Jim***ean

Managing Partner

Education

Harvard Business School

Harvard Business School (Unknown - 2023)

  • Degree: President's Program in Leadership,
  • Field of Study: Business/Commerce, General
  • Description:

Northwestern University (1989 - 1992)

  • Degree: PhD
  • Field of Study: Electrical Engineering
  • Description:

University of Southern California (1986 - 1987)

  • Degree: Master of Science (MS)
  • Field of Study: Electrical and Electronics Engineering
  • Description:

Skills:

Start-ups, Strategic Partnerships, Software Development, Product Management

Work Experience:

Managing Partner at Karmel Capital

  • Location: Solana Beach, California, United States
  • Duration: 2013-03 to Present
  • Description: Dedicated funds investing in high-growth enterprise software firms through transactions with existing shareholders. Since our founding in 2013, we have invested in leading software companies across many verticals.

Founder and CEO at BFT Equity Partners

  • Location: La Jolla, California
  • Duration: 2013-01 to Present
  • Description: Co-founded with Karen Brailean, BFT Equity Partners advises and invests in companies trying to take a disruptive technology or manufacturing process to market. Portfolio companies include Intelligent Blends, Flock Freight, BURL Concepts, Freedom Flight, Atmosfy, Mobix Labs, Permission.io, Tenant Base, Tern Inc, Tillable, Matcherino, and Omnislash.

Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Pelagos Ventures

  • Location: San Diego, California, United States
  • Duration: 2018 to Present
  • Description: Formed in 2016 by Jim Brailean (entrepreneur and technologist) and Christian Buckley (entrepreneur and technology lawyer), Pelagos Ventures leverages decades of experience in leadership, negotiation, strategy, innovation, operations, and funding to find, help, and fund great new ideas. Over the years, we have had the privilege of building, helping, or funding a variety of significant business and non-profit organizations. We work within a network of funders, experts, and advisers to bring capital and strategic relationships to new ventures. ​Our current efforts include: ​ - TenantBase - e-commerce CRE leasing platform (scaling revenue, mid-venture) - Peachjar - SaaS school and community email communications platform (scaling revenue, mid-venture) - Flock Freight- big data optimization algorithm and service for LTL shipping (unicorn, venture growth) - Matcherino - event management and e-funding platform for e-sports (early revenue, early-venture) - BURL Concepts - brain ultrasound for stroke and profusion detection (pre-revenue, mid-venture) - Freedom Flight Works- air/land tactical mobility and logistics solutions (early -revenue (confidential), Seed) - ​Intelligent Blends - single-serving coffee production for private in-house label (high revenue, LP) - Valona Labs - mobile device management and security (sold to HMD Nokia in 2020)​ - Coacing.com

Co Founder & Chairman at Burl Concepts, Inc.

  • Location: Greater San Diego Area
  • Duration: 2013-05 to Present
  • Description: Co-founded with Dr. Thilo Hoelscher, BURL Concepts (www.burlconcept.com) is developing the BURL Device, a portable, battery-powered ultrasound device designed for the non-invasive, transcranial diagnosis of strokes ‘In The Field’. Using disposable ultrasound transducers it works in combination with ultrasound microbubbles. Acoustic Response Analysis (ARA) has been developed as an innovative technology to adapt automatically the acoustic output power to the individual skull ‘finger print’ of a patient. Based on acoustic pattern recognition ARA allows to differentiate between underlying hemorrhagic or ischemic events as a cause for the stroke. The BURL Device carries wireless technology for real-time data transfer to a dedicated location. BURL Concepts is part of the BFT Equity Partners portfolio of companies.

Co-Founder at Flock Freight

  • Location: Solana Beach, California, United States
  • Duration: 2014 to Present
  • Description: Our mission is to reimagine and reinvent the freight industry by relentlessly eliminating waste and inefficiency through algorithmic pooling. Pooled shipments do not pick up and deliver along inefficient LTL routes, reducing greenhouse gas emissions up to 40%. Our proprietary product, FlockDirect, seamlessly pools multiple freight shipments on a single truck to create efficiencies for carriers, savings for customers, and a smooth experience for all. Our innovative algorithm would be nothing without our brilliant people, who obsess over growing our customer base, developing our carrier network, and improving our technology platform. Flock Freight aims to fundamentally change the freight industry across North America with FlockDirect—one pooled shipment at a time.
AI Resume Analysis

Candidate Intelligence Report

AI-powered analysis from the perspective of a US hiring director — evaluating career continuity, growth trajectory, and role fit.

Career Continuity & Risk Assessment

Employment GapLow

No detectable employment gaps; continuous activity from PacketVideo through subsequent ventures and investment roles.

Industry ConsistencyLow

Primarily technology/software, with related ventures in hardware, healthcare tech, logistics, and e-sports; overall consistent with the tech/startups ecosystem.

Tenure StabilityMedium

Multiple concurrent leadership roles since 2013; while typical for serial entrepreneurs/investors, this could indicate broad portfolio commitments that may challenge deep focus for a single employer.

Education-Career MatchLow

Harvard Business School credential alongside advanced engineering degrees; aligns well with leadership in tech firms and investment management.

Career Growth Curve

Co-Founder Entry
PacketVideo Corporation
1998-2000
CEO ↑ Promoted
PacketVideo Corporation
2000-2013
Founder & CEO Entry
BFT Equity Partners
2013-01 to Present
Managing Partner Entry
Karmel Capital
2013-03 to Present
Co-Founder & Chairman Entry
BURL Concepts, Inc.
2013-05 to Present
Co-Founder Entry
Flock Freight
2014 to Present
Co-Founder & Managing Partner Entry
Pelagos Ventures
2018 to Present
Assessment: Jim Brailean demonstrates a clear upward trajectory from founding and leading a technology company to building and managing multiple investment platforms and portfolio ventures. He is well-positioned for senior executive or fund leadership roles, with strong execution history and a broad strategic network. A potential employer should assess bandwidth and alignment for a single, full-time role versus continued portfolio-oriented leadership.

Best-Fit Roles (Top 5)

1

Chief Executive Officer, Enterprise Software Company95% fit

Proven track record as a software/tech CEO and founder, strong fundraising and growth leadership, and MBA from a top school; well-suited to scale a growth-stage software business.

2

General Partner / Managing Partner, Tech-Focused Venture Capital or Private Equity Firm92% fit

Current fund leadership, extensive deal flow, and governance experience across software portfolios; adept at sourcing and guiding scale investments.

3

Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) / Chief Growth Officer (CGO), High-Growth Enterprise Software88% fit

Strong background in strategic partnerships, product/market development, and growth initiatives across multiple ventures.

4

Head of Corporate Development, Global Software Company83% fit

Experience in mergers, acquisitions, partnerships, and strategic expansion; capable of driving corporate development at scale.

5

Executive Chair / Board Director, Portfolio Tech Companies78% fit

Extensive board exposure and governance experience; valuable for governance and strategic oversight of high-growth tech portfolios.

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