 students, entrepreneurs, executives and managers in in Canada, Italy, Australia, Taiwan, Denmark, and United States.
Brent has deeply engaged with many Indigenous Communities in British Columbia since 1999. He has worked extensively on economy prosperity initiatives, entrepreneurship training, and sustainable employment planning and strategies for the Nisga’a Lisims Government (post-Treaty). Brent had the honour to serve on the Board of Directors of the Nisga’a Commercial Group (2006-2012). Over the past 17 years, Brent was pleased to facilitate various sessions on Aboriginal economic development and Aboriginal entrepreneurship in over 45 Indigenous communities in British Columbia.
Brent was invited by Tribal Resource Investment Corporation (www.tricorp.ca) co-create and become the Program Director of the Aboriginal Canadian Entrepreneurs program (www.nwace.ca). This unique program helps revive and enhance entrepreneurial capacity of Indigenous People by delivery the program in community. The NW-ACE program has helped give birth to many Indigenous owned businesses and has been recognized with a number of International and National awards.
He has held entrepreneurial management positions in the telecommunications high tech sector and continues to balance academic and new venture pursuits. Brent has secured venture capital as an entrepreneur and as a consultant helping high growth companies. As a management consultant, Brent has helped high growth companies secure large private equity placements, prepared for acquisition, and developed a variety of financial models and marketing solutions.
Brent holds an MBA with a concentration in Entrepreneurship and new venture start up. He also earned a PhD in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from the Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship at Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia where he received the Outstanding Dissertation Award for his focus on Entrepreneurial Business Planning and Private Equity Investment Evaluation.
