Brian Hamilton (businessman)

Hamilton grew up in Milford, Connecticut. [3] He attended Fairfield College Preparatory School. Brian was the first in his family to attend college, earning a bachelor's degree from Sacred Heart University.[4] Later he earned an MBA from Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. [3]

Hamilton ran his own consulting business in Durham, North Carolina from 1990 to 1996.[3] He offered consulting to people trying to start businesses. He also gave lectures and taught college courses. During a small business course, Hamilton mentioned the idea of software that would make reading financial statements easier for executives.[5] One of the students, Sarah Tourville, liked the idea. They would go on to form the company Sageworks in 1998.[3]

Sageworks was one of the first fintech companies.[6] It grew into a firm of approximately 400 employees and was acquired by Accel-KKR in 2018. Hamilton sold his stake in the company as part of the acquisition.[7]

Hamilton was a lecturer at prisons, being under contract with the SBA to help with a minority set-aside program.[3] One of his clients, Rev. Robert Harris, asked him to be part of a prison ministry where Hamilton would discuss entrepreneurship.[3] This led to Hamilton founding "Inmates to Entrepreneurs", a program that offers training and mentoring for aspiring entrepreneurs who have criminal records. Graduates often go on to start their own businesses.[8][9]

In addition, he founded the Brian Hamilton Foundation, an organization that provides advice for young people and others who want to become entrepreneurs.[10] He has provided commentary as an expert for The Wall Street Journal, MSNBC and Fox Business Network,[3] and also sat on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University.[11]

• Brian Hamilton Foundation website
• Inmates to Entrepreneurs website
• "Entrepreneur Brian Hamilton — Exclusive Interview", by The Henry Ford