Leadership

Oro Sports + Safety begins with its original founders, who share the same passion for customer-first service, high quality products, and changing lives for the better. 

LUANNE DIBERNARDO, Co-founder + CEO 

Luanne is grateful for the Pickleball addiction that replaced her unfounded dream of becoming an Olympic Sprinter. 

A former filmmaker, copywriter, and agency founder, Luanne started her cooling journey in 2008 with brother, Van, a designer with heat intolerance due to a chronic condition. Together, they developed the first lifestyle cooling vest, which launched their first company in 2010 - 2019.  

In early 2020, Luanne partnered with Tom Burns to launch Oro Sports USA, Inc. Since then they have introduced four new cooling wearables aimed at thermoregulation.  

TOM BURNS, Co-Founder + Manufacturing

Tom is a lifelong rugby player and wrestling coach who starts his mornings with Crossfit and finishes most days with kickboxing. He is the father of two wrestlers and a former Division 1 soccer player.

Tom has a Masters in Mechanical Engineering, an undergrad in Physics, and is a serial entrepreneur. He is the founder of QSG Technologies, Inc., an ISO Certified manufacturer since 2006. In addition to Oro Sports, Tom's other businesses provide quality control, dunnage, warehousing, packaging, and fulfillment.

VAN DIBERNARDO, Designer + MS Warrior

No one would ever accuse Van of being an athlete. But If gold medals were given out for selfless acts of kindness, Van would be an Olympian. 

A graduate of FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) and Buffalo State University, Van started his design career with Unisa Shoes in New York and Miami. There he developed and designed shoes for the popular women's shoe brand.  

Van later joined DKNY (Donna Karan), where he designed women's shoes. His work took him Spain, Italy, France, and Brasil, where prototypes went into production. 

STEPHANIE RICHARDS, Sales & Operations

Stephanie is an avid tennis player who is on the court every chance she gets. A true outdoors-person, her previous experiences with heat stroke led to an understanding of thermoregulation. Stephanie and Misha, her fur baby, are never far from a cooling source. 

Stephanie joined Oro Sports in 2023 as Operations Manager. Her diverse career in product management, supply chain management, and consumer research for global brands is enhanced by her degree in Creative Problem Solving. Her diverse skills are key towards building a game-changing brand.