Braden is a Partner at Heartland Ventures, where he focuses on go-to-market strategy, portfolio growth, and community engagement across Heartland’s network of industrial business leaders, LPs, and portfolio companies.  

Braden has operated at the forefront of technology commercialization and inside legacy businesses. Prior to joining Heartland, he held executive roles at two venture-backed startups, including Empora, a real estate tech company, and Olive, a healthcare automation platform, where his teams drove several hundred million in revenue.  Earlier in his career, he was part of a private equity roll-up of four financial services businesses across North America, backed by a German holding company, where he helped integrate operations and drive commercial execution across the portfolio. He began his career in management consulting, focused on performance improvement, operational transformation and M&A. 

Braden earned a B.S. in Health Information Management & Systems from The Ohio State University. A Cleveland native, he now lives in Columbus, Ohio with his wife and two young children. Outside of work, he enjoys skiing, golf, and spending time with family & friends.