A Personal Journey into Neuroscience and Neurotech

Welcome to the 1st official post on the Neural Frontiers blog! If you are here reading this, you saw my post on LinkedIn or X, and I can’t thank you enough for visiting.  Let me tell you more about myself and why this blog will be necessary. 

My name is Paul Brezovsky III, and I’m an Executive MBA candidate at NYU Stern (shout out to #J26!) beginning my 2nd and final year of the program.  I can’t say enough great things about NYU and the opportunities I’ve had since starting there in January 2024, but you can look forward to that write-up in a future post. 

My professional life consists of working full-time at Venture5 Media as Head of VC & Startup Partnerships.  If Venture5 Media sounds familiar to you, that’s because we are the largest media company in the world focused solely on Venture Capital.  Chances are you are also familiar with THE John Gannon, a mentor who hired me for my first full-time position out of college 15 years ago.  I appreciate his decision to hire me again and join Venture5 Media last year when I started at NYU, intending to pursue a career in Venture Capital.  This brings me to my part-time role as an Analyst at Limitless Ventures. Limitless Ventures is a thematic investor solving specific and unique problems within the healthcare and climate industries. I was immediately drawn to them when I learned of their mission to improve 500,000 lives (i.e: Opioid Crisis) and save 100M Metric Tons of CO2 by 2030.  I’ve been extremely fortunate to have the chance to work with the Limitless team for almost a year now on their deals.  Alexander Holt (Managing Partner) is a classmate of mine at NYU and brought me on as an Intern.  I’d like to think all those times I would follow him around the hallways begging to help with their deals eventually wore him down.  These positions and this blog will show my continued dedication to learning and my goal of becoming a full-time VC in Neurotech and life science.

I firmly believe that if you’re in venture capital, you must have a strong foundation at home.  In my personal life, I am married to my soulmate Kelli.  We met almost 7 years ago when we both worked for Zillow in the same new-hire cohort.  She is my much better half, supporting my aspirations, being the family’s breadwinner, and providing for us and our son.  None of this would be possible without her by my side. We currently reside just outside of NYC, with plans of owning a part-time residence within Manhattan.  

So, why Neuroscience?

A Life-Changing Event

10 years ago (as of this year, Sept 2025), I finally moved out of my parent’s house and out on my own with two other roommates.  My Father and Aunt helped me move my stuff in on a Thursday.  Then, on Monday morning, when I got to work, I received a call from my Mother to say that my Father had collapsed and was being rushed to the hospital unresponsive.  A few days later, he passed.  There is more I can share about what transpired in these few days, some of which were beautiful moments surrounded by family and friends to help say goodbye to him. 

We learned in the days before his passing that it was a major stroke he suffered.  To say this was a shock is relevant because of how suddenly this all happened, but there were signs that I noticed long before.  For years, I noticed that his mental health was declining.  From depression and short tempers to memory loss and declining speech.  I looked at him at age 57 and some of my friend’s fathers who were around the same age, and it was obvious that he did not have the same mental state as they did.  My sister noticed once that his face looked different in a picture they took together, and he was recently having trouble with his balance and mobility.  My father went to get checked out, and Doctors determined he had a minor stroke and wanted him to get further testing.  He would go for those tests, and the results suggested that he should have surgery to repair something in his brain that he has had for some time.  My Father would ultimately decline the surgery because he didn’t want the worst case to happen and leave my Mother, Sister, and Myself with the medical bills.  6 months later, the worst would happen anyway. 

I don’t blame him for being afraid, and I don’t blame him for not doing something about it sooner.  I remember sitting in the hospital by his bed with my Mother and Sister while he was unconscious, just lying there breathing.  Doctors didn’t have answers yet, and we were just hopeful he would open his eyes and ask where he was.  It was days before the Doctors would confirm that he had a stroke and would likely never regain consciousness.  Aside from thinking about how much pain my Mother and Sister were in, I couldn’t stop thinking about why it took days to make this determination.  When you go to the ER, they can usually tell you what’s happening with your health.  However, there’s still so much we don’t know about our brains.  If only there were tech available or early detection resources that could prevent someone from a stroke.  10 years ago, I wasn’t in a place professionally or mentally to pursue these interests.

From Personal Loss to Professional Mission

About 2 years ago, I was searching for my next career opportunity.  I’ve had to do this a few times in my career, but this time it felt different.  I didn’t want to just jump to another organization or the next role and continue to makeshift my way to my future.  I’ve worked in several industries and haven’t been thrilled about working in many.  Furthermore, the previous few roles I held didn’t allow me a chance to learn, grow, or build my network.  Before my father passed, I had the urge to return to school for my MBA, but I was never determined.  This time was different as I was recently a Father myself for the first time.  I looked at my Son and knew that I needed to do something for my career that would inspire me and build a future that would inspire him as well.  So, I leaped and decided to pursue my MBA at NYU.  I knew this degree would help me build my network because Stern has one of the best alumni networks in the country.  I also knew that this challenge I would take on would fulfill my need for continued learning and give me the confidence I needed to pursue my goal of helping support Entrepreneurs in Neuroscience.  

The Venture Capital Perspective

As I strive to become a full-time VC specializing in Neuroscience and Neurotech, I will focus on transformative innovations with the potential to reshape lives. Early detection of neurodegenerative diseases and advancements in pain management represent some of the groundbreaking opportunities for patient outcomes and investment returns. I envision a future where Neurotechnology seamlessly integrates into our daily routines, enhancing brain health and productivity.  Imagine getting a headache, and a notification pops up to tell you why, what you should do about it, and if it’s severe enough to go to a Doctor.  Imagine even the simplest of improvements, like retaining 10% more memory than we do now.  I don’t have a degree in Neuroscience, and my background has not been focused in this area to this point in my career.  However, I know that there are brilliant people who will change the world in Neuroscience and Neurotech in the future.  I firmly believe that my role in this future is to support these founders and their innovations by providing capital and other business resources like introductions and business development opportunities.  To accomplish this, I am dedicating my future to this blog, networking with investors and founders, and earning a full-time position working alongside a venture capital firm that is passionate about these causes.  

Looking Ahead

Each week, I’ll speak on a topic I’ve spent the prior week researching and immersing myself in.  You can look forward to thoughtful topics and reliable information from credible sources.  Brain-computer interfaces, in particular, hold incredible promise—not just for treating conditions but for unlocking human potential in ways we’re only beginning to imagine.  I also intend to occasionally have guest “takeovers” of the blog by medical professionals, investors, or founders in my network.  It’s important to me that this blog is a place of learning and curiosity.  So, I welcome any and all feedback because I believe diverse opinions and conversations are crucial to our growth.  My only ask is that whatever feedback you give, make it genuine and truthful.  Lastly, please follow my X (@PaulB3NeuroVC) as I’ll be posting there and sharing other content I come across that fits the future of Neuroscience.  

Thanks for reading this far and for being a part of my journey.  I hope to look back at this post one day in nostalgia with many failures and successes along the way.  To play even a tiny role in our species’ improved brain function, health, and increased life expectancy is an honor I would have never imagined possible.