Emory Innovators, brought to you by The Hatchery, Emory Center for Innovation, showcases conversations with Emory alumni and staff who work in innovation and entrepreneurship, or have taken innovative approaches to designing their careers and disrupting their industries. This week we will be speaking with Brian McGrath Davis (PhD, Laney).

Brian has been a researcher at Harvard, managed the sandbox of a billionaire, cofounded two startups, and run a 100-mile ultramarathon (twice, in two months). Brian began his career in academia, where he earned five degrees, including his PhD from Laney Graduate School (Institute of the Liberal Arts, 2013). That academic curiosity translated into a unique approach to building businesses. As an entrepreneur, Brian has spent the last 14 years working in consumer startups. He was part of the early teams at Smilebooth and Scoutmob, managed Blakely Ventures for Sara Blakely, sat on the Leadership Team at Spanx, and cofounded biotech startup Supersapiens. He is currently building a consumer wellness startup in stealth. He thinks in terms of brand and strategy, but at the core, he’s a deep generalist who is most alive in the middle of a problem, connecting the dots and finding the best way out. Brian lives in Atlanta with his partner Cam and his beloved dog, Paul.