Chris Gladwin

Inquirer
DISC Type : cd

Founder and Executive Chairman at Ocient

Greater Chicago Area, United States

Overview

Chris Gladwin is a serial tech entrepreneur who founded Ocient, a leader in hyperscale data analytics. He previously founded Cleversafe, an object-storage firm he sold to IBM for over a billion dollars. A graduate of MIT, he is also deeply invested in Chicagos tech ecosystem.

His passion for community and outdoor recreation led him to co-found The Forge Adventure Parks, a social enterprise offering activities like ziplining and rock climbing. This venture aims to provide engaging outdoor experiences that educate and entertain adventurers of all ages and abilities.

He founded and grew Cleversafe to capture 100% of the large-scale, on-premise object storage market before selling it to IBM for $1. 4 billion.

Personality Overview

Upfront

ROI Conscious

Hard To Convince

They care equally about the product and its potential impact.  They respond well to confident salespeople. They don’t always try to control the conversation but neither do they like yielding it fully.

Topics They Care About

Hyperscale Analytics
As the founder of Ocient, he is focused on building new software architectures for real-time analysis of massive datasets, a topic he frequently posts about.
Enterprise AI
He recently noted that Enterprise AI is the biggest change in applications since the internet, highlighting his focus on its transformative power in the software market.
Chicago's Tech Ecosystem
He co-founded and chairs P33, a civic organization dedicated to transforming the Chicago metropolitan area into a top-tier global technology hub.

Media Appearances

Breakthrough Builder's: Chris Gladwin @ Ocient. Featured in Ocient

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Interview with Chris Gladwin, Founder and CEO, Ocient – Podcastics Episode 103. Featured in Podcastics

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Bootstrapping in America | Chris Gladwin of Ocient. Featured in Ocient

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Work History

2-2016
Founder and Executive Chairman at Ocient
10-2014 - 6-2025
CEO at Ocient
4-2017
Board Chair and Co-Founder at P33 Chicago
1-2016
Board Chair and Co-Founder at The Forge Adventure Parks
11-2004 - 1-2016
Founder at Cleversafe, Inc.

Education

1982 - 1986
BS from Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2011 - 2017
Education details unavailable from Executive Education

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 21 Location : Greater Chicago Area, United States Job Level : Leadership Designation : Founder and Executive Chairman at Ocient
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Insights For Selling To Chris

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Get to the point quickly instead of spending too much time on pleasantries
  • Ask them questions confidently while doing discovery, don’t be apologetic
  • Refer to testimonials from others in similar positions

DONT's

  • Avoid long winding pitches, stay objective
  • Don’t try to be an alpha salesperson, give them equal space
  • Do not give up if they are not convinced, try again with a different approach

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Chris is

  • Confidence in the product plays an important role, followed by powerful testimonials.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Chris

  • They might hesitate a little, but they will say no if they are not convinced.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Chris move?

  • They are neither the fastest decision makers nor the slowest.
  • Can Chris take some risk or not?

  • Once they have analyzed the pros and cons, they can take some risks.

You And Chris

Personality Compatibility


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