Philip James is the founder and CEO of Firstleaf, one of the largest wineries in the US, producing wines from around the world and selling them directly to hundreds of thousands of consumers.Philip is a serial entrepreneur who has built a career combining cutting-edge technology, consumer insights, and the talents of world-class winemakers to create and deliver finely crafted wines at affordable prices, with online sales of over $500 million to date. He's also the inventor of multiple wine and technology patents.Additionally, Philip works closely with the charity Wine to Water, raising awareness for the organization through viral campaigns, as well as an around the world motorcycle trip. He has also given direct aid on relief missions in SE Asia and Central America. Before founding Penrose Hill, Philip was the founding CEO of Lot18 and Snooth. His companies have garnered multiple awards and recognition. Highlights include Firstleaf being named "Wine Company of the Year" in 2021 in the Winemaker Challenge International Wine Competition, while Lot18 was a finalist in 2011's Techcrunch Crunchies for Best Shopping Application, and Snooth was featured in dozens of publications including the NYT, Forbes, and Wired.Philip holds two graduate degrees: a Masters in Computational Chemistry from Oxford and an MBA from Columbia University. He has appeared as a guest speaker at Columbia and NYU MBA programs, lecturing on entrepreneurship, product development, marketing, and leadership.A keen world traveler and adventurer, Philip has visited over 50 countries and every state in the lower-48, along with hundreds of State and National Parks. He attempted the North Face of Mt Everest, sailed across the Atlantic, rode his motorcycle around the world and has traveled for months at a time in his expedition vehicle.