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Brendan, a twin and one of five siblings, grew up in Barrington, Rhode Island. He attended Providence College for his undergraduate studies. After college, Brendan went to work at EMC Corporation, where he spent almost 10 years in the sales organization. He left EMC with his brother Andrew to start and eventually take public Storage Area Networks (SANZ). After selling the firm to Sun Capital Partners, Brendan went back to Harvard Business School. Over his 30+ year career, he has built and grown six high-tech companies while maintaining a balance between work and family.
Coming from a large Irish Catholic family with 81 first cousins, Brendan values family deeply. He has been married to Alison for 34 years, and together they have five adopted children. Their oldest, Aidan, is a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, stationed in El Paso, Texas, with his wife Leah and their son, James “Sloan” Reilly. Their second oldest, Bryn, is a Providence College graduate like her parents and currently works as a second-grade teacher and lacrosse coach in town. Caelin, their middle child, is an accomplished writer working close to home. The youngest two, Macklin (15) and Keira (14), are elite lacrosse players and students at the local public high school and middle school.
Brendan's wife Alison has helped design, project managed and physically built four community and school playgrounds. These facilities have been nationally recognized are are now used by thousands of children each week.
In addition to donating her time to build these playgrounds, Brendan and Alison were the primary funders for the construction of a Science and Energy Park at All Saints Catholic School in Norwalk CT.
Brendan played Division I lacrosse at Providence College and has continued his passion for the game by coaching U15 boys' lacrosse for over 12 years. Last year, he expanded his coaching efforts to include U14 girls' lacrosse. Currently, his daughter Bryn is the Girls' Junior Varsity Lacrosse Coach at Staples High School. When not coaching, Brendan can often be found on the sidelines filming and creating team videos - PrimeTime 2027 Video.
Brendan has consistently integrated a philanthropic component into every business he has built or worked for. As the co-founder and CEO of Defense Mobile, he led a mission to support U.S. military personnel, veterans, and their families. More recently, he launched, funded, and led the Sustainable Africa Initiative’s Climate Risk Challenge in Nigeria in 2023. This initiative collaborates with over 240 university students from ten Nigerian universities to assess the impact of climate change on the Nigerian agricultural sector and develop mitigation strategies to reduce the risk of starvation for over 50 million Africans by 2035. Brendan is also a dedicated volunteer and Advisory Board Member for the United Nations AI for the Planet initiative and the Linux Foundation’s OS-Climate project. Additionally, he recently joined the board of The Future Needs You Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting individuals and families dealing with depression and suicide.
With five adopted children, Brendan and Alison have become prominent advocates for adoption in their community. Their dedication to this cause and willingness to provide help and support has helped over thirty families navigate the adoption process and successfully grow their families. They continue to provide guidance, support, and resources to prospective adoptive parents, sharing their personal experiences and insights to ease the journey.
Brendan's wife, Alison, is a breast cancer survivor who has been cancer-free for 9 years. She offers support and counseling to women and families facing this challenging disease. She has been a part of the PinkAid organization, and this year, Alison will compete in the Head of the Charles Regatta for the 23rd time (she has won 6 times, medaled 16 times, and still holds a course record in the Masters Women 4+). This year, however she will also race in the HOCR Breast Cancer Survivor Race.
