CHESTER ALDRIDGE
Chairman & CEO
Chester Aldridge is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of US Equity Holdings. Through US Equity Holdings, Chester incubates, finances, and manages numerous ventures across the entertainment, software, healthcare, renewable energy, basic materials, and transportation industries.
BACKGROUND
Chester brings over 25 years of experience in founding, scaling, and operating businesses ranging from start-ups to multi-million-dollar publicly traded companies. His career highlights include raising more than $250 million in private equity as a founder of multiple ventures; establishing collaborations with leading research and development institutions such as the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, NASA, and Fraunhofer; securing sales and distribution deals worth tens of millions of dollars with partners including Sony, Atari, and Vivendi Universal; and licensing major Hollywood properties, from Disney brands to Frank Miller’s Sin City and MTV’s Jackass.
BIOMEDICAL
Chester is the Co-Founder and Chairman of Aelan Cell Technologies, a biotechnology company focused on the research, discovery, development, and commercialization of breakthrough biomedical technologies that promote human health and longevity. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, Aelan is guided by a world-class team of scientists and business leaders under the direction of Dr. Victoria Lunyak. The company has developed a robust intellectual property portfolio spanning both diagnostics and cell therapy and continues to forge strategic partnerships with organizations that share its mission of advancing and extending human life.
BIOTECHNOLOGY
Chester was the Co-Founder and a member of the Board of Directors of Mount Tam Biotechnologies, a biopharmaceutical company formed on World Lupus Day in 2014. Mount Tam was established to develop, optimize, and commercialize breakthrough medical compounds that improve the health and well-being of people affected by autoimmune diseases. The company’s lead program focuses on a novel therapeutic for lupus.
Mount Tam Biotechnologies collaborates closely with the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, one of the world’s leading centers for biomedical innovation. Through an exclusive worldwide licensing and collaboration agreement with the Buck Institute, Mount Tam has access to the Institute’s most advanced R&D assets in the field of autoimmune disorders. This agreement includes TAM-01, a pre-IND stage compound representing a promising therapeutic candidate for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the most common form of lupus, as well as additional early-stage compounds and a broad library of assets targeting autoimmune diseases.
The licensed portfolio is supported by an extensive intellectual property estate comprising more than 45 issued patents and patent applications worldwide, covering composition-of-matter, manufacturing, and therapeutic-area applications.
Chester has served, or currently serves, as a Strategic Advisor to the following companies:
Credence MedSystems is a pharma services and drug delivery company that has redefined how drug manufacturers commercialize injectable therapies through differentiated delivery systems. The company is an industry-recognized, award-winning innovator in injectable drug delivery devices for pharmaceutical and biotechnology manufacturers. Its broad portfolio of delivery platforms, protected by a robust intellectual property estate, addresses the evolving needs of the biopharmaceutical industry.
Credence’s flagship product, the Credence Companion® Safety Syringe System, has changed the paradigm for commercializing injectable drugs by enabling Innovation Without Change™: a differentiated safety delivery platform that enhances end-user safety while simplifying the path to commercialization for pharmaceutical partners. This strategy allows biopharma companies to deliver an improved user experience while minimizing implementation hurdles. Credence’s systems are built upon proven pre-filled syringes and components, enabling manufacturers to achieve marketable differentiation and cost-of-ownership advantages while preserving existing processes, sourcing preferences, and validated systems.
The company is led by a seasoned management team with deep experience in founding, leading, and scaling successful medical technology and drug delivery ventures. Credence MedSystems has received a strategic investment from Novartis, maintains strategic collaborations with SCHOTT AG, and has been awarded grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, recognizing its innovation and contributions to global health.
Cure Pharmaceutical is a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced oral thin film technology (CureFilm®) with an industry-leading, full-service cGMP manufacturing facility. The company offers state-of-the-art development and production of pharmaceutical and veterinary products using its patented and proprietary CureFilm® drug delivery system.
In addition to its flagship CureFilm® technology, Cure Pharmaceutical has developed a diverse portfolio of innovative delivery platforms, including sublingual and transdermal applications. The company’s team brings extensive expertise in formulating and manufacturing over-the-counter (OTC) products, prescription pharmaceuticals, and veterinary medications maintaining an unwavering commitment to quality, safety, and service. This dedication has earned CURE the trust and respect of partners and customers worldwide.
