Five Questions with Serial Entrepreneur Bret Morgan
Meet featured panelist, hacker, entrepreneur, traveler, yogi, husband & father Bret Morgan.
Hey all,
Today, we’re featuring a 5 question interview with Bret Morgan, one of the featured panelists at the Jersey Shore Tech & Design - Creative Talk Series (#201) event on the panel discussing First Customer to Funding. For many years, Bret and his team at Cowerks hosted Jersey Shore Tech, Jersey Shore Women in Tech, and many other community events. He’s been a leader in the Jersey Shore tech community, in addition to many of his entrepreneurial projects. Let’s get to know Bret a bit better. Enjoy!
I’ve always been interested in taking old business models and applying a little bit of technology to improve them.
Bret Morgan is an entrepreneur, software developer, and real estate investor who leads and innovates in businesses across technology, hospitality, and community development. His current ventures include FRESH Markets, The Surf Village, and upcoming restaurants and bars in Spring Lake and Avon-by-the-Sea, NJ. He has also co-founded Cowerks, Asbury Agile, The Jersey Shore Tech Meetup, and other initiatives.
Through his Bret Morgan Group, Bret also offers strategic consulting to businesses looking to grow, innovate, and overcome obstacles.
For additional insights, make sure to check out and subscribe to Bret's Substack newsletter. It offers digestible insights into entrepreneurship, travel, programming, real estate investing, mindset, things Bret has learned as a parent, and more.
Here's a quick collection of some recent posts on Bret's newsletter:
🙏 Thank you Bret for taking the time to answer our questions. There’s actually six questions, but we just couldn’t resist the opportunity for extra insight.
What excites you most about the current trends in tech/design, and how do you incorporate them into your work?
The impact of LLMs and AI is set to blow away what we’ve seen so far. Growing up in an analog world, I remember getting my first personal computer, an Apple IIGS. I remember dialing into BBSs, and watching the web come to life. I’ve seen the rise of the internet, mobile technology, and cryptocurrency, which opened doors for anyone with an idea and programming skills. AI has already started and will continue to lower the barriers for entrepreneurs to start businesses and bring ideas to life, and I’m looking forward to being part of that evolution.
Can you share a project you're particularly proud of and what made it a success?
I’m especially proud of what we’ve achieved with FRESH Markets, our farmers and makers market business. I’ve always been interested in taking old business models and applying a little bit of technology to improve them. When we started Asbury FRESH, most farmers markets didn’t have websites and were run by volunteers. I built a website that later evolved into a custom booking management platform, and we began taking payments online. By focusing on processes and leveraging tech wherever possible, we were able to scale quickly. This year, we’re producing nearly 150 events across Monmouth County, and we’re planning to add another 30-40 markets in 2025. We’ve built a strong team to manage daily operations and have focused on delivering a great experience for both communities and our network of vendors. Many of our vendors have since opened brick-and-mortar stores across the region, so in many ways, we’ve served as an incubator for small Main Street businesses. That lasting impact is something I’m particularly proud of—how often does a business get to influence downtowns throughout an entire region?
What's one piece of advice you would give to aspiring designers/technologists in our local community?
One of the most influential books I read was Richard Branson’s Losing My Virginity. His whole “Screw It, Let’s Do it” mentality was something that particularly resonated with me. It’s gotten me into trouble at times but overall I think it’s really given me the ability to play, try things, iterate, see what works, and move on when something doesn’t.
How has being part of the local community influenced your work or perspective in tech/design?
Absolutely. Much of my early success and connections came from starting Cowerks, Jersey Shore Tech, and Asbury Agile. Community building has always been a core principle for me, not just something we pay lip service to. I believe this approach comes from recognizing the value in thinking beyond yourself and helping others simply for the sake of helping.
As a hyper-local community event, we're always interested in sharing and supporting local spots we should be visiting. What’s your favorite place to grab a coffee or a meal in the area, and why?
Coffee - Probably Volan in Asbury or Sun and Waves in Spring Lake.
Food - Kaya’s Kitchen in Belmar or Talula’s in Asbury
What is your ideal work setup? Can be the environment but also hardware and software.
Preferred/Ideal - 15” Macbook pro on a beach somewhere in Latin America or Southeast Asia.
Day to Day - My home office/yoga shala with a 15” Macbook Pro and a 32” External monitor and a minimal amount of cables & clutter.
Thank you for reading. We’re excited for Bret’s feature on the upcoming panel First Customer to Funding at the Jersey Shore Tech & Design - Creative Talk Series (#201) event. Thanks again Bret!
Jersey Shore Tech & Design events are hosted in collaboration with The Center for Entrepreneurship at Monmouth University. Founded in 2010, JST&D community events cover various innovative technology and design topics, engage local professionals and students, and help foster the creative energy and community in our own backyard. Let's build together 🚀