You’ve probably heard the term "serial entrepreneur" thrown around so much it’s started to lose its meaning. It usually evokes images of tech bros in Silicon Valley burning through VC cash on apps that deliver artisanal toast. But then you look at someone like Patrick Bryant, and the definition shifts back to something much more grounded—and honestly, more impressive.
Patrick Bryant isn't just a guy with a few business cards. He’s the co-founder of CODE/+/TRUST, a software development powerhouse in Charleston, and the engine behind roughly a dozen other ventures. But if you think he’s just a "tech guy," you’re missing about 80% of the story.
The $1 Million Lesson Nobody Tells You
Most people assume successful founders have this straight-line trajectory to the top. Patrick’s story is way messier than that, which makes it a lot more relatable. He actually started his first business, Bryant Design, when he was just 16 years old. Imagine a teenager in the late 80s messing around with the very first Macintosh computers to design logos and menus.
He didn't just stop there. By the time he was a sophomore at the University of South Carolina, he’d launched a sound and lighting company. He eventually sold that one (now known as Carolina Sound), but the real "aha" moment came after a family bankruptcy.
That’s a detail that often gets glossed over in the shiny LinkedIn bios.
Going through a family financial collapse teaches you a specific kind of grit. It’s why he’s so obsessed with scalability. He realized early on that selling your time is a trap. If you’re the only one doing the work, you’re just an employee with a fancy title. To build something that actually lasts—and hits that $1 million revenue mark—you have to build systems.
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Why Charleston is Obsessed with Him
If you live in South Carolina and you're trying to start a company, you’ve likely crossed paths with Patrick at the Harbor Entrepreneur Center. He co-founded it because he was tired of seeing local talent leave for bigger hubs.
Basically, he wanted to create "collision."
It’s a simple concept: put a bunch of smart, hungry people in a room together and see what happens. The Harbor has since helped dozens of companies scale through its accelerator program.
But Patrick’s involvement isn't just about charity or "giving back." He’s a tactical thinker. He’s served as the Chairman of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce and works with the SC Department of Workforce & Employment. He isn't just building companies; he's literally trying to rewrite how the entire state handles business.
The Companies You Didn't Know He Started
When you look at Patrick Bryant’s portfolio, it’s a bit of a wild ride. It’s not just "Software Company A" and "Software Company B."
- Go To Team: This was one of his big early wins. It became the largest staff video provider in the U.S., with crews in over 20 cities. Think about that—managing film crews across the country before we had the high-speed internet tools we take for granted today.
- Shine Rolling Papers: Yes, the 24k gold rolling papers. It’s a complete pivot from enterprise software, but it proves a point: Patrick knows how to spot a niche market and brand the hell out of it.
- Event.Gives: This is a fundraising platform that has fundamentally changed how non-profits run auctions. It’s practical, it’s scalable, and it solves a massive headache for event organizers.
- Teamphoria: HR software that actually focuses on employee engagement instead of just being a digital filing cabinet for tax forms.
It’s easy to look at this list and think he’s just throwing spaghetti at the wall. But there’s a pattern. He looks for "friction." If a process is annoying, slow, or outdated, he builds a team to fix it.
The "Live in the Future" Philosophy
In 2026, we’re seeing a lot of people panic about AI and automation. Patrick, however, is leaning in. His latest venture, Workforce Wave, focuses on AI-driven voice agents for small businesses.
He often talks about the importance of "living in the future."
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What does that actually mean? It means using the tech that’s available right now—like autonomous cars or advanced AI models—to understand where the world is headed in five years. Most people wait for the future to happen to them. Patrick tries to live in it today so he can build the tools we’ll all be using tomorrow.
At CODE/+/TRUST, he’s famous for teaching his developers to think like entrepreneurs. They aren't just "coding to spec." They’re looking at the business model. They’re asking, "Will this actually make money for the client?"
What You Can Actually Learn From This
So, what’s the takeaway for the rest of us? Patrick Bryant isn't a wizard. He’s a guy who realized that execution beats ideas every single time.
He’s a Liberty Fellow and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, but he still spends his time mentoring local founders in Mount Pleasant and Isle of Palms. He doesn't hide behind a corporate gatekeeper.
If you want to follow in his footsteps, stop worrying about having the "perfect" idea. Start where you are. Use the tools you have. Focus on building something that can grow without you being the only person turning the crank.
Key Principles to Steal from Patrick Bryant:
- Don't sell your time. Build products or services that can scale.
- Look for "collision." Get around other people who are doing harder things than you.
- Embrace the pivot. If you’re making video crews today and gold rolling papers tomorrow, so be it.
- Think like an owner. Even if you’re "just" the developer or the designer, understand the business model.
Patrick Bryant is proof that you don't need a Silicon Valley zip code to build a multi-million dollar empire. You just need to be willing to fail, restart, and keep your eyes on the horizon.
Your Next Step
If you're an aspiring founder, your immediate move should be to audit your current business model for scalability. Ask yourself: "If I took a month-long vacation today, would my revenue grow, stay the same, or vanish?" If the answer is "vanish," you don't have a business; you have a job. Start looking for ways to productize your expertise or automate one core process this week.