Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Bruce
Hi Brandon, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I got my first email address on AOL in 1995 when I was a junior in high school in order to enter an essay contest. I was one of 6 winners selected from the US and one of 41 students worldwide to attend the Junior Summit 1995 in Tokyo to talk about how the global information infrastructure (aka the Internet) could help solve global problems. That experience was the beginning of my interest in and pursuit of technology and community building.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The conference in Japan led to a series of opportunities. I lobbied the Department of Commerce from a pay phone at my high school and got to speak at a G7 conference in South Africa which in turn led to a fellowship with the UN in Geneva and the opportunity to speak at a UN conference in Malta. All of these experiences opened my eyes to the myriad ways new communications technology was transforming every corner of the globe.
Of course, there have been countless personal and professional challenges along the way. For example, my most famous East Tennessee story is when I collided with a bear while on a bike ride on Bluff Mountain two years ago. I hit the bear at high speed and I was lucky to break only three bones.
Professionally, I faced the most obstacles and consequently I learned the most from starting a software company called Cirrus Insight with my best friend from college, Ryan Huff. We built the company over the course of 7 years from $0 to more than $12m in annual revenue and went through all the growing pains together. I’ll always be grateful for that opportunity and experience.
As you know, we’re big fans of Market Square Ventures. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Market Square Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Knoxville with a focus on early stage startups in Tennessee, the Southeast, and Appalachia. We aim to invest in exceptional founders in a traditionally overlooked region where our capital and connections can make a big impact. We launched the firm in 2024 after successfully getting a state law updated to enable venture capital firms in Tennessee. Since March, we’ve invested in 8 companies including 4 in Knoxville and 3 in Nashville.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
John Bruck is a co-founder and General Partner in Market Square Ventures as well as a partner in 121 Tech Hub, a new community and co-working space we started for tech founders and teams at 121 East Jackson Avenue in Knoxville, across the street from Barley’s and a half block from the new Covenant Health Park stadium and free parking. Marty Brown, Rosa Mar, and Harry Boston are all fantastic people and great to work with as General Partners in MSV.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.marketsquareventures.com
- Other: https://www.121techhub.com
