Jeffrey Brewer
cofounder, president, and CEO of Bigfoot Biomedical
When his son Sean was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2002, Brewer quickly pivoted in his career. Previously behind the launches of Citysearch and Overture (previously GoTo.com), Brewer reoriented his focus toward improving the quality of life for those diagnosed with diabetes and reducing the stress of continually monitoring glucose levels.
At Bigfoot Biomedical, Brewer has turned his attention to technologies that use smartphone apps to aid in insulin delivery – think automated infusion pumps and auto-titrating connected pens. Noting that more than $41 billion is spent in the wake of insulin dosing errors in the U.S. every year, Brewer believes technological advances can make the administration process more understandable – not to mention more affordable.
He contributes in other ways: He has served as a volunteer, donor, and CEO of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. In 2005, he launched the organization’s Artificial Pancreas Project, which earned him the nickname “father of the artificial pancreas.”
