A career spent turning possibility into enterprise.

Brian Cross has built his career around recognizing opportunities that have not yet been fully formed and constructing the companies, brands and operating systems required to realize them. Over more than twenty-five years, he has worked as a founder, global practice leader, agency executive, embedded CEO and COO, investor, fundraiser and mentor. His experience spans professional sports, technology, hospitality, health, media and consumer businesses, with P&L responsibility reaching $40 million and leadership of teams exceeding 300 people.

As a Global Practice Lead at Fleishman-Hillard, part of Omnicom, Brian helped lead a $40 million digital practice encompassing 36 offices across eight countries. He managed more than 300 professionals, integrated acquired companies into the firm’s global operations and helped major organizations navigate the emergence of digital communications, social media and new forms of customer engagement.

Brian later founded Elasticity, an independent agency working across brand strategy, performance marketing, communications and digital experience. Over seventeen years, he built the company’s team, capabilities and operating infrastructure while advising organizations ranging from global enterprises to emerging ventures. His work has consistently connected brand and influence to the larger commercial questions of customer acquisition, revenue growth and enterprise value.

Since 2015, Brian has also served as an embedded fractional CEO and COO for early-stage and growth companies. Working inside the businesses rather than advising from the sidelines, he has helped founders validate opportunities, develop business models, build teams, enter markets, raise capital and prepare for acquisition. His operating experience ranges from pre-revenue ventures through companies with $5 million to $10 million in scope, and his capital work has included investments ranging from $50,000 angel checks to institutional rounds approaching $10 million.

Brian has played an active role in building the entrepreneurial ecosystem around him. He co-founded Venture STL, an early effort to align investors, accelerators and entrepreneur-support organizations and a precursor to organizations including Capital Innovators, Arch Grants and Stadia Ventures. He was among the earliest mentors for both Capital Innovators and Arch Grants and has since served as a board member, fundraiser and advisor to startups and entrepreneurial organizations. Through Buildside, he now works alongside experts and founders to validate, build, launch and operate companies across multiple industries.

Sports has been a sustained part of Brian’s work for more than a decade. During eight years with Stadia Ventures, he served as Head of Mentors and Lead Mentor, developed the organization’s mentorship curriculum and worked directly with more than sixteen sports technology companies. He helped founders refine their positioning, pressure-test their business models, prepare for investors and build paths into the sports industry. Companies supported through the Stadia portfolio generated more than $200 million in follow-on capital and included multiple successful exits.

Now a Partner at XVP, Brian advises sports organizations, investors and emerging companies on commercial strategy, brand, innovation, growth and new venture development. He is particularly valuable when an organization sees an opportunity but has not yet determined what it should become, how it should be positioned or what must be built to bring it to market. He also hosts and produces Sports Not Sports, a podcast focused on the people and businesses shaping sports and entertainment.

Brian is the author of Forget Your Formula: Why Following the Rules Is the Worst Marketing Decision You Can Make and a frequent speaker and media commentator on entrepreneurship, branding, business strategy and artificial intelligence. He holds an MBA in International Business with distinction from the University of East London and degrees in marketing and communication design.