Prosetta Biosciences is a San Francisco–based biotechnology company developing innovative therapeutics for a broad range of diseases. The company’s research focuses on discovering and advancing novel small molecules that modulate the assembly of multi-protein complexes within cells.
The Prosetta Platform has been successfully applied to both infectious and degenerative diseases, representing a transformative approach to medicine. Unlike most conventional drugs, Prosetta’s assembly modulators work in concert with the body’s own regulatory mechanisms, providing a novel strategy for restoring molecular homeostasis and addressing disease at its source.
Akonni Biosystems, based in Frederick, Maryland, is a molecular diagnostics (MDx) company that develops, manufactures, and markets fully integrated molecular diagnostic systems. Strategically located near Fort Detrick, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Akonni operates a state-of-the-art, 20,000-square-foot manufacturing facility dedicated to advancing molecular testing technologies and improving global healthcare outcomes.
PuraCath Medical is dedicated to improving the speed and efficacy of catheter connection disinfection, enhancing quality of life for both patients and healthcare providers. The company’s novel, easy-to-use technology helps keep patients healthy and protected from infection while reducing dependence on user compliance. PuraCath Medical aims to become a global leader in connection disinfection technology and to establish a new standard of care in infection prevention.
FINANCE
Chester serves as a trusted Strategic Advisor and partner to one of Canada’s largest family offices, where he guides investment strategy, sources and evaluates opportunities, and executes across private equity, venture capital, real estate, and alternative assets. His work focuses on aligning capital deployment with the family’s values and long-term objectives, ensuring that each investment supports sustainable growth and multi-generational wealth preservation.
TECHNOLOGY
Chester is the Chief Evangelist for DataShapes AI. The DataShapes AI technology was developed in an incubator funded by Carl Berg, a self-made American businessman and venture capitalist who has been included in Forbes magazine's list of the 400 richest people in America numerous times. The platform is the result of ten years of research and investment of over $18 million. Later Carl's venture firm lead a $5 million investment for its commercialization.
The DataShapes AI team has created and patented first-in-class AI that automates radio frequency intelligence, enabling warfighters to control the battle of the spectrum no matter where it’s fought.
Built by experts in cyber, signals, and AI, our technology provides extraordinarily efficient self-learning capabilities that deliver highly accurate spectrum intelligence in an extremely versatile, serverless, low-SWaP-C package.
Chester is the Co-Founder of PV Tech Group, a company that provides a comprehensive range of services to photovoltaic (PV) manufacturers, including full-scale integration of PV manufacturing facilities spanning wafers, cells, and modules as well as strategic planning, technical evaluation, process optimization, and project management.
With deep expertise in PV process technology, manufacturing equipment, and operational infrastructure, the PV Tech Group team has designed and installed advanced systems across the globe, including in Greece, Russia, Spain, and North America. The company’s clients include CH2M Hill, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), TransCanada, and GT Advanced Technologies.
Chester is a founding sponsor of the Fraunhofer TechBridge Program, operated by the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (Fraunhofer CSE) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Fraunhofer, Europe’s largest application-oriented research organization, works in close collaboration with leading scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to advance innovation in clean energy technologies.
The TechBridge Program was established by Fraunhofer CSE to accelerate the development and commercialization of innovative clean technologies. TechBridge provides an open innovation and technology validation platform for investors and industry sponsors, helping to identify and de-risk promising technologies by leveraging the extensive resources of Fraunhofer CSE, the greater Fraunhofer network, and the Fraunhofer Energy Alliance. Through this collaborative approach, the program bridges the gap between scientific research and commercial deployment supporting breakthrough clean energy ventures and driving sustainable innovation.
Chester Aldridge was the Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Equity Solar, a company dedicated to advancing photovoltaic technology through innovative material science. Equity Solar developed proprietary chemistries that enhanced the efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) cells, helping manufacturers increase energy output and reduce cost per watt through advanced silicon surface solutions.
