Brian Brackeen is a former technical founder who built Kairos, a facial recognition AI company, before becoming a VC at Lightship Capital, bringing hands-on experience scaling deep-tech products and an operator-centric investing style where he examines product architecture and go-to-market details with founders. He specializes in investing beyond traditional coastal tech hubs, focusing on founders in the Midwest and South while integrating structured founder development through bootcamps and ecosystem building to support underrepresented entrepreneurs in emerging startup markets. Brian Brackeen is a former technical founder who built Kairos, a facial recognition AI company, before becoming a VC at Lightship Capital, bringing hands-on experience scaling deep-tech products and an operator-centric investing style where he examines product architecture and go-to-market details with founders. He specializes in investing beyond traditional coastal tech hubs, focusing on founders in the Midwest and South while integrating structured founder development through bootcamps and ecosystem building to support underrepresented entrepreneurs in emerging startup markets.