David A. Arias

David Arias is the former President and majority owner of Swimways Corporation. Swimways designs, manufactures and distributes toys, games, and sporting goods for the pool, beach, and backyard. Based in Virginia Beach, Swimways products are sold through retail accounts around the world. Swimways maintained a compounded annual growth rate of over 12% for 24 years. Swimways was recognized as vendor of the year by Toys R US, Walmart and 3 times in 8 years by Target Stores. The company also received the 2016 Operation Smile Global Corporate Humanitarian award. Over the years, Swimways was recognized several times as one of the best places to work in Hampton Roads, Virginia and in Virginia by Virginia Business magazine. In 2016, Swimways was sold to a Canadian public company.

David and his wife Valerie have started a new company, Pull Start Fire. Pull Start Fire manufactures and sells an innovative way to start a campfire in 5 seconds.

David is the former Rector of the Eastern Virginia Medical School Board of Visitors and the former Board Chair of the United Way of South Hampton Roads. He is serving or has served on the boards of United Way, the Virginia Aquarium, Heritage Bank, Saint Margaret’s School, the Virginia Foundation of Independent Colleges, and the Hampton Roads Regional Advisory Board of Southern Bank. Professionally, he is a member of the Young President’s Organization and the Toy Industry Association.

David holds a BA in Economics and Spanish from Hampden-Sydney College and an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. He and his wife, Valerie, have three children.