Steven L. Brown, our founder, has served as Chairman of the Board and as our Chief Executive Officer since August 2019. Mr. Brown is also a member of the Investment Committee. Mr. Brown is the Founder of, and a Managing Partner at, Trinity, a leading provider of venture loans and equipment lease financing to growth stage companies. Mr. Brown founded Trinity in January 2008.
Mr. Brown has 25 years of experience in venture equity and venture debt and working with growth stage companies. Prior to founding Trinity, Mr. Brown served as general partner at Point Financial Capital Partners, a venture leasing fund, from 2003 to 2008 and was the President and Chief Financial Officer of InvestLinc Financial Services, an early-stage private equity fund and consulting firm, from 1998 to 2002. He was also part of the founding group of Cornerstone Equity Partners, a private equity fund, and served as a partner from 1996 to 1998.
Kyle Brown has served as a member of the Board and as our President and Chief Investment Officer since August 2019. Mr. Brown is also a member of the Investment Committee. Mr. Brown has been a Managing Partner at Trinity and a member of its investment committees since 2015. In such capacity, Mr. Brown has been responsible for managing investment activities at Trinity in order to achieve the firm’s deployment goals and has managed relationships with potential customers as well as with strategic partners, including venture capital firms and technology bank lenders. Prior to joining Trinity, Mr. Brown was the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Brown Equity, LLC, a real estate financial investment firm, from 2006 to 2015. He also co-founded and managed Sharp Equity Homes, LLC, a full-service, web-based multiple listing service for trustee sale auctions in Arizona and California, from 2007 to 2012. Prior to that, Mr. Brown founded or co-founded three additional startups over the course of his career.
Ronald E. Estes has served as a member of the Board since September 2019. Mr. Estes has served as the Chief Financial Officer of LifeStream Complete Senior Living, Inc., a nonprofit provider of senior living communities, since January 2013 and as its President and Chief Executive Officer since 2016. In such capacities, Mr. Estes is responsible for all matters related to the mission, organization and financial oversight of LifeStream Complete Senior Living, Inc. Prior to that, Mr. Estes served as a tax director at McGladrey LLP (now RSM US LLP), an audit, tax and consulting services firm, from 2011 to 2012. Mr. Estes also previously served as the Chief Financial Officer of The Ryerson Company, a developer and operator of senior living communities, from 2003 to 2010. Mr. Estes is a certified public accountant with 15 years of public accounting experience.
Mr. Hamada, age 63, previously served as the Chief Executive Officer of Avnet, Inc., an electronic components distributor, from July 2011 until July 2016. Since 2014, Mr. Hamada has served on the board of directors of Keysight Technologies, Inc., a test and measurement equipment provider, and is a member of Keysight’s Compensation and Nominating & Corporate Governance Committees. Mr. Hamada previously served on the boards of directors of Avnet, Inc. and Global Technology Distribution Council, and served as the board chair of National Education Partners, and as a member of the board of trustees of National University. Mr. Hamada was named to Computer Reseller News’ Top 25 Most Influential Channel Executives three times. The Company believes Mr. Hamada’s numerous management positions and director experience provide him with extensive sales, marketing and management knowledge, all of which make him well qualified to serve on the Board.
Ms. Lockridge, age 49, currently serves as the Chief People and Systems Officer for CoorsTek, Inc., a technical ceramics manufacturer. Prior to joining CoorsTek in April 2016, Ms. Lockridge served as the senior vice president of human resources of several companies, including Newell-Rubbermaid, Western Union, TeleTech Holdings, Inc., and Liberty Mutual/Colorado Casualty Insurance. Ms. Lockridge currently serves on the boards of the Denver Scholarship Foundation and the American Cancer Society. The Company believes Ms. Lockridge’s numerous management positions and broad experiences in Human Resources provide her with skills and valuable insight in talent acquisition, talent management, and strategic business partnering, all of which make her well qualified to serve on the Board.
Michael Zacharia has served as a member of the Board since December 2020. Mr. Zacharia is an executive coach and consultant to top executives in Fortune 150 companies and significant privately held companies as well as leaders of prominent non-profits, institutions of higher education, and families of means. Michael also conducts private mediations and teaches Cross-cultural Negotiations and Dispute Resolution as Adjunct Professor of Law at the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at the Pepperdine University School of Law.
Michael retired in July, 2007 after twelve years as Executive Vice President for Business Development, General Counsel and Secretary of DFS Group Limited, the world’s largest travel retail company. Prior to joining DFS, Michael was a partner for seven years in a large and nationally renowned Washington D.C. law firm. Previously, Michael was a litigation partner in the largest law firm in Sacramento, California. In 1988, Michael was appointed by President Reagan and confirmed by the Senate as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration. In 1981, Michael was selected by a Presidential Commission as one of 14 White House Fellows and served as Special Assistant in the office of the United States Secretary of State.
Michael has served on the Board of Directors of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (NYSE: MSO). He currently serves on the Advisory Board for the Center for Advanced Coaching. Michael was Co-Director of the Pacis Project on Faith Based Diplomacy, which was a joint venture between Pepperdine University and the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy in Washington, D.C. The Pacis Project was the recipient of the 2011 Peacemaker of the Year Award for its work in the Middle East.