Brian Witlin
Encyclopedia
Brian Witlin is an American
businessman, serial entrepreneur, designer
, and teacher
who currently serves as the CEO and Co-Founder of ShopWell. Witlin participates as a lecturer at Stanford University
's Hasso Plattner Institute of Design
and as a startup mentor at 500 Startups a seed venture fund.
, Illinois. He attended Glenbrook North High School
. Witlin graduated from Lehigh University
with a Bachelor's degree in business and economics. He served two terms as class of 2001 President. Brian later completed his Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering and Design at the Stanford University School of Engineering
. One of Witlin's class projects, a site that promoted the FireFox web browser called Firefoxies, gained notoriety from technology media for taking a disruptively different approach to promoting the free web browser
. For his Master's thesis, Witlin Co-Founded RootPhi, a new product development incubator with partner Doug Patt.
. In December 2001 Lever Works was sold to Leo Media for an undisclosed sum.
While completing his Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering and Design at the Stanford University School of Engineering
, Witlin Co-Founded RootPhi, a new product development incubator with partner Doug Patt. The company's success and approach to portfolio innovation garnered media attention for Witlin. He was featured in Wired Magazine, on CNN
Technology and on CBS
Syndicated Radio. On September 4, 2007, while in partnership with Timbuk2
making limited edition messenger bags out of RootPhi's Reclaim Brand recycled fabric, Timbuk2 and RootPhi received a Cease and Desist letter from TARGET
for using the bullseye logo within the Reclaim fabric. This fabric was utilized in a line of limited edition messenger bags manufactured by Timbuk2 (Lamitron Bags). This move by TARGET
halted production of the recycled bags angering many and sparking controversy around copyright law and recycled and repurposed materials. Although the collaboration with Timbuk2 ended prematurely, RootPhi was able to successfully sell another of their incubated companies, GoLaces, LLC, a footwear accessory business to a publicly traded footwear company for an undisclosed amount in February 2008.
After the sale of Golaces, Brian, in conversation with founder
David M. Kelley
, joined global design firm IDEO
as Entrepreneur In Residence
in June 2008.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman, serial entrepreneur, designer
Designer
A designer is a person who designs. More formally, a designer is an agent that "specifies the structural properties of a design object". In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, such as consumer products, processes, laws, games and graphics, is referred to as a...
, and teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
who currently serves as the CEO and Co-Founder of ShopWell. Witlin participates as a lecturer at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
's Hasso Plattner Institute of Design
Hasso Plattner Institute of Design
The Hasso Plattner Institute of Design is a design school based in Stanford University....
and as a startup mentor at 500 Startups a seed venture fund.
Personal Life and Education
Brian Witlin was raised near ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois. He attended Glenbrook North High School
Glenbrook North High School
Glenbrook North High School, or GBN, is a public four-year high school located in Northbrook, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States...
. Witlin graduated from Lehigh University
Lehigh University
Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
with a Bachelor's degree in business and economics. He served two terms as class of 2001 President. Brian later completed his Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering and Design at the Stanford University School of Engineering
Stanford University School of Engineering
Stanford University School of Engineering is one of the schools of Stanford University. The school has had eight deans; the current is James D. Plummer.-Previous Deans:# Theodore J. Hoover 1925-1936# Samuel B. Morris 1936-1944...
. One of Witlin's class projects, a site that promoted the FireFox web browser called Firefoxies, gained notoriety from technology media for taking a disruptively different approach to promoting the free web browser
Web browser
A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...
. For his Master's thesis, Witlin Co-Founded RootPhi, a new product development incubator with partner Doug Patt.
Career
Witlin's career began while a senior at Lehigh University. He co-founded a custom software development company called Lever Works with Keith Schacht and Zach KaplanZach Kaplan
-Personal Life and Education:Kaplan was raised near Chicago, Illinois. He attended Glenbrook North High School, and in his senior year, built a working model roller coaster. Kaplan graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering.-Career:Kaplan's...
. In December 2001 Lever Works was sold to Leo Media for an undisclosed sum.
While completing his Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering and Design at the Stanford University School of Engineering
Stanford University School of Engineering
Stanford University School of Engineering is one of the schools of Stanford University. The school has had eight deans; the current is James D. Plummer.-Previous Deans:# Theodore J. Hoover 1925-1936# Samuel B. Morris 1936-1944...
, Witlin Co-Founded RootPhi, a new product development incubator with partner Doug Patt. The company's success and approach to portfolio innovation garnered media attention for Witlin. He was featured in Wired Magazine, on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
Technology and on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
Syndicated Radio. On September 4, 2007, while in partnership with Timbuk2
Timbuk2
Timbuk2 is a San Francisco-based messenger bags company. It was established in San Francisco in 1989 by former bike messenger Rob Honeycutt. The company was originally named Scumbags, but founder Honeycutt changed the name to Timbuk2 Designs in 1990...
making limited edition messenger bags out of RootPhi's Reclaim Brand recycled fabric, Timbuk2 and RootPhi received a Cease and Desist letter from TARGET
TARGET
TARGET was an interbank payment system for the real-time processing of cross-border transfers throughout the European Union. It included 16 national real-time gross settlement systems and the ECB payment mechanism...
for using the bullseye logo within the Reclaim fabric. This fabric was utilized in a line of limited edition messenger bags manufactured by Timbuk2 (Lamitron Bags). This move by TARGET
TARGET
TARGET was an interbank payment system for the real-time processing of cross-border transfers throughout the European Union. It included 16 national real-time gross settlement systems and the ECB payment mechanism...
halted production of the recycled bags angering many and sparking controversy around copyright law and recycled and repurposed materials. Although the collaboration with Timbuk2 ended prematurely, RootPhi was able to successfully sell another of their incubated companies, GoLaces, LLC, a footwear accessory business to a publicly traded footwear company for an undisclosed amount in February 2008.
After the sale of Golaces, Brian, in conversation with founder
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
David M. Kelley
David M. Kelley
David M. Kelley is an American businessman, entrepreneur, designer, engineer, and teacher. He is founder, chairman, and managing partner of the design firm IDEO and a professor at Stanford University. He has received several honors for his contributions to design and design education.-Personal...
, joined global design firm IDEO
IDEO
IDEO is an international design and innovation consultancy founded in Palo Alto, California, United States with other locations in San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Boston, London, Munich, Shanghai, and Singapore, as well as Mumbai, Seoul, and Tokyo. The company helps design products, services,...
as Entrepreneur In Residence
Entrepreneur In Residence
Entrepreneur in residence , sometimes executive in residence, is a position or title within the venture capital, law firm, and business school industries, typically held by a seasoned entrepreneur who is brought on-staff by a venture capital firm, university or other organization.The EIR role in a...
in June 2008.