Andy Ellwood

“Careers are Dead; You Should Euthanize Yours”

Andy Ellwood was born with the gift of gab and raised with an overdeveloped sense of self esteem. Known for his caffeine fueled hustle, he's seen more than his fair share of ups and downs as an entrepreneur.  Andy is currently Cofounder and President of Basket, a community of shoppers committed to never over paying for groceries again.

A graduate of Texas A&M, Andy quickly learned what life on the front lines of sales looks like, first selling life insurance and then selling private jets for Warren Buffett. He leveraged those lessons and an addiction to innovation into roles leading business development globally for Gowalla through its acquisition by Facebook in 2011 and and then again for Waze through to its acquisition by Google in 2013. Andy is also a cofounder of Bond which was acquired in 2016 by Newell Rubbermaid.  These experiences have made Andy a sought after advisor, angel investor, and entrepreneurship advocate for his reputation as an operator that brings real world first hand experience to the companies and teams he works with.

Andy is a part of the founding team of Exosphere, an global problem solving community headquarter in Florianopolis, Brazil. Focused on preparing people for the creative economy and giving isolated geniuses a place to achieve their potential, Exosphere's programs have been attended by more than 1500 students from 45 different countries since its founding in 2013.

Andy's unique point of view on the world has been seen in publications like CBS, New York Times, CNN, Wall Street Journal, and as a contributor to Forbes since 2012. He is a sought after speaker on the topics of sales, new business development, and our place in the digital world we're creating. Andy has consulted companies such as Absolut, BMW, American Airlines, and HBO's Silicon Valley on the mindset and philosophies of start-up culture, entrepreneurship, and the future of work..

Andy lives in New York City where he is active in the tech and startup communities. He serves as President of the New York Texas A&M Club, the largest alumni club outside of Texas. He is also the founder of the Aggie Venture Community, bringing together Aggies in technology and venture backed companies to strengthen the global Aggie Network of innovators. Andy doesn't slow down much, but can always be convinced to tap the breaks if tacos are involved.