THOMAS BURNS
CHAIRMAN/CEO
GLAUKOS CORP.
WHY: Joined in 2002 when only four employees; built world’s smallest medical device that is injected into the eye.
IN THE NEWS: Named Businessperson of the Year in the healthcare sector for 2024. In September, received a Business Journal Innovator of the Year Award.
NOTABLE: Market cap more than doubled to $8B earlier this year.
QUOTABLE: “Like most small companies, we have had plenty of near-death experiences. There were plenty of times that we got knocked down and had to continue to move forward. What sustained me were people who had the same conviction and resiliency to carry this thing forward. Failure wasn’t an option. We were going to succeed.”
