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 

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. Tom operates several businesses, including quality control, manufacturing, dunnage, warehousing, and fulfillment located between New York and Tennessee.

QSG Technologies, Inc., Tom's ISO-Certified factory since 2006, is responsible for the manufacture and fulfillment of the complete Oro Sports product line. 

VAN DIBERNARDO, Designer

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. 

Van is a graduate of FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) and Buffalo State University, where he studied design. Van's career began in New York at Unisa Shoes, where he was responsible for the design and prototype of women's shoe collections.

Van later joined the upscale DKNY fashion brand (Donna Karan) brand, where in addition to the design of women's shoes, he traveled to Spain, Italy, France, and Brasil to oversee the prototype and production of new designs.

STEPHANIE RICHARDS, Business Development

Stephanie is an avid tennis player who plays every chance she can get. 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 Business Development 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. These diverse skills are critical towards building a game-changing brand.