Leading the Work

Brian Allman is a serial entrepreneur, operator, and team builder with more than three decades of experience launching and scaling ventures across entertainment, mobility, and technology.

His work has ranged from building companies like RYDEthere, an event transportation network, to Sweet Spot Golf, one of the first online communities for women’s golf. He was also a founding partner of Monte De Oro Winery in Temecula, an early entrant in what is now one of California’s fastest-growing wine regions, where he served on the board for 14 years. He has helped develop EV charging infrastructure, supported emerging mobility platforms like LyteHorse, and co-created a national teen driver safety program that reached more than 35,000 young drivers. He also launched SkiddyKids, an early COPPA-compliant social and gaming platform designed specifically for pre-teen girls.

What connects his work is a focus on building things that matter — and building teams that can actually execute.

Today, Brian is focused on the Coachella Valley. As Founding Partner of CVIA (Coachella Valley Innovation Alliance), he is working to connect the people building businesses across the region — from emerging founders to established operators — and help shape a more visible, coordinated, and opportunity-driven local economy.

He is especially committed to creating environments where people can see what’s possible — and step into it.

Advisory & Civic Work

Brian serves as a board member and advisor to both for-profit and nonprofit organizations focused on innovation, healthcare, and economic equity. His work includes PRIVO Privacy Trust, TipTags, NewsPrime, and the BBOP Center. He is also active with Democrats of the Desert and has supported advocacy efforts with Genentech and ICAN Cancer Advocacy.

A cancer survivor, Brian brings a clear sense of purpose to his work — grounded in resilience, perspective, and a belief in showing up for others.

His proudest role remains being a father to his two sons in Los Angeles.

Growth-focused senior executive, serial entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, CEO coach, fractional CxO, and strategist with an extensive track record of building organizations, revenue streams, and measurable impact across business, startup/scaleup, and nonprofit sectors:

Successfully led business development in the healthy meals and education technology sectors • Headed innovative education-focused organizations • Built multiple businessesas a private sector serial entrepreneur • Developed revenue streams, partnerships, strategy, programs, teams, and organizations as a senior executive, board member, and sought-after consultant, advisor, and mentor • Helped organizations scale sustainably while moving from good to great • Adjunct Professor at University of San Francisco Graduate School of Business • Y Combinator graduate and mentor at Miller Center for Global Impact at Santa Clara University, as well as Office of Technology Transfer at University of California Riverside, FoundersBoost, and other accelerator programs.

In terms of consulting, James served as Managing Partner at the consulting firm Schaffer&Combs, Partner at Jackson Hole Group, and began his career at McKinsey & Company.  He has also been a senior leader at two venture-backed B Corp companies, Revolution Foods and AltSchool. Previously, James helped lead BizWorld and Junior Statesmen, two experiential education nonprofits. A graduate of Princeton University, James ran his own multi-million-dollar import/retail business early in his career. James is also a cofounder of Knowmia, an award-winning Y Combinator education technology company, and serves as a board member for a variety of for profit and nonprofit organizations.  A graduate of Princeton University, James lives in the Coachella Valley area of Southern California.

Mihai Patru is the Executive Director of Blue Zones Project Palm Springs, where he leads city wide efforts to advance health, well-being, and community resilience through cross-sector partnerships and systems-level change.

A former career diplomat turned social entrepreneur, Mihai brings over a decade of experience in inclusive economic development, entrepreneurship education, and ecosystem building. Prior to joining Blue Zones in October 2025, he co-founded and led Caravanserai – Alliance for Entrepreneurs, a regional 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supported thousands of California under-resourced and minority entrepreneurs in accessing capital and building sustainable businesses. Under his leadership, the organization grew into a leading technical assistance provider in Southern California, managing over $2 million in programming.

Mihai has held academic and advisory roles as Entrepreneur in Residence and Senior Fellow at the University of California, Riverside, and as a Senior Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at Johns Hopkins SAIS. In 2022, he was appointed by the Governor of California to the state’s Entrepreneurship and Economic Mobility Task Force.

His expertise spans startup ecosystem development, social innovation, small business growth, and the design of collaborative models that drive regional impact. He holds graduate degrees from the University of Bucharest, Central European University, and Johns Hopkins SAIS, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Leadership for Educational Justice at the University of Redlands.

A Palm Springs resident since 2020, Mihai is committed to building inclusive, locally rooted solutions that strengthen communities and expand economic opportunity.