Brian L Hinman

Brian L. Hinman (born August 22, 1961 in Bethesda, Maryland) is a noted entrepreneur, philanthropist and investor in high technology businesses and specifically a pioneer in the computer based communications industry. Hinman founded three successful (annual revenues greater than $500 million) high technology companies; PictureTel Corp. (Videoconferencing), Polycom (Conference call), and 2Wire (Digital Subscriber Line). Both PictureTel Corp. and Polycom had Initial Public Offerings. Hinman and his co-founders took PictureTel public in November 1984, only three months after the company was founded, and two years before the first product was shipped.2Wire was acquired by set-top box maker Pace in July, 2010. Technologies where Hinman has been granted patents include Video compression and Conference calls.

Hinman, the son of Earl E Hinman, Jr and Roberta D. Hinman, grew up primarily in Wheaton, Maryland

Brian received a BSEE from the University of Maryland, College Park in December 1982, and an MSEE from MIT in June 1984. Hinman later sponsored an entrepreneurship program at University of Maryland, College Park called the "Hinman CEOs". Hinman has 18 issued patents cover a range of technologies, including circuit design, algorithms, optical design and industrial design: US Patents: 4661849, 4703350, 4727422, 5365583, 5390244, 5568279, 5757547, 5940049, 6081378, 6285754, 6694016, 6977958, 7072385, 7499438, 7535880, 7672448, D367663, D903543. He was an Ernst& Young "Entrepreneur of the Year" winner in 2005.

From 2006 to 2015, Hinman worked at Oak Ventures as a Venture Partner where he worked with Cleantech investments such as algae company Aurora Algae and solar technology companies eSolar and GreenVolts. Hinman has also been involved with public-private partnerships by buying and funding an underfunded fire station in Los Gatos.

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