Brian Thorne: Brian has over 13 years of experience as an advisor, investor and operator in the consumer sector. He was most recently a Principal at Tengram Capital Partners, a private equity firm that invests exclusively in branded consumer and retail companies. Joining the firm shortly after its founding, Brian completed and managed investments in several prominent brands, including NEST Fragrances, Laura Geller, DevaCurl and Algenist within the firm's core Beauty vertical, as well as Luciano Barbera, Zanella and SWIMS within the Fashion/Apparel category. Prior to Tengram, he was a Senior Associate at Catterton Partners, one of the largest and most experienced consumer-focused private equity groups in the world. There, he was involved in evaluating and executing investments in the personal care and branded food sectors, including Frédéric Fekkai, Brach's Confections, Van's International Foods and Naya Water. Previously, Brian was an Analyst in the Consumer/Retail Investment Banking group at Lazard. Additionally, Brian maintains investments in a portfolio of emerging consumer brands, including Ursa Major, Owl's Brew, Naadam, United By Blue and Sombra Mezcal. Brian earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and holds a BA in Economics and Psychology with Distinction from the University of Virginia.
Kevin Fanfoni: Kevin is a Director of Investments with Calvert Impact Capital, a non-profit impact investing fund manager based in Washington, DC with $500 million in assets under management. He joined Calvert Impact Capital in 2008 and has served in a variety of roles on the Investments team that have focused on investment analysis, portfolio management, and impact measurement. During his time at Calvert he has originated over $80 million of impact investments in affordable housing, renewable energy, access to finance, and other areas of community development in the United States and Latin America. He graduated from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia with concentrations in Finance and International Business. Outside of work, he can usually be found on a bicycle navigating the streets of DC or the mountains of his native Shenandoah Valley.