Brian Paul Phillips

Wikipedia Draft: Brian Paul Phillips

Infobox

Born: April 30, 1959 (age 66)
Occupation: Venture Capitalist, Entrepreneur, Economic Advisor
Known for: Founder of The Pearl Fund; First Venture Capital Opportunity Zone Fund; Early Advisor to Factorial Inc.
Awards: Forbes OZ 20: Top Opportunity Zone Catalysts (2019)

Lead Section

Brian Paul Phillips (born April 30, 1959) is an American venture capitalist, entrepreneur, and economic development advisor. He is the founder and managing partner of The Pearl Fund, recognized as the first venture capital fund in the United States to utilize the Opportunity Zone (OZ) program for business investments rather than real estate. In 2019, Phillips was named by Forbes and the Sorenson Impact Center as one of the top 10 Opportunity Zone fund managers in the country.

Early Career and Public Exits (1987–2007)

Phillips began his career in the technology sector as a founder of several early-stage startups. In 1987, he exited his first venture, Information Technologies Group, through a management buyout. During the 1990s, Phillips was on the founding teams of two companies that reached the public markets: RSE Enterprises and TMSS (Total Managed Storage Services).

He later served as the CEO of Tonic Software, a web-services management company that raised approximately $33 million in venture capital. In 2007, Tonic Software was acquired by Altiris, and the technology was subsequently integrated into Symantec. Throughout his early career, Phillips was involved in the founding of over a dozen startups, resulting in two IPOs and two acquisitions.

Academic Advisory and Deep Tech

Phillips has been instrumental in bridging the "talent valley of death" for academic research. As a member of the Academic Venture Exchange (AVX), he has worked with faculty from Cornell, Columbia, and Princeton to commercialize hard tech.

Most notably, Phillips was an early advisor and among the first shareholders in Factorial Inc. (formerly Lionano). He played a key role in transitioning the solid-state battery technology developed at Cornell University by Dr. Héctor Abruña into a commercial entity. Factorial subsequently reached a unicorn valuation and entered a SPAC merger with Cartesian Growth Corporation III (CGCT) in 2026.

International Economic Development

Phillips served as the Global Entrepreneurship Director for TechnoServe, managing initiatives across 30 countries. He has consulted for Endeavor Global, advised the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), and supported the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women initiative. He is also a co-founder of the Aspen Institute's ANDE Women's Entrepreneurship Task Force.

The Pearl Fund and Bitcoin (2019–Present)

In 2018, Phillips launched The Pearl Fund to focus on early-stage startups in federal Opportunity Zones. In May 2025, he launched the Pearl Bitcoin Fund, a $500 million vehicle described as the first SEC-compliant Bitcoin fund structured to utilize OZ tax incentives, allowing for tax-free capital gains after a 10-year holding period.

References

Forbes, "The Forbes OZ 20: Top Opportunity Zone Catalysts," Dec 2019.
Business Wire, "The Pearl Fund Recognized as a Top 10 Leading Opportunity Zone Fund," Jan 2020.
Columbia Technology Ventures, "Directory: Brian P. Phillips, Startup Expert," 2014.
OpportunityZones.com, "The First Venture Capital Opportunity Zone Fund, with Brian Phillips," Oct 2019.
GlobeNewswire, "The Pearl Bitcoin Fund Officially Opens," Dec 2025.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHG09DuidDQ

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