From 1985 to 2001, Mr. Brigham served as fourth generation President and CEO of Diagraph Corporation, a   manufacturer of industrial bar coding and product identification systems, which the family successfully grew and subsequently sold in 2001 to Illinois Tool Works, Inc. (NYSE ITW). He served as Chairman of the New York City Public Development Corporation from 1981 to 1985, and Budget Director of New York City from 1978 to 1981, during which time he successfully guided the city out of near bankruptcy. Jim began his career with J.P. Morgan & Company in corporate finance from 1969 to 1978. 

From 2003 to 2009, Jim was a partner at Healthpoint Capital of New York, a private equity firm exclusively focused on the orthopedic and dental device markets where he served as Managing Director and operating partner.  He was CEO of a portfolio company Bio-Lok International, Inc., a dental implant manufacturer that combined with HPC’s platform dental company BioHorizons Implant Systems, Inc., which ultimately was sold to Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq HSIC). 

Mr.  Brigham also is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vertebral Technologies, Inc. of Minneapolis. He is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Nest (www.buildanest.org), a non-profit that works with artisan businesses and advises major brands on global supply chain compliance. He is past President of the Board of North Side Community School, a highly successful charter school in St. Louis. He has served on the boards of numerous charitable organizations in New York and St. Louis. 

Jim received his Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Duke University and a Master of Business Administration in finance and economics from the University of Chicago. 

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Prior to co-founding Warson in 1994, Mike served as CEO of turn-around companies and start-up companies including one for which he completed an IPO.  He served as Executive Vice President and CFO of Landmark Bancshares Corporation, a $2.5 billion St. Louis bank with 50 locations for eleven years and then concluded the successful merger of Landmark with another St. Louis bank to form the region’s third largest banking group at that time, all now part of Regions Bank. During his tenure, Mike directed strategic expansion activities that grew Landmark from assets of $300 million to $2.5 billion, and directed capital formation programs that raised more than $100 million to support expansion, listing Landmark’s stock on the American Stock Exchange and later on the New York Stock Exchange.

Mike is a certified public accountant and began his career in practice for ten years with the St. Louis office of KPMG, an international public accounting firm. He has served on the boards of directors of several privately held companies, and presently serves as a director of PALM Integrative Health, LLC. He has been involved in community service organizations as well as civic matters within the City of Frontenac, Missouri. Mike received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Missouri – Columbia.

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Lori has served as President of Frontenac Builders, a custom home builder specializing in the development and construction of luxury homes in upscale neighborhoods of St. Louis County, since co-founding that company in 2002. She is responsible for the company’s overall financial and operational activities, including sales and marketing, administration and operations, contracts, construction budgets and timelines, and participates in project design and specification.

While serving as Partner of Warson Capital Partners and President of Frontenac Builders, Lori served as Executive Director of the Fair St. Louis Foundation from September 2013 to September 2014, leading a team of approximately 2,000 employees, subcontractors, vendors, volunteers, and national and local government agencies in successfully planning, coordinating, and managing the Fair’s historic move to Forest Park from its 34-year location under the St. Louis Arch. Lori oversaw all aspects of Fair Saint Louis including sponsorship and fund raising   , budgeting, operations, programming, and staffing, as well as representing the Fair in the media. Lori earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from Southeast Missouri State University.

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Since 2002, Jim has operated InnoVentures, a consulting firm he established to provide strategic planning, product development and capital strategies for growing companies. InnoVentures’ services include roles as advisor, founder, director and investment banker, including Founding President and CEO of Nawgan Products, Director of Clayton Capital Partners, Chairman of D.D.S. Technologies USA, founding member of the St. Louis Arch Angels, strategic planning and product design services for Ainsworth Pet Products, product design services for Wal-Mart, and strategic planning services for The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and The St. Louis Symphony. As a consultant, Jim has contributed to the creation of more than $800 million in new products.

Jim served in key leadership positions with Ralston Purina Company (now Nestle Purina) from 1981 through 2002. As Executive Vice President for Global Research & Development and Business Development (1996-2002) his global business development efforts included strategic acquisitions for the Pet Products Division. In this role he also led worldwide R&D including 165 professionals in five locations across three continents, and served on the senior management team as one of four EVPs of the Company. Prior to this position, Jim served as Executive Vice President for Pet Food Marketing and Research & Development, with responsibility for all domestic product management activities, R&D and marketing research for the Pet Products Group, providing $2 billion in sales, $300 in operating profit and $300 million in marketing spending.

Jim shares his time and talents with a variety of industry, academic and not-for profit institutions including serving as Chairman of the Pet Food Institute, Director and Vice President of the Humane Society of Missouri, member of the Foundation Board of Trustees of the St. Louis Zoo, Board Member of the Center for Business Ethics at St. Louis University, Board Member of the Central Institute for the Deaf at Washington University, Chairman of the Friends Society at the Danforth Plant Science Center, Board Member of iTen in St Louis, and Vice Chairman of St. Louis Altenheim.

Jim holds a BS from Drake University, and an MSJ from Northwestern University.

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