The company’s licensed technology originated from a collaboration with NASA’s Glenn Research Center and introduced a novel process for growing silicon oxide at room temperature. The technology received research grants from both the Department of Defense and NASA and was highlighted in NASA’s annual publication showcasing significant scientific contributions.
Equity Solar partnered with leading chemical companies including DuPont, Heraeus, Honeywell, and BASF, as well as major global PV cell manufacturers such as Hareon, Astronergy, Canadian Solar, ReneSola, Suntech, CSUN, JA Solar, ET Solar, Yingli Solar, SRPV, DMEGC, M Cells, Juli New Energy, Lightway, and Hanwha. The company also partnered with Fraunhofer CSE for technology validation.
In recognition of its technological innovation and impact on the solar industry, Equity Solar received the prestigious SNEC Gold Award.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
Chester served as a Strategic Advisor to the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and its Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics (IBP) on the Pompeii Sustainable Preservation Project (PSPP) at the Archaeological Park of Pompeii. The international initiative combines science, engineering, and cultural heritage research to develop advanced conservation materials, digital monitoring systems, and preventive preservation strategies ensuring the long-term protection of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
INTERNET
Chester was the Founder and CEO of a leading service and application company during the height of the internet era, serving major clients such as Benchmark Capital, Intel, PG&E, Compaq, and Supercuts.
ENTERTAINMENT
Chester has built substantial ventures across the entertainment industry, spanning music, video games, toys and board games, as well as sports.
Music
Chester is the Personal Manager to Walter Afanasieff, a multi Grammy Award winning writer and producer who has worked with many leading artists including Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Lionel Richie, Josh Groban, Christina Aguilera and Luther Vandross. Walter produced "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion, one of the best-selling singles of all time.
Chester is the Co-Founder of Noisecastle III, a music production house that has exclusively licensed the entertainment rights to composer and producer Scott Bruzenak. Scott has worked with artists including JoJo, Dawn Richard and Diplo’s Los Angeles-based record label Mad Decent’s artist-Liz, who has been featured in Pitchfork, Vice, and Billboard. As a producer and songwriter, Scott has also worked alongside Babyface, Rodney Jerkins, Walter Afanasieff and Rob Cavallo. One of Scott's highlights includes producing and co-writing Daya’s double-platinum singles "Hide Away" and “Sit Still, Look Pretty”.
Chester exclusively licensed the entertainment rights to Austin Brown, the nephew of Michael Jackson. Austin has worked with Grammy Award winning Producer and Co-writer Rodney Jerkins and Walter Afanasieff, and recording artists Pharrell Williams and Q-Tip.
Chester has acted as an advisor to record producer, songwriter and musician Rodney Jerkins. A recipient of four Grammy Awards, Rodney has produced for Michael and Janet Jackson, Beyoncé, Kanye West, Katy Perry, Lindsay Lohan, Lionel Richie, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Lopez,Whitney Houston, Cher, Lady Gaga, Will Smith, Aaliyah, Brandy Norwood, Monica, Britney Spears, The Black Eyed Peas, Keyshia Cole, Toni Braxton, Natasha Bedingfield, Jessica Simpson, Brian McKnight, Tamia, Utada Hikaru, Wonder Girls, JYJ, LMFAO, PLATINUM, Pussycat Dolls, Destiny’s Child, the Spice Girls, Danity Kane, TLC, and The Saturdays.
Toy & Board Games
Chester invented, patented, published, and created Stealth Chess, an award-winning strategy game that was named one of Games Magazine’s Top 100 Games and honored as a Mensa Select Award winner for innovation and design excellence.
Chester also invented, patented, and published The Deck of Dice, a deck-of-cards game that simulates dice rolls and has been featured in international tournaments for The Settlers of Catan as well as in casino resorts across the United States. He also invented, patented, and published Megatak: The Electronic Prankster, an award winning electronic handheld toy.
Video Games
Chester founded and led a private video game development studio that created software and art for several iconic titles. His company contributed to the acclaimed Reader Rabbit educational software series including Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, and 6th Grade programs as well as major Electronic Arts franchises such as The Sims, The Sims: House Party Expansion Pack, The Sims: Deluxe Edition, and SimCity 3000 Unlimited.
