Chris Ripley is an entrepreneur, aviator, and jurist with three decades of experience building, scaling, and exiting businesses across technology, manufacturing, and services. He has profitably exited four companies and founded two that grew to over $160M in enterprise value.

Ripley holds multiple issued patents spanning computer science, data science, data aggregation, advanced materials science, and novel manufacturing processes. His IP portfolio covers more than 300 protected claims and has been successfully commercialized across industries.

In his early career, Ripley drove innovation in the paint manufacturing sector, developing recycling and reformulation systems ultimately acquired by Sherwin-Williams and RPM International. He later co-founded Conversion Associates, where he built pioneering internet advertising technologies, including call-tracking and customizable conversion dashboards that predated Google AdSense. During this period, he also led e-commerce initiatives using Magento and delivered advanced CRM integration with custom Salesforce designs, combining technical execution with operational scale.

Ripley went on to found Smarter Sorting, where he applied machine learning and data automation to regulatory compliance and retail operations. The company partnered with leading national retailers, including Albertsons and Costco, bringing large-scale efficiency to the management of regulated and hazardous products.

Drawing on his extensive background in NVCA startup law and venture finance, Ripley has served as a jurist in structuring, negotiating, and guiding growth-stage companies. Today, as Partner of Blue Collar Capital, he leverages this unique blend of operational expertise, intellectual property, and legal acumen to generate durable returns in minority-owned small business acquisitions.