Chris Marlin

Chris Marlin currently serves as Vice President at Venture First, a position held since April 2025. Prior to this role, Chris held multiple Vice President positions in Strategy and Operations across various companies, including Telsón Tequila, Nacho Daddy, and El Patriota Distillery from February 2023 to April 2025. Chris's extensive experience at Zappos Family of Companies from December 2007 to April 2022 includes roles as Senior Director and Chief Operating Officer for VRSNL, Concepts International, and Zappos Merchandising, along with experience as Director and Senior Manager for 6pm.com. Earlier, Chris worked as a Small Business Development Consultant with the U.S. Peace Corps in partnership with Proyecto Araucaria, focusing on business support in tourism and agriculture from May 2004 to February 2007. Chris holds a BS in Finance with an International Business Minor from the University of Louisville and a certificate in Mergers and Acquisitions from Columbia Business School.