The world lost a rare light on September 24, 2025 with the sudden passing of Brett Willms—an inventor, dreamer, builder, and eternal optimist. Brett leaves behind his wife Anne Marie, his parents Pam and Ken, his sister Kristy (Mark) and nephews Everett and Darrow, father in law, Frank and brother in law, David. He was just 49.

Brett was never interested in the ordinary. He lived by the mantra of “impossible minus one,” the belief that the most meaningful life comes from aiming for the bold, the daunting, the almost-unreachable. That spirit carried him from launching businesses to leading teams at top tech companies, and ultimately to founding Laetro, where he poured his heart into elevating creativity and the people behind it.

But for those lucky enough to really know him, Brett’s true legacy wasn’t in the titles or the ventures. His superpower was the way he made people feel: seen, inspired, braver than before. He had a way of believing in you, even in the moments when you couldn’t believe in yourself.

Brett’s family, friends, and colleagues will miss his contagious energy and his uncanny ability to make even the scariest challenges feel exciting. He delighted in finding collectibles and hole-in-the-wall restaurants, savoring great meals as if they were adventures in themselves. He found peace in the waves of Maui, a place that seemed to mirror his mix of wonder and ambition.

Brett leaves behind not just memories but an invitation: to dream bolder, to focus on what truly matters, and to never lose that spark of wonder in the everyday. 

He will be missed dearly.

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