Meet Alex Triener | Tech entrepreneur, engineer, inventor, and soon-to-be published author.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alex Triener and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alex, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I always wanted to be an entrepreneur but never had the courage and the knowledge to take the first step. And although my 2x immigrant past prepared me for some challenges, I didn’t feel confident because of my lack of knowledge. So, I decided to take a baby step and signed up for a weekend MBA program with an emphasis on entrepreneurship at the UCSD Rady School of Management. I started learning the ropes, and a class assignment turned into a startup that I later sold to Nestle Purina.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

I just finished writing and am now editing “9.5 month” – a fiction novel based on real events, inspired by the early years at Illumina. The book is an ode to engineers, scientists, and managers, the everyday heroes who create, invent, develop, and discover things that make our lives better. To those who stand up to technical challenges and never give up.
The book tells the story of a successful startup that quickly became a public company, and then was brought to its knees by a technical problem that challenged the hearts, minds, and willpower of many people for – you guessed it right! – 9.5 months.

To get notified when the book becomes available – a short Google form: https://forms.gle/VGbxx7um4wr4PfJX7

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love San Diego! Where do I even start? The beautiful ocean beaches go first: Coronado Tidelands Park Beach, Hotel Del Coronado Beach, Ocean Beach Tide Pools and Dog Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla Tide Pools, La Jolla Cove, La Jolla Shores, Torrey Pines State Beach, Del Mar Power House to Dog Beach, San Elijo State Beach, Swami’s Beach in Encinitas, Moonlight State Beach, Carlsbad and Oceanside beaches, Tide pools between Scrips Pier and Mushroom Beach House.
Vistas: Mount Soledad in La Jolla, Point Loma, Glider Point.
Hiking: Palomar Mountain State Park, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, Mount Laguna.
Other cool places to visit are Seaport Village, Shelter Island, Harbor Island, Fiesta Island, Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, drive along Highway 101, San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, and Birch Aquarium.
Museums: Maritime, Balboa Park Museum, Art Galleries in La Jolla, Point Loma Lighthouse Museum, and Cabrillo National Monument.
Vegan restaurants: Peace Pies, the Plot, Donna Jean, and many others.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost, the support of my family: my wife Larisa, my daughter Marina, my mom Bella, and my late dad Semion. Bob Kain, who was my mentor for years at Illumina, and then my investor, board member, and trusted advisor at Pet Wireless.
Craig Lee and Bill Broun, who were also my investors, board members, and trusted advisors at Pet Wireless.
Ian Lerner, my former CEO and mentor, and now friend.
My Pet Wireless management team: Moshe Olim, Brian Bentow, Siggy Tsadok, and Rita Macdonald.

Website: https://forms.gle/VGbxx7um4wr4PfJX7

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alextreiner