Bryton Praslicka, PhD

Your startup FluxWorks is a developer and manufacturer of magnetic gears and magnetic gear-integrated motors. Where did the idea for this business come from and how does a magnetic gear perform differently than a traditional mechanical gear? 

The idea of magnetic gears go as far back as 1905.  But during my Ph.D. program, I had the chance to collaborate with NASA and the Army and they were interested to see if the performance could be improved.  FluxWorks was born as a spin out of the technology developed during my Ph.D., and we are now competitive with magnetic gear performance.  What makes us unique is the lack of lubrication and reduced failure modes, making us the premium option for applications that can’t afford failure – from outer space to the bottom of the Ocean. 

Did you always want to be an entrepreneur or did you discover this passion later in life? 

In high school I tutored for cash, and my mother started her own floral business.  By sophomore year of college I started taking classes and going to seminars on entrepreneurship, and by Senior year of my undergraduate I started another company which failed after it grew to 4 people.  So I would say it has been a growing interest since I was about 16!

You founded Fluxworks in 2021. Since then, you’ve achieved some impressive milestones. You were selected as a Future Texas Business Legend by TBHF in 2022 and you took home first prize at the Rice Business Plan Competition in 2023. How have you successfully scaled your business and how has your leadership style evolved as the company has grown? 

We are thrilled to have 14 full-time team members.  I credit our growth to our industry team members and advisory board members we have been able to recruit, as well as multiple 7-digit government contracts.  My leadership style has turned more laissez-faire when it comes to the technical work.  Rather, I focus most of my energy towards empowering my leadership team with the resources they need, and creating a well-defined culture that permeates down the org chart. 

Entrepreneurship has its fair share of challenges. What trait or characteristic do you think has benefitted you the most in your entrepreneurial journey and helped you weather those storms? 

Treating the “soft” things as “hard” things such as communication and culture has certainly benefitted the organization, as I am constantly asking questions across the organization to catch team issues before they grow. I also try and maintain a healthy balance of remembering the company is not my identity; e.g., if the company fails, that doesn’t mean “Bryton” is a failure. 

How do you define “excellence” in business? 

Winning “Best Place to Work” would be a bigger accomplishment in my heart over a multi-billion dollar exit. 

As a business founder and owner, how has being part of the Texas entrepreneurial eco-system benefited you? 

Being a founder and a CEO is unlike any other job.  Knowing other founders, owners, and CEOs has been critical to the success of FluxWorks, as each of them have a bit of wisdom to be shared that could benefit FluxWorks.