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Bradden Blair

Background​

Chief Executive Officer of OpenTeams Incubator in Austin, Texas with nearly 20 years of experience incubating companies and integrating open-source solutions into organizations.

Education:

  • Ph.D. in Health Promotion & Education from University of Utah
  • MBA from University of Utah
  • MHA from University of Utah
  • Graduate certificate in biomedical informatics from University of Utah

Academic Career: Former professor at University of Utah business faculty, running information systems and business analytics programs for 6.5 years. Achieved rank of full professor before transitioning back to private industry.

Research Focus: Doctoral research examined how rare disease patients utilize social media to uplift and support one another.

Current Leadership Roles​

OpenTeams Incubator CEO: Leading incubator focused on open-source ecosystem development and community support.

Managing Partner at Quansight Initiate: Multi-fund venture capital operation with strong performance metrics.

Multiple Advisory Positions: Serves on various business advisory boards and venture funds across healthcare technology, education, and venture capital sectors.

Connection to Travis Oliphant​

Six-Year Partnership: Met Travis at academic conference in Austin approximately 6 years ago through mutual connection recognizing their shared Utah roots.

Organic Dinner Introduction:

"In true Travis fashion. He said Amy Please set another plate for dinner. We've got a guest coming over. Let's have a conversation so we spent several hours talking that night."

Shared Vision Recognition:

"What he said was is Brad and we need to start a venture fund there's you know, there's lots of venture funds that are funding technology companies. None of them have really any idea about the how this all works you know the role that the communities play and why open source is important."

Venture Capital Success​

Three Funds Raised: Built venture operation from concept to multi-fund platform over six years.

Performance Metrics:

"The funds are all doing very very well. They're you know, projected to be top 0.1% performers globally. We've got at least unicorns that we believe are baking in there."

Portfolio Scale: Invested in approximately 40 portfolio companies.

Major Win: Anaconda (where they have early positions in Fund 1 and Fund 2) achieved $1.5B valuation in Series C announced in Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg.

Ecosystem Development Philosophy​

Multi-Entity Approach: Built comprehensive ecosystem including:

  • Incubator with entrepreneur residence program
  • International subsidiaries for staffing and recruitment
  • POSSE program (Practical Open Source Sustainability Experiences in Education)
  • Venture funds with syndication partnerships

Global Impact Vision:

"We've had 45 students come through that program over the last year and a half our goal is put 50,000 international students to work."

Values-Driven Investment:

"We desire to invest in enterprises with the intention to generate measurable, beneficial, social, environmental, spiritual, and financial returns."

Personal Values and Faith​

Family Covenant Story: Deeply shaped by mother's covenant with God during his premature birth as oldest of triplets.

"My mom... similarly covenant with the Lord that she would make sure that we were raised as faithful Christians and and and to believe in God and and to work to further his kingdom."

Team Environment Philosophy:

"We become most like the people with whom we spend the most time, right? And then we spend a lot of time at work... it is important to me that we work with people that we share the same values with."

Divine Orchestration Recognition:

"There were a number of what I consider to be divine things that kind of led Travis and I to connect and have contributed to the formation of the team that we have."

Operating Principles​

Flat Organization Structure:

"We have some team structures, but as an organization we're pretty flat we expect, you know everybody to... have things that they're responsible for and that they just run run with without having to have a lot of direct supervision or oversight."

Accountability Culture: Learned from past experiences with team members who couldn't deliver on commitments, particularly around regulatory deadlines and product management.

Community as Human Connection:

"Our desire to use community as a way of increasing human connection... open source as a tool of peace and the fact that open source contribution bridges international boundaries."

Previous Entrepreneurial Experience​

Real Estate Background: Six years as real estate broker with extensive deal-making experience.

Ed-Tech Ventures:

  • Started online education company providing bankruptcy education for bankruptcy filers
  • Supported another ed-tech company for six years
  • Both utilized open source technologies

Startup Attraction:

"I love the thrill of putting together deals I like, you know the creativity and the wearing multiple hats that comes from startup environment."

Connection Points​

Shared Values:

  • Faith-driven approach to business and impact
  • Open source as tool for global good and peace
  • Community building and human flourishing
  • Values-based team culture
  • Long-term relationship focus over short-term gains

Potential Synergies:

  • Venture capital and fundraising expertise
  • International student and workforce development
  • Academic and research connections
  • Healthcare technology experience
  • Multi-stakeholder ecosystem management
  • Ed-tech and online education insights

Location: Austin, Texas area

Transcripts​

Transcript IDDateSummary
2025-08-04-gary-sheng-kirk-dorius-bradden-blair-travis-ecosystem-interview2025-08-04Travis ecosystem interview covering venture capital success and incubator operations