Chester founded a publicly traded video game publishing company that licensed and released a portfolio of acclaimed titles, including MTV’s Jackass, Frank Miller’s Sin City, Crusty Demons, Heroes of the Pacific, Lucinda Green’s Equestrian Challenge, and GripShift. He assembled a world-class management team that included the President of Disney Software, the CFO of Activision, and the President of Electronic Arts, bringing deep industry leadership and expertise to the company. Chester’s firm also served as the exclusive distributor for Pocket PC and Palm games for EA Sports and Electronic Arts, featuring top franchises such as Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf, FIFA Soccer 2002, SimCity 2000: The Ultimate City Simulator, and Ultima Underground: The Stygian Abyss. For more details, visit Chester’s IMDb profile.
Sports
Chester is the Co-Founder of Zone Motion alongside former Kansas City Royals shortstop and 1985 World Series Champion Buddy Biancalana. Zone Motion delivers cutting-edge mental performance and peak-state training for elite athletes. Buddy has implemented his Zone Motion Training System with numerous high-profile athletes, including Shane Baz, Scott McCarron, Charlie Hoffman, Adam Ottavino, Austin Davis, Jeremy Affeldt, Matt Cain, and MLB Hall of Famer George Brett.
Chester has served as a strategic advisor to Dallas Cowboys legend and Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett, the Heisman Trophy winner and Super Bowl champion widely regarded as one of the greatest running backs in NFL history.
Collectibles
Chester amassed an elite baseball card collection featuring more than 1,700 rookie Hall of Fame players that are all extremely low-population and graded Gem Mint 10. This multimillion-dollar collection was securely vaulted and later sold through Goldin Auctions, a premier collectibles auction house funded by The Chernin Group and Mark Cuban, among other notable investors. Among its highlights was the only known SGC 10 1963 Pete Rose rookie card, which sold for over $200,000.
Tourism
Chester is a co-owner of Sail Maui, the fastest high performance sailing company in Maui. Sail Maui was originally established in 1994 and today offers sailing tours, destination snorkeling cruises, sunset sailing and exclusive private charters. With over 21 years of business experience, Sail Maui has become Maui's premier catamaran company, hosting thousands of trips across Hawaii. Sail Maui was awarded TripAdvisors Travelers’ Choice Award and is now in the top 10% of attractions worldwide. For more information please visit Sail Maui’s website.
Chester is a co-owner of Maui Concierge Service (MCS), an activity concierge company that operates concierge desks across the island of Maui.
Maui Concierge Service provides a range of guest services including lobby concierge, beach and poolside concierge and retail, resort photography, group services, and virtual concierge support at nine premier resorts on Maui and one resort on the Big Island.
MCS proudly serves the following properties: The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua; Hyatt Vacation Club at Ka’anapali; Ka’anapali Ali’i Resort; The Whaler on Ka’anapali Beach; Napili Kai Beach Resort; Wailea Beach Villas; CoralTree Residence Collection Wailea; and CoralTree Residence Collection Big Island. For more information please visit Maui Concierge Service’s website.
Chester is a co-owner of Drift Coffee, a Lahaina-based premium coffee and catering company known for its commitment to quality, community, and authentic Hawaiian hospitality. The company is temporarily closed due to the devastating Lahaina fire, with plans to rebuild and reopen in support of the local community’s recovery and resilience.
MEMBERSHIPS
Chester is a Life Member of the Stanford Graduate School of Business Alumni Association and an active member of the Stanford Club of Marin.
Chester continues his executive education through online coursework with Harvard Business School and was recently recognized for completing the Negotiation Mastery program.
Chester is a founding sponsor of the Fraunhofer TechBridge Program.
Chester was formerly a member of the Buck Advisory Council (BAC), a committee composed of distinguished leaders from around the world representing government, business, pharmaceuticals, law, and other key sectors. As a BAC member, Chester served as an Ambassador to the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, the nation’s first independent research facility dedicated exclusively to understanding the connection between aging and chronic disease.
Chester is a USA Weightlifting Certified Coach, a certification recognized as the gold standard for strength and performance coaching in the United States. Through this affiliation with USA Weightlifting, the official governing body for Olympic weightlifting, Chester reflects his commitment to physical performance, discipline, and athlete development.