# Brendan Madden

> Brendan Madden is the founder and CEO of Tom Sawyer Software, a Berkeley-based pioneer in graph visualization and analysis technology that he has led since 1992. With four decades of experience in the graph field - starting at IBM's Thomas J. Watson Research Center - Madden built one of the world's foremost graph visualization platforms, serving industries from finance and government to manufacturing and cybersecurity. Under his leadership, Tom Sawyer Software has become a go-to platform for building scalable graph-powered applications, digital twins, and systems modeling tools, with the company's latest push into AI-powered graph technologies and SysML v2 viewer capabilities.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at Tom Sawyer Software
- **Organizations:** Tom Sawyer Software
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor of Science in Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Bachelor of Arts in Physics, Ithaca College, Graduate Studies in Electrical Engineering, Arizona State University
- **Known for:** Founded Tom Sawyer Software in 1992 - one of the first American graph technology companies, Built Tom Sawyer Software into the leading provider of graph visualization and analysis software, Company recognized by U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology Advanced Technology Program for excellence in component-based software development

## Career timeline

- **Early career** — Researcher at IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center
- **Pre-1992** — Worked at IBM Santa Teresa Laboratory
- **Pre-1992** — Worked at Vitalink Communications
- **1992** — Founded Tom Sawyer Software in Berkeley, California
- **1992-present** — CEO and leader of Tom Sawyer Software, growing it into the world's leading graph visualization platform
- **2015** — Presented 'Graph Visualization and Analysis' at GraphConnect Europe
- **2017** — Presented 'The Future of Data Visualization' at GraphConnect NYC
- **2025** — Tom Sawyer Software and Carahsoft partner to bring graph-powered digital twin technology to the public sector
- **2025-12** — Released SysML v2 Viewer 1.3, expanding support for SysML v2 specification with enhanced speed and efficiency
- **2026-03** — Released Model-Based Engineering 2.1, strengthening model visualization for the Cameo Systems Modeler ecosystem

## Achievements

- Founded Tom Sawyer Software in 1992 - one of the first American graph technology companies
- Built Tom Sawyer Software into the leading provider of graph visualization and analysis software
- Company recognized by U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology Advanced Technology Program for excellence in component-based software development
- Pioneered key graph layout algorithms including Hierarchical, Circular, and Symmetric layouts
- Four decades of expertise in graph visualization, making him one of the world's foremost experts in the field
- Led Tom Sawyer Software to serve major industries: finance, government, manufacturing, and cybersecurity
- Secured Carahsoft partnership to expand graph-powered digital twin technology into the U.S. public sector
- Presented at major conferences including GraphConnect NYC 2017 and GraphConnect Europe 2015

## Latest updates

- **2026-03** — Released Model-Based Engineering 2.1, strengthening visualization and usability for the Cameo Systems Modeler ecosystem
- **2025-12** — Tom Sawyer Software and Carahsoft partner to bring advanced graph-powered digital twin technology to the U.S. public sector
- **2025-12** — Released SysML v2 Viewer 1.3 with expanded spec coverage, clarity, and performance improvements

## Links

- Website: https://tomsawyer.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/bpkmadden
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/TSawyerSoftware
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmFT6d9NtmZe075KpV05MGg
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/Tom-Sawyer-Software/104231407534

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/brendan-madden
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-17