Members

Bernardo Chávez

Chief Executive Officer - Stoic Technologies

Bernardo is a senior wealth advisor with over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry. His core competencies include financial planning, investment management, portfolio analysis, risk assessment, and client relationship building. As a wealth manager, Bernardo champions his clients’ financial goals through a disciplined and pragmatic approach to wealth management and investment coaching. He also partners with an extensive network of professionals such as CPAs, attorneys, and trust officers to ensure that clients receive the best possible service and support for their complex and evolving needs.

Bernardo is a firm believer that “he profits most who serves best.”

Vistage on Campus – EMBA26

Tom Cassidy

CEO and co-Founder - Raine Industries

Thomas H. Cassidy is the CEO and co-founder of Raine Industries, which operates multiple medical equipment distribution companies in both human medicine and animal health. MDPro now offers its own line of MDPro branded products through more than 150 dealers across the USA. Most recently, Vero Veterinary Partners was launched to bring the company’s capabilities to the animal health space.

Tom’s role includes business development focused on national accounts, strategic development of new product lines, and overall operations management. Tom is a graduate of the University of San Diego (’98) and The Bishops School (’94).

In his free time, Tom can be found chasing powder in the mountains and coaching soccer, football, and baseball for his two sons Jack and Cavan.

Joined Vistage in 2024

David Kirkpatrick

Global Co-Head of Investment Banking at Marathon Capital

David Kirkpatrick, Global Co-Head of Investment Banking, is based in Marathon Capital’s San Diego office. He is a corporate finance, project finance, and M&A specialist with more than 30 years of experience in the cleantech and renewable energy sectors. At Marathon Capital, David advises clients on M&A buy- and sell-side transactions, corporate equity capital raises, tax equity, and strategic consulting engagements. David focuses on solar, energy storage, wind, e-mobility, biofuels, green hydrogen, and cleantech sectors. In addition to his client activity, he serves on Marathon Capital’s executive leadership team, manages Marathon Capital’s South Korean expansion, and leads a charitable outreach program installing solar resources for low to moderate-income families.

David has advised on many transformative transactions such as the sale of SunPower’s C&I Solutions business to Total Energies and microinverter business to Enphase, multiple corporate equity raises for PosiGen, tax equity raise for Generate’s fuel cell projects, the sale of numerous utility solar & BESS projects for OCI, Capital Dynamics, Hanwha, Arevia, and Samsung, and the company sale of Black Bear Energy, GroSolar, FLS, Peak Clean Energy, and Mainstreet Power.

Prior to Marathon Capital, David held various executive management roles in the energy and cleantech sectors. He was an energy specialist at the Boston Consulting Group, advising Siemens, Southern, and Sempra. David originated and structured $2 billion of wind-related contracts at GE Wind. While at Imperium Biofuels, he ran business development overseeing biofuel related contracts. At NRG Solar, David ran the distributed energy solar vertical. At EDF EN, he was the North American head of M&A, where he started and ran the solar business unit, managing project development & construction, venture investments, and global procurement for GW’s of renewable deployment.

David received a BA with honors from Emory University and was a Robert T. Jones Scholar for a post-graduate year at St. Andrews University. He received his MBA from Harvard Business School, where he was a founding member of the Sustainable Development Society. He is a volunteer professor for HBS Club of San Diego Management Development Program and the Chair of the Board for Cleantech San Diego. David holds Series 24, 63, and 79 licenses.

Joined Vistage 2026

Eric Schweinfurter

CEO - Apex Contracting and Restoration

Apex Contracting & Restoration, Inc. opened for business in 2003 with 5 employees with a vision of improving the level of restoration services offered in the San Diego area. Their passion for excellent work and honesty propelled Apex’s growth, allowing them to reach over $5 million in sales by the end of 2006.

As their reputation has grown, so has their ability to serve our customers. Apex now employs more than 55 people and has performed work all over the state of California. Their range of services has grown from restoration services and general contracting to include 24-hour emergency response services for flood and fire; mold remediation; tenant improvements and remodels; new construction; destructive testing and litigation support.

As the continue to grow, Apex is continually mindful of the fact that they achieved such great success in such a short period of time due largely to their dedication to providing the best value to their customers. It is their vision to become the premier contracting, restoration and emergency services company in Southern California, and they believe that their team and philosophy will allow them to achieve that goal.

Joined Vistage 2007

Jim Holcomb

CEO - RotoCo

Jim founded RotoCo in 1974 with a $1,000 loan to equip his van and began operating out of Hemet, CA. From this simple beginning, Jim has grown the company to be the largest Roto-Rooter franchise in the world. Today, RotoCo operates in San Diego, Santa Barbara and Sacramento counties along with both the Inland Empire and the Central Valley. These rapidly growing areas in California create great opportunities both for the company and the employees. RotoCo prides themselves on leveraging the Roto-Rooter national brand and couples that with the benefits of working with a family business. RotoCo continually invests in its people and its equipment to offer best-in-class services to both commercial and residential property owners throughout California.

Joined Vistage in 2003

Daniel E. Gardenswartz

Partner - Solomon Ward Seidenwurm & Smith LLP

Daniel Gardenswartz moved to San Diego in 1993 and has been a partner at Solomon Ward since 2001. He represents businesses and individuals in employment, business, and construction litigation, including complex class action trials and business disputes. Mr. Gardenswartz regularly advises senior executives and in-house counsel on dispute prevention and how to build the strongest possible case. He also provides a variety of legal seminars on topics within his area of expertise.

Mr. Gardenswartz received his undergraduate degree in International Affairs from George Washington University’s Elliot School of International Affairs, where he graduated with distinction and was admitted into the Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society. He then earned his Juris Doctorate degree, with Highest Distinction, from Emory University School of Law.

Beyond his professional interests, Mr. Gardenswartz and his wife, Allison, have three children. In addition to spending time with his family, he is an avid athlete and enjoys skiing, mountain biking, and endurance trail races.