Leadership team

Richard Linder, MBA

Richard is the Founder and CEO of Linder Labs. His passion for working with people and products that improve lives, support the environment, and enhance the economy led him to launch his own Family Office to invest in companies that align with his aims. Richard was the first person in his family to go to college, where he graduated with honors from Missouri State University and moved shortly afterward to Switzerland after earning his CPA and CMA.  Richard was rapidly promoted to Sr. Manager within KPMG in Zurich, Switzerland where he was tapped for marketing, business development and to help start and lead a Mergers and Acquisitions Practice.  Richard’s early career was focused in the Energy and Global Consumer Products industries.   Richard started his own firm and worked on successful entrepreneurial endeavors in Europe and the Middle East prior to attending Harvard.   While pursuing his MBA at Harvard, he was awarded a grant from the university to study the purchasing behaviors and preferences of baby boomers. This study focused specifically on brand recognition and the technology of companies that solve health-related issues. His work on that study, under professor Nancy Koehn, combined with his care-taking for his grandmother, sparked his passion for health and wellness, not from a purely product standpoint but rather from the view that through education, training, and products that work one can improve countless lives.  After graduating from Harvard, Richard worked in Economic Development leading a group toward creating jobs in concert with the Michael Porter Institute.  During this fellowship, Richard participated and created activities to help race relations.   Richard believes that everyone has more potential than they realize and this insight comes from seeing so much disenfranchised talent in small towns, and during his humble beginnings, and in the urban environments where he has served.  Richard uses his entrepreneurial talent to create solutions on the ground and to unlock human potential, enhance experiences and build connections that in-turn improve peoples’ lives.  He brought that passion to Physician Care Alliance, LLC, “PCA SKIN”,  which he founded and where he served as CEO and later Chairman of the Board before its sale to Colgate-Palmolive in 2018.   Richard further expresses his values for health, women’s rights, creativity, and inclusion via his giving through his Linder Family Foundation.

Jennifer Linder, MD

Jennifer Linder, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and a fellowship-trained skin cancer surgeon using the Mohs micrographic technique. She holds a clinical faculty position in the Department of Dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco, instructing other dermatologists in skin cancer surgery and the use of cosmetic injectables. Dr. Linder served as Chief Scientific Officer for PCA SKIN, guiding all product development and clinical trials for the company. In addition to having practices in both San Francisco and Scottsdale, Dr. Linder is a published author and renowned speaker on dermatology, aesthetics, and cosmetic procedures. The formally-trained biomedical engineer and chemist graduated from the Washington University Medical School. She completed a surgical internship at the University of Pennsylvania, followed by a three-year dermatology residency at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Dr. Linder pursues her passion for art, nature, women’s rights by being an active business builder and donor to the causes she values. She is board certified and has a medical license in Hawaii, California, Wyoming, and Arizona.

Lane LaMure, PhD, MBA

Lane LaMure has over 19 years of public and private investment experience and serves as the Chief Investment Officer for Linder Labs. Lane has held executive and partner positions with A-Rod Corp and was Founder and CIO of Enlight Capital Advisors, a private investment advisor to high net worth individuals and family offices. Early in his career, Lane served as Managing Director at Attara Capital, where he was responsible for real estate and real estate-related securities. Prior to joining Attara in 2009, Mr. LaMure also worked with Atticus Capital and UBS/Paine Webber Real Estate Fund. Mr. LaMure holds an MA and PhD degrees in Government from Harvard University, an MBA from the Harvard Business School, and BA and MA degrees in Political Science from Emory University.

Chris Stakich

Chris is CEO of Health Academy.  For the past decade, Chris served as the CEO and Chairman of the Board for Rustic Pathways.  During his tenure, Chris drove the company from $500K in revenue to over $35M in revenue by developing a strategy, building a sales and marketing team, and creating more efficiency in product development and delivery.  Under his leadership, Rustic Pathways won "Best Student Tour Operator in the World" multiple years in a row and Outside Magazine's "Top 50 Places to Work in America".  Chris was also the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Thinking Beyond Borders, Co-Founder of the USA Gap Year Fairs, and Board Member of Thrival Academies, The Rustic Pathways Foundation, and University School.  Chris has also served as a Board Advisor for Global Citizen Year, Remote Travel, Lifestyle Rewired, and Trip Weave.  Chris is committed to developing future leaders who embody compassion, global understanding, and a healthy lifestyle.  Chris holds a BA in Economics from Harvard University.

