Breen Sullivan
About Breen Sullivan
Breen Sullivan is the Founder of The Fourth Effect and a Founding Member of Marble Collective, both established to support underrepresented founders and women in leadership roles. With over a decade of experience in legal and executive positions, she has focused on addressing gender disparities in investment and board participation.
Work at The Fourth Effect
Breen Sullivan serves as the Founder of The Fourth Effect, a position she has held since 2018. The Fourth Effect operates as a marketplace aimed at increasing board participation and investment opportunities for women. Under her leadership, the organization has developed an ecosystem that includes over 800 companies, 1,700 board-ready women, and 120 women-led funds and investors. Sullivan co-founded The Fourth Effect with Katrin de Haën, focusing on addressing gender disparities in angel investing and board participation.
Current Role at Marble Collective
In addition to her role at The Fourth Effect, Breen Sullivan is a Founding Member at Marble Collective, where she has been working since 2023. This position allows her to continue her commitment to fostering environments that support underrepresented founders and promote gender equity in investment and board opportunities.
Professional Background
Breen Sullivan has a diverse professional background in law and technology. She has over 10 years of experience as a General Counsel and C-Suite executive for startup and high-growth companies. Prior to her current roles, she held positions such as Chief Administrative Officer at Watermark and Head of Legal and Business Affairs at Known. Sullivan also served as General Counsel at Bright Power, Inc. and worked as an Intellectual Property Associate at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP.
Education and Expertise
Breen Sullivan earned her Doctor of Law (JD) from Tulane University, where she studied from 2005 to 2008. She also studied at the University of California, Berkeley, obtaining a JD in 2005. Earlier, she completed her Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Theater Studies at Yale University from 1997 to 2001. Her educational background complements her extensive experience in legal affairs, particularly in the tech sector.
Achievements and Initiatives
Breen Sullivan has been recognized in prominent publications such as Forbes, Corporate Counsel Business Journal, and Bloomberg Women Buy-Side Network. She has created a transparent board and investment marketplace focused on women and has been actively involved in initiatives aimed at encouraging women to invest in each other. Sullivan has participated in events designed to facilitate introductions for underrepresented founders and has worked to promote women in leadership roles to address gender wealth and funding gaps.