During that time, I joked with a colleague that one day my job would involve going to work in boat shoes.
In 2017 my 27-foot Catalina sailboat broke anchor and drifted ashore without ever telling me. After years of building monitoring systems for critical infrastructure, I realized boats needed the same technology. That moment led me to start Barnacle Systems. What was your first job? My first job was refereeing ice hockey games at 12 years old. It taught me how to make quick decisions and handle a lot of passionate feedback from players, coaches and parents. In the summers, I also went door-to-door in my neighborhood offering lawn mowing services. It was my first experience earning customers, showing up on time and running a small business. What accomplishments are you most proud of? My greatest accomplishment is being Aria’ s dad( she’ s 11!) and Gariele’ s husband. We have a house filled with love and fun, and I’ m incredibly proud of the life we’ ve built together.
Professionally, I’ m proud that we bootstrapped Barnacle Systems from a small idea in my mudroom into a company that grew to 17 employees and successfully exited in late 2024. After the acquisition, I have continued to lead as CEO. What means the most to me is that we’ ve built a business where people rely on their work to support their families, while maintaining a culture where we aim to laugh together at least once every day. Did you have any key mentors or influences in your career? Early in my career, Fred Vey and Paul Baracos were incredible engineers who taught me how to build reliable remote monitoring systems. They emphasized real-world testing because things that work on a desk do not always work in action.
Steven“ Pops” Ware, who managed many of the projects I worked on in the Middle East, taught me how to stay calm in difficult situations and how to prepare for the unexpected.
During my time building Barnacle, my greatest mentor was Mark Grambart. He encouraged me to take the leap into entrepreneurship and supported me from when the company was just me working in my mudroom all the way through our exit and beyond. As a young professional, what are the biggest challenges you’ ve faced in the marine industry and how did you overcome them? One of the biggest challenges was convincing people to trust new technology on boats. I was 30 when I started the company, and the marine industry does not often see 30-year-old CEOs running hardware technology businesses. Early on I had to work hard to build credibility and demonstrate reliability. My background developing similar systems for armored vehicles helped show that technology could perform in demanding environments. How do you hope to inspire others in the marine industry? I hope to show that young founders can contribute meaningful ideas to a very traditional industry. The marine industry sometimes gets portrayed as either older veterans or the glamorous version you see on shows like Below Deck, but the reality is that there is a thriving technology ecosystem behind it.
Engineers, entrepreneurs and innovators are building systems that support everything from recreational boating to safety and environmental protection. It is also an industry that offers an incredible lifestyle. I hope more young professionals see the opportunity to build meaningful careers here and help push the industry forward.
How do you set goals for yourself and set yourself up for success? In business, many of the goals I set are naturally revenue-focused because that is how companies measure progress. But my personal goals are centered around what I call my“ three cups” philosophy: personal, family and work.
To be at my best, each of those cups needs to stay as full as possible. I cannot steal from my personal cup to fill my work cup or from my family cup to chase business goals. I try to be intentional about maintaining that balance for myself and encouraging it within the team at Barnacle.
When those three areas are healthy, it creates the foundation to do great work over the long term. What boat did you learn to boat on? I learned to boat on a 1976 14-foot 3-inch K & C Thermoglass, a small fiberglass fishing boat that originally belonged to my grandfather. About seven years ago it was passed down to me, and I repowered it so I could keep using it. I still enjoy buzzing around the islands of Western Canada in it whenever I get the chance. Where is your favorite place to go boating? I love boating around the Gulf Islands of British Columbia with my family. The scenery is incredible and there are endless places to explore. I also enjoy fishing along the“ Honey Hump” with my colleague Sean Battistoni and our friends and family in our 25-foot KingFisher aluminum boat. Who was your hero as a child? My heroes have always been my parents. My mom, Brenda Wright, for her entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to start businesses and give things a shot. And my dad, Ken Wright, for his relentless work ethic and fierce loyalty to both his family and his career. Those two influences shaped a lot of how I approach both life and business. What are some of your favorite non-boating hobbies? Since“ boating” is probably not allowed as an answer, I would say being in the water with my family and friends. I love surfing with my wife and daughter and going spearfishing with friends whenever I can. My life is centered around being in, on or around the water. Why should young professionals choose a career in the marine industry? There is a tremendous amount of technology innovation happening in the marine industry right now. From advanced electronics and connectivity to new safety and environmental systems, it is an exciting space for engineers, entrepreneurs and problem solvers.
At the same time, the industry offers an incredible lifestyle. Building a career that keeps you close to the water, whether that is lakes, rivers or oceans, creates a work environment that is hard to beat. It is a rare combination of meaningful technical challenges and an amazing setting to build a career.
www. boatingindustry. com march 2026
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