Brian Hart, Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Prior to developing the Vinarmour patent and forming the company in 2018, Brian had a long and successful career as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon in the greater Seattle area, starting as an associate with Puget Sound Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in 1995, eventually assuming ownership and branched out to establish a satellite practice in 1997, Harbour Pointe Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, in nearby Mukilteo. During his career he was active in teaching as an Assistant Clinical Professor at both Harbour-UCLA Medical Center and at the University of Washington School of Dentistry. He has served as the Oral Surgeon with the Global Dental Relief Project in 4 health missions to the Himalayas and one in Cambodia. In the spring of 2021 he made the difficult decision to leave his thriving practices and devote himself full time to Vinarmour. He is passionate about wine and spirit tourism and is committed to offering consumers bottle carriers of the highest quality and longevity.
Outside of the office Brian is a passionate kiteboarder and loves to create unusual dishes in the kitchen while sipping a nuanced Barolo.
Education: University of Washington, BA History; Georgetown University, Doctorate of Dental Surgery cum laude; Harbour-UCLA Medical Center, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency
Steve Hart, Chief Marketing Officer
With over 20 years’ experience in marketing, product development and brand communications, Steve Hart currently serves as Vice President of Marketing at Vinarmour and as Marketing Project Manager at children’s footwear brand, See Kai Run. Prior, Steve has assisted numerous startup companies grow and develop from scratch with his creative marketing strategies. Specialties include the creation and development of management projects, content development, inter-departmental communications, sales support, brand strategy and development, and digital advertising management.
In his spare time you may find Steve out on the golf course or in wandering in the old-growth forests of Washington state in search of adventure.
Education: University of Washington, B.A. English
Linda Nordstrom, Brand Development Manager
For over 15 years Linda has been producing photo and film projects domestically and internationally for large companies, including Nintendo, Key Bank, Starbucks, Microsoft, San Mar, and more.She currently is the Sr. Producer at REI, supporting marketing initiatives. Linda works cross divisionally with multiple different teams to bring creative visons to life in media productions both in studio and on location. With a deep understanding of content creation, brand campaigns and strategy, Linda is a key liaison between marketing creative and project management. She provides direction and leadership, partnering with and managing both freelance and internal teams, bringing together the best of creative talent to optimize content creation for both large brand campaigns and small initiatives.
In her spare time you will find Linda outside enjoying her favorite things: riding her mountain bike, seeking adventure in the woods and mountains, laughing, cooking and dancing with family and friends, indulging in a good book, and sipping and enjoying a lovely glass ( or two) of champagne.
Education: University of Washington, BA Psychology
Board of Advisors
Scott Van Vuren, Founder (2012) and COO of MarqMetrix; Founder (2017) and CEO PharmID. MarqMetrix, Inc. has quickly become the world’s leader in accessible process Raman spectroscopy. Using lasers and patented sampling techniques to interrogate samples at the molecular level. MarqMetrix solves complex measurement challenges for many global companies in the Pharma/Bio-Pharma, Energy and Chemical industries. PharmID, Inc. produces an innovative molecular pharmaceutical identification solution that provides the hard data and reliable verification needed to help Healthcare organizations reduce costs, streamline operations and make healthcare safer. Prior to co-founding MarqMetrix and PharmID, Van Vuren held senior leadership positions with Microsoft Corporation, where he managed OEM partnerships with many of the world’s leading technology companies such as Hewlett Packard, IBM, and Sony. While working with Microsoft, his strategic business models led to the profitable foreign expansion of the HP OEM sales team and the achievement of $4 billion in annual revenue. Mr. Van Vuren has established a reputation throughout the business community for his ability to manage complex relationships with billion-dollar corporations. His expert negotiation skills have created innovate business models delivering increased revenue for companies ranging from start-ups to international corporations.
Education: Knox College in Gatesburg, Ill. BA, Political Science
Ric Anderson, Co-Founder (2002) and Chief Operating Officer of Washington Holdings, a real estate investment firm with +$3.5bn in assets, primarily located on the west coast with a current focus on urban apartments, select service hotels, Silicon Valley R&D, and structured finance. Mr. Anderson has responsibility for the day-to-day operations of Washington Holdings and oversees all of its investment opportunities, including development, structured finance, and whole equity investments. Mr. Anderson is a member of the Executive Managing Board of the Company as well as of the firm’s Investment Committee. Prior to forming Washington Holdings, Mr. Anderson was a partner at Lowe Enterprises Northwest, a real estate pension fund advisor, responsible for business development, project development, acquisitions, leasing and construction. Mr. Anderson has worked in real estate and construction for nearly 30 years. He has extensive experience in development, leasing, acquisitions, dispositions and structured finance.
Mr. Anderson is an active supporter of numerous charities, currently serving on the Board of Trustees for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, a board member of the Pacific Real Estate Institute, a board member for University Prep school, and a former Trustee of the Seattle Emergency Housing Group.
Education: University of Washington, BS, Mechanical Engineering; University of California at Los Angeles, MBA, Real Estate and Finance
Pete Frickland – Principal, Concurrent Product Development LLC, an independent consultancy specializing in the application of concurrent product development and management processes, methods and tools that have proven themselves to be effective at getting more of the right products to market, faster, and with fewer resources. Clients have included many of the top-tier specialty brands in the outdoor (hike, bike, camp, climb, ski, paddle, and dive), coffee, and pet industries. Prior to forming Concurrent, Mr. Frickland headed product development at Cascade Designs, the parent company to a number of iconic outdoor brands. During his 20 years at Cascade, he oversaw the integrated growth and development of several well-known product-driven outdoor brands, including Therm-a-Rest, MSR, SealLine, Platypus, PackTowl and Tracks. Earlier, Mr. Frickland helped to develop deep space and terrestrial applications at California Institute of Technology/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Since the mid ‘70’s, Pete has been developing new and improved products and driving them to market with astonishing speed and success.
Education: University of California, Irvine BA Chemistry; MBA, Pepperdine University
Ian Thompson, Corporate and Transactional Attorney, general counsel and executive with over 25 years of experience advising businesses on a wide range of legal and strategic issues. Currently a partner with Ascent Law Partners in Seattle and part-time General Counsel for FMC GlobalSat, his primary focus is counseling early and high growth stage companies on finance (debt and equity), M&A and commercial transactions. Mr. Thompson was previously EVP & General Counsel for SeaMobile/MTN Communications, a managed communications services and software provider, where he played a key role in strategic planning and business development, and led over $200 million of equity and debt financings, as well as multiple M&A processes. Prior to joining SeaMobile, Mr. Thompson held positions as a partner at Beacon Law Advisors, a corporate finance associate at Perkins Coie, and an attorney with Williams & Jensen, a D.C. regulatory and government relations firm. He previously also founded and operated a wine sales and marketing business, and he served for two-years as assistant winemaker for JM Cellars, a family-owned WA winery. Mr. Thompson currently volunteers as President and a Board member of the BEHL adult hockey league.
Education: Trinity College (CT), BA History; Washington and Lee University of School Law, Juris Doctor, cum laude