Management Team
TrashCo (the company behind Flings) is led by an accomplished management team. We have over 100 years of cumulative experience across functional areas including marketing, technology, finance, general management and law; companies ranging from Fortune 50 to raw startups; and geography spanning over one dozen countries.
John T. Funk - President
John has been a serial entrepreneur for the past decade (three companies launched; over $500M in value creation for shareholders) and is a proven leader in start-up environments. John has raised over $30 million in venture capital over the years and has experience with both private equity investors, corporate investors, and M&A. John has recruited senior management to each of his prior companies and has been working on various aspects of the TrashCo products for the past several years. John received his MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, graduated cum laude from Northwestern School of Law (concentration in IP law), and received his BA from Northwestern University.
W. David Bayless - VP, Finance & Operations
Dave has extensive experience supporting entrepreneurs as a lender, private equity investor, and strategic advisor. In the past, Dave was actively involved in the launch or reorganization of numerous businesses including PrintingForLess.com (a former member of the Inc. 500), RightNow Technologies (NASDAQ: RNOW), and Quris. Dave was a principal of Hoak Capital Corporation (the general partner of Cypress Capital Partners), a Dallas-based private equity firm. Prior to that, he was involved with the leveraged buyout and buildup activities of Citicorp in Dallas and Continental Bank in Chicago. Dave has a background in product design and development and manages our initial manufacturing center, heads up planning for our outsourced manufacturing for scale up phase, and manages all aspects of finance and administration for the company. Dave received a BS with highest honors from Montana State University and an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.
Vandy Van Wagener - VP, Sales & Marketing
Vandy has 30 years of diverse experience in marketing, general management, and new products. His experience and network have been built from working for Procter & Gamble for 22 years (ultimately as a Vice President in their Asia Pacific operations), followed by stints as CEO of multiple tech/service startups, and director of, or advisor to, several consumer-oriented firms. Vandy received his MBA with distinction from the Tuck School at Dartmouth and graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College.
Kirsten Augustad de Molina - Director, Supply Chain & Logistics
Kirsten has over 15 years of supply chain and operational experience with multi-million dollar component and contract manufacturing on a global basis. She has led and managed purchasing, product development, logistics & operational functions in various CPG environments for both branded and private label endeavors. Kirsten has a passion for finding uncharted waters and translating vision to operational reality. Her experience spans food products to chemicals to e-commerce. She has had broad-reaching experience in Global Purchasing with Proligo, a fine chemicals division of Degussa – the world’s largest producer of specialty chemicals. She has worked as Director of Global Sourcing for Orange Glo International, the makers of OxiCleanTM and KaboomTM brand products, and most recently with e-commerce darling eBags.com. Kirsten received her BA in International Affairs from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Alexandr Khizver - Director of Finance
Alex has over 20 years of experience in financial operations and management. He has held various executive positions, including CFO, and successfully driven business performance by integrating financial information and information technology into the strategic decision-making process. Alex’s expertise has supported the growth of private companies in a variety of industries, including retail, manufacturing, and distribution. Most recently Alex led a due diligence process resulting in a successful private equity buy-out. Throughout his career, Alex has specialized in the design and implementation of automated systems and interfaces to reduce costs and gain efficiencies through the elimination of manual processes. Alex earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree, major in Accounting, from the University of Manitoba, Canada. He is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), a globally recognized designation sponsored by the Society of Management Accountants of Canada.
Kirsten T. Nordstrom - Director of Marketing
Kirsten brings a broad range of consumer product experience. She started her career at Johnson & Johnson where she developed new brands, integrated and grew acquisitions and developed an eye for meeting consumer needs. Most recently Kirsten was Director of Marketing for Orange Glo International where she led the growth of the OxiClean brand from an infomercial business to the number one product in the category. Kirsten received her MBA from The Johnson School of Management at Cornell University and received her BA from The University of Vermont.
