# Tom Dean

> Tom Dean is the co-founder, President and CEO of Renaissant, a Milwaukee-based logistics technology company building a voice-enabled, agentic AI operating system for warehouse yards and loading docks. A former Ernst & Young auditor turned hedge fund trader and investment manager, Dean pivoted Renaissant from a building-security platform into freight tech, raised a $5 million Series A in 2024, and now runs software across roughly 130 sites that talks to truck drivers in their own language to speed check-ins, deter cargo theft, and cut idle time.

- **Role:** Co-founder, President & CEO at Renaissant
- **Organizations:** Renaissant, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Annapurna Investment Management, Stark Investments, Aquila, Inc., Digital Lighthouse Corp, Ernst & Young
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.S., Accounting & Finance, Kansas State University, MBA, Analytic Finance, University of Chicago (Booth School of Business)
- **Known for:** Co-founded Renaissant and scaled it to roughly $2 million in annual revenue with at least 65 customers, Raised a $5 million Series A in 2024 backed by TitletownTech and Interlock Partners, Deployed the Dock|C2 platform across approximately 130 sites nationwide

## Career timeline

- **1996** — Begins career in audit and transaction services at Ernst & Young
- **2000s** — Chief Financial Officer at Digital Lighthouse Corp; leadership roles at Aquila, Inc. on acquisitions and turnarounds
- **2007** — Analyst and trader at Stark Investments, working on fundamental research and asset pricing strategies
- **2010s** — Founds Annapurna Investment Management as Founder and CIO, building investment programs for high-net-worth clients
- **2018** — Co-founds Renaissant with Patrick McGartland
- **2020** — Renaissant launches as a safety and security platform for government buildings, schools and offices
- **2022** — Renaissant closes a $1.5 million seed round led by Venture 53; pivots toward logistics
- **2024** — Renaissant raises a $5 million Series A to revolutionize freight movement
- **2025** — Launches voice-enabled, agentic AI 'clerk' developed at UW-Milwaukee's Microsoft AI Co-Innovation Lab
- **2026** — Featured on WisBusiness: the Podcast discussing yard execution and AI in logistics

## Achievements

- Co-founded Renaissant and scaled it to roughly $2 million in annual revenue with at least 65 customers
- Raised a $5 million Series A in 2024 backed by TitletownTech and Interlock Partners
- Deployed the Dock|C2 platform across approximately 130 sites nationwide
- Launched what Renaissant describes as the logistics industry's first voice-enabled AI clerk
- Partnered with Microsoft and built technology at UW-Milwaukee's Microsoft AI Co-Innovation Lab
- BizTimes Milwaukee Innovation Award recognition for Renaissant

## Latest updates

- **2026-01** — Appeared on WisBusiness: the Podcast describing Renaissant's yard execution platform and its multilingual voice AI.
- **2025-06** — Renaissant launched its voice-enabled, agentic AI clerk built at UW-Milwaukee's Microsoft AI Co-Innovation Lab.
- **2024-07** — Renaissant closed a $5 million Series A round to revolutionize freight movement.

## Links

- Website: https://renaissant.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rtomdean/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/tom-dean
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-04