Ivana Veljkovic, PhD

Ivana Veljkovic serves as the Chief Scientific Officer for Linder Labs and is an industry leader in research and development, specializing in personal care products that sell in discerning, highly competitive global markets. In addition to possessing the technical expertise that it takes to develop cutting-edge, scientifically sound products, she has also held multiple research positions in Canada, Germany and Serbia. With extensive experience in public speaking, education, and sales and customer service, she also has excellent business skills. A published author and world-renowned expert in topical products and skin disease pathology, Dr. Veljkovic is the former Vice President of R&D for two Colgate-Palmolive brands, PCA SKIN and EltaMD. Prior to joining Linder Labs, Dr. Veljkovic worked alongside her husband running their family business, SafeTee Clean, which specializes in the development of safe and effective cleaning products. She holds a PhD in Organic Chemistry from Freie Universitat Berlin and a BS in Chemistry from the University of Belgrade.

Danae Markland

Danae serves as COO for Linder Labs. She has an insatiable appetite for learning and masterfully shares her expertise. A licensed aesthetician and certified medical laser technician, she began her career at PCA Skin. Her primary interests lie in skin physiology, advanced aesthetic treatments, product development, and education. She has published numerous skincare articles and is frequently quoted as an industry expert by national media outlets, including Women's Wear Daily, Men's Health, NewBeauty, and Shape. Her true passion, though, is education, creating coursework and presentations for health and wellness practitioners, aestheticians, and medical professionals alike. Danae is often a featured presenter at seminars, trainings, and industry events the world over. Prior to joining Linder Labs, she started her own consulting firm working with physicians and healthcare companies. Danae’s nearly 20-year health and wellness career has included positions in research & development, international education, and executive leadership roles in education, sales, key accounts, and business development. Danae was selected for the Linder Labs team due to her deep love of helping others unlock their potential and her insatiable thirst for knowledge. She applies her philosophy of continuous improvement to the teams she supports and in her own personal life.

Neetu Ahluwalia, MD

Dr. Ahluwalia, MD, (AKA Dr. A), has a passion for helping people. He takes his rigorous training, combines it with eastern traditions, nutrition, and athletics and, creates a unique menu of options for each client. Dr. A focuses on optimizing performance and is sought after by professional athletes, executives, entertainers, and people aspiring to be their best. Dr. A believes in an integrative approach to treating each client with a focus on optimizing the performance of your mind, body, and soul. He opened his practice in 2008 and has welcomed thousands of clients. Dr. A is a Stanford-trained, board-certified Anesthesiologist and Pain Management specialist. He was faculty for ten years at the Stanford University School of Medicine and taught numerous medical students, residents, and fellows. He has received awards for excellence, research, and citizenship.

Christopher P. McCrory, MBA

Chris currently serves as a Partner for Marigny Corvidae Solutions, a strategic and management consulting firm. Previously, he worked as PCA Skin’s COO, CFO and Brand Oversight Director. Chris’s work at PCA was vital to its growth. In addition, PCA earned its way onto consecutive Inc. 500/5000 lists. Prior to his successful turn at PCA, Chris spent four years as the Director of Professional and Public Education for the Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency (LOPA). Chris served multiple roles in his more than seven years with Sazerac Company, Inc., a wine and spirits supplier, holding positions as Brand Manager, Brand Director and Director of Value Chain Management, where he oversaw the company’s entire supply chain. Chris holds a BA in Mass Communication from Loyola University, New Orleans, and received his MBA from the University of Kentucky.

John Travers, MD, MBA

Dr. Travers is a proven business leader. As an honors engineering graduate, he worked at Shell International, commercializing technology for worldwide energy markets. After an MBA at Harvard Business School, he joined McKinsey management consultants. He then founded and was CEO of a successful clean energy business, AER. He launched and ran AERbio, a clean biotech business which he sold, and then built a third company in diversified clean energy with DCC plc, which continues to grow. Dr. Travers also studied medicine and graduated with honors. He works as a physician with special interests in health, wellness, and resilience. He is chairman of the non-profit counseling organization, MyMind.org, has written two books and over 25 peer-reviewed medical publications. He is passionate about family, friends, sports, and building impactful enterprises.

Noah Robertson

Noah Robertson has over 20 years of experience creating and managing consumer brands. Noah was an original team member of a brand called Cloudveil, which specializes in innovative technical apparel. Building brand strategy and distribution infrastructure led Noah to take a position working with the Swiss brand Mammut Sports Group. While recognized in Europe as a leading Climbing and Ski brand, Mammut had not penetrated the US market impactfully. Working directly with the CEO, Noah built sales teams, innovative marketing strategies, and product directives to specifically address the US market. Noah’s entrepreneurial creativity drove him to write a business plan for a mountain lifestyle brand called Mountain Khakis, which he co-founded in 2004. Noah built the sales distribution strategies in both the wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels. He held roles as the Director of Sales, Director of Design and Development, and built the entire global supply chain to support the business’s demands. Noah received his B.A. from Ohio Wesleyan University and has a truly unique expertise in brand vision, value-driven culture, social and environmental awareness, and understanding of raising capital to support founder-led companies.