Brian Cohen

Brainstormer, Business mentor, Educator/Teacher, Entrepreneur, Idea generator, Investor, Parent, Social entrepreneur, Startup, Writer/Editor

As an angel investor and mentor to entrepreneurs, Brian now serves as Chairman of the New York Angels who has invested over $95 million into more than 100 early stage technology companies. Brian was the first investor in Pinterest and numerous other industry leading startups. As a new author, Brian‘s book entitled “What Every Angel Investor Wants You To Know: An Insider Reveals How To Get Smart Funding For Your Billion Dollar Idea” will be published and released by McGraw Hill in April 2013. As a social entrepreneur, Brian is the founding Board member of Center4, NYC’s first technology accelerator devoted to serving the non-profit community; as a disruptive media entrepreneur, Brian co-founded Launch.it, with his son Trace, in May 2012, the first direct-to-customer, self-publishing PR news platform; as a social medial specialist, Brian created iFluence PR in 2009, a strategic behavioral-based communications consultancy for the new earned influence/social media community; as a technology media strategist, Brian is considered one of the fathers of science & technology strategic communications, and co-founded Technology Solutions, Inc. in 1983. In 1996, TSI was recognized as the #1 fastest growing agency in the United States. Brian sold the company to The McCann Erickson World Group in 1997 and became the Vice Chairman of their Technology Division; as an educator, Brian created the AIMS (Advanced Internet Media Studies) Program, a college semester program where students will be trained to use the Internet smartly and professionally. He also advises entrepreneur students at NYU and Columbia University. As a recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award, Brian holds a Masters Degree in Science Communications from Boston University's School of Public Communications and previously served on the Dean's Board of Directors.