Presenters

Vipe Desai is a board executive, business strategist and philanthropist where he applies more than three decades of experience in launching disruptive brands, brand building and cause-marketing strategies for both for-profit and nonprofits. 

In the early ’90s, Desai created the H2O Winter Classic, a two-day surf and snowboard competition with a concert that went on to inspire the creation of the Warped Tour and X Games. In the late ’90s, he helped launch Red Bull in the U.S. Desai has been called upon by numerous brands, CEOs and even social campaigns to advise on branding, marketing and turn-around strategies which included creating a collaboration for Partnership for a Healthier America chaired by First Lady Michelle Obama.

As executive director of the Surf Industry Members Association (SIMA), Desai is focusing on working with leading surf brands and retailers in growing the sport of surfing and also supporting the governing bodies in preparation of surfing making its third appearance at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.