Brian Ellison

Brian is the founder of a boutique consulting group, Preston-Douglas, that helps companies solve problems and move toward commercialization and operations success. It spans sectors from medical devices and scientific exploration to non-profit management and consumer-packaged goods. Before starting Preston-Douglas, Brian worked in advanced manufacturing for Midwest Prototyping. Through COVID-19, Brian led the expansion of BadgerShield, a PPE collaboration with top-tier companies to produce over 50 million protective face shields globally during the height of the pandemic. Brian’s roots are in the land- having grown up on a Midwest farm, he continually finds ways to connect novel ideas to places across the globe, bringing economic opportunity and commercial success. In 2006, he began working with rural families in Wisconsin to grow wheat for use in high-end consumer products. It quickly grew to become Death’s Door Spirits, one of the largest and most successful early-stage craft brands in the spirits industry. Having sold Death’s Door in 2019, Brian now lives between Madison, Wisconsin, and Tucson, and continues to actively work on innovative projects worldwide.

Brian holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and a Master of Business Administration from IESE-University of Navarra in Barcelona, one of the top-ranked programs globally. Brian is looking forward to helping entrepreneurs focus their efforts, hone their craft, and grow their business ideas.