Brian Garret co-founded Hubs in 2013, a platform that transformed custom part manufacturing by connecting businesses with a global network of suppliers. Through this distributed production network, over 10 million parts were produced, making rapid prototyping and manufacturing more accessible worldwide. After its acquisition, he turned his focus toward projects with a broader social and environmental impact.
Today, most of his time goes into CrowdBuilding, a steward-owned platform reshaping urban development by making community-led housing a viable alternative in our broken housing system. CrowdBuilding partners with municipalities and citizens to unlock new building plots, financing, and knowledge sharing—helping communities create affordable, sustainable homes and more livable cities.
Together with his wife Lilian, Brian also founded DefaultMode, a foundation that supports initiatives restoring ecosystems and driving systems change. So far, DefaultMode has partnered with Rewilding Sweden, Wild Sápmi, the Wild Foundation, WildFlyer, and The School for Moral Ambition. In addition, he advises and invests in several mission-driven startups in the Netherlands.