Ed Baisa

As Head of Systems and Technology at Intellectual Ventures (IV), Ed Baisa brings a blend of technical depth, strategic vision, and hands-on leadership to the company’s technology backbone. He oversees IV’s technology infrastructure—from enterprise systems architecture and cloud platforms to security frameworks—and pairs strategic oversight with firsthand execution, regularly writing code, developing automation scripts, and collaborating directly with engineers. “Infrastructure at this complexity demands more than management—it requires a deep understanding of the system and the ability to guide them both technically and strategically,” he says.

Ed’s fascination with intelligent systems began in childhood, when a robot solving a Rubik’s cube sparked a lifelong passion for technology. Early exposure to programming and AI set him on a path few had traveled before age ten. Alongside this technical curiosity, Ed pursued music as a second passion, eventually becoming a music major. His time studying music sharpened his creative instincts and deepened his appreciation for structure and rhythm, qualities that continue to influence his approach to systems architecture today. Though technology ultimately won out, Ed’s artistic foundation remains a meaningful part of his identity.

Working at LexisNexis and Premera, Ed built expertise in enterprise technology transformation while completing his degree at Washington State University. He previously honed his critical thinking skills under pressure at Microsoft where supported corporate events and worked on the Windows team. “You haven’t lived until you’re rebuilding hundreds of machines with alpha code compiled that morning while the press waited outside,” he recalls

Ed’s career is defined by a commitment to making technology both innovative and practical. A pivotal achievement was leading IV’s cloud-based communication shift, including Microsoft Teams voice, just ahead of the pandemic lockdown. “Our ‘future-forward’ decision became mission-critical overnight,” he notes. 

Ed’s leadership philosophy is rooted in systems thinking and technical credibility. “You can’t optimize individual components without understanding the whole system. Leadership isn’t about being the smartest person in the room; it’s about creating the environment where the smartest solutions emerge,” he shares. He fosters innovation by encouraging technical risk-taking while balancing operational reliability, creating safety for experimentation across all functions. Ed credits his fellow executive leadership team members for mentoring him through the transition from technical expert to technical leader and teaching him to maintain credibility while operating effectively at the executive level.

His advice to aspiring leaders? “Earn your credibility through technical excellence first. Learn to translate technical complexity into business impact. Don’t wait for the title to start thinking like a leader—start influencing architecture decisions, mentoring engineers, and solving problems beyond your immediate scope.”

For Ed, IV stands out for its technical complexity and strategic view of innovation. “We focus on the fundamental breakthroughs that enable entire industries. It’s a much more strategic view of how technology changes the world,” he says. His favorite IV invention? The Autoscope— machine learning plus microscopy for malaria detection, a technology that saves lives in developing countries. And his favorite of all-time? Edison’s electrical distribution system, which enabled the infrastructure for the digital world we live in.