Brinton, a native of the Philadelphia suburbs, graduated from Connecticut College with a dual degree in Economics and Art History/Architecture. He worked for H2L2 Architects in Philadelphia and rose through the ranks at the Hillier Group Architects in Princeton to the position of Vice President. When Brinton wanted more hands-on involvement with the building process and direct interaction with clients, he founded Brinton Brosius, Inc. as a boutique contracting and construction management firm in 1999. Brinton lives in Maplewood with his wife and four children.