Brian Coryat
Private Advisor
To founders, entrepreneurs & leaders
Real-world experienceRadical honestyClear perspective
Clarity for the decisions that matter most.
Start a conversation
Private Advisor
To founders, entrepreneurs & leaders
Clarity for the decisions that matter most.
Start a conversationBut there are moments when even the person with the answers needs another perspective.
Sometimes someone who's been down the road before can help you see around the next corner. Other times, the answer is already taking shape within you, but it takes the right conversation to bring it into focus.
The right conversation at the right moment can change the trajectory of a company, a leader, and a life.
The Moment
Some decisions don't come with an obvious answer.
You may be facing a decision that carries real consequences. A partner relationship that no longer feels right. A key hire. A financing decision. An opportunity to sell. A question about what comes next.
Or maybe nothing is obviously wrong. You simply know something needs to change, and you can't quite see what that change should be.
These are the moments when perspective matters most. Not because you're incapable of finding the answer, but because the situation is complicated, the consequences are real, and sometimes you're simply too close to it to see clearly.
How I Help
You may be facing something I've already lived through: raising capital, building a team, navigating a difficult partnership, scaling a company, selling a business, or making a consequential decision without an obvious answer.
In those moments, I can bring decades of experience to the table, recognize patterns you may not have encountered before, and tell you what I see.
Other times, you don't need someone else's answer. You need a conversation with someone who already understands the terrain, so you don't have to spend time explaining the realities of leadership, business, capital, or growth.
We can get quickly to what really matters. We can challenge assumptions, separate what matters from the noise, and look at the situation from angles that may be hard to see on your own.
Sometimes I'll share what experience has taught me. Sometimes I'll ask the question that changes how you see the problem.
He’s supportive, candid, resourceful, and always willing to roll up his sleeves, problem-solve, or make a connection. He’s the kind of person you want in your corner when you’re building a business.
Kelley Scanlin
Founder & CEO, Lark Ellen Farm
In Confidence
People look to you for confidence, direction, and answers. Part of leadership is projecting certainty even while you're still working through the answer yourself.
Getting to clarity is rarely a straight line. There are doubts to examine, assumptions to challenge, possibilities to explore, and thoughts that may not yet be ready to share with the people around you.
Most leaders don't have many places where they can do that openly. This is one of them.
A private conversation where you can say what you're actually thinking, explore what you're not yet sure about, and work toward clarity without having to manage anyone else's expectations or reactions.
What you say stays between us.
Brian didn’t help me find the right answers. He helped me find the right questions — questions one asks oneself through meaningful self-exploration. That exploration allowed me to identify foundational issues and reframe the problems I thought I had.
Monty Hudson
Founder & CEO, All Planet
Who I Work With
Some are staring at a blank page with an idea they can't stop thinking about.
Some are preparing to raise capital, build a leadership team, or scale faster than ever before.
Some are navigating a difficult board relationship, an acquisition, or a decision that keeps them awake at night.
Some have already achieved more success than they imagined and find themselves asking an unexpected question: What's next?
What they have in common isn't their stage of business. It's that they've reached an important moment where judgment, perspective, and one completely honest conversation can change everything.
Experience
I founded and led ValueClick through its NASDAQ IPO in March 2000, a year the company finished with approximately $56.7 million in revenue. Over more than 30 years, I've been a founder, CEO, investor, board member, venture capitalist, mentor, and advisor.
Along the way, I've worked closely with hundreds of entrepreneurs and leaders, helping them think through fundraising, leadership, hiring, growth, partnerships, acquisitions, exits, and the many difficult decisions that don't come with an obvious answer.
I've personally invested in more than 50 startups and evaluated thousands of opportunities. I've reviewed thousands of pitch decks, sat across the table from hundreds of founders, and helped dozens shape their story and prepare for some of the most important conversations of their careers.
I've also raised well over $100 million across companies and venture funds, was named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and later co-founded and served as Managing Partner of Entrada Ventures, an early-stage venture fund in Santa Barbara.
Brian has helped me work through everything from high-level fundraising strategy down to the intricacies of specific slides in the pitch deck. His key differentiator in the crowded market of advisors is that his advice has proven accurate, while other advice has often fallen short.
Alexander Flake
CEO & Co-Founder, Patentext
I've spent my career on both sides of the table, but some of the work I value most has been sitting beside founders and leaders as they work through what comes next.
The value of all that experience isn't the résumé. It's the pattern recognition, perspective, and judgment I can bring to a situation you may be facing for the first time.
The Practice
Most of my business advising begins with a single conversation. Sometimes that's all it takes. One conversation can change everything.
Sometimes that conversation becomes a trusted relationship that continues over weeks, months, or years as new opportunities and challenges arise.
Whatever brings you here, it starts with a private conversation with someone who understands the terrain, has no agenda, no skin in the game, and isn't afraid to challenge your thinking.
My role isn't to make the decision for you. It's to help you see your situation more objectively, explore possibilities you may not have considered, and make the decision with greater clarity and confidence.
You don't have to navigate important decisions alone.
If you're facing a pivotal moment or simply need a place to think out loud, I'd be honored to talk with you.
I'm based in Santa Barbara and advise founders, entrepreneurs, and leaders here and beyond, in person or by video.
