About Us
OVERVIEW
PURE Bioscience, Inc. (OTCQB: PURE) is focused on developing and commercializing our proprietary antimicrobial products that provide solutions to the health and environmental challenges of pathogen and hygienic control. Our technology platform is based on patented, stabilized ionic silver, and our initial products contain Silver Dihydrogen Citrate (SDC). SDC is a broad-spectrum, non-toxic antimicrobial agent that is manufactured as a liquid and delivered in various concentrations. We currently manufacture and distribute SDC-based disinfecting and sanitizing products, which are registered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Health Canada. We also manufacture and sell SDC-based formulations to manufacturers for use as a raw material ingredient in the production of personal care products. We believe our technology platform has potential application in a number of industries and we intend to focus our current resources on providing food safety solutions to the food industry.
DIRECTORS
Ivan Chen joined our Board in June 2018 and has served as Chairman of the Board since August 2021. Mr. Chen brings extensive experience in the healthcare, life sciences and technology industries. He currently serves as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Imagen Dental Partners… more
Tom Myers is our Executive Vice President Technology and Development and has served as a member of the Board since January 2021. He also has served in many other roles since joining our company in 2011. In his various roles, he has led the implementation and application of our silver di-hydrogen
citrate…more
Robert Bartlett is our Chief Executive Officer. He also has served as a member of the Board since February 2023. Mr. Bartlett retired in 2006 as Chairman of the Board of Advanced Marketing Services, a major distributor of books and media to warehouse clubs worldwide. Since 1995, he has been the…more
Tom Y. Lee, CPA joined our Board in October 2014. He served as Chairman of the Board from January 2019 to August 2021 and as Chief Executive Officer and President until 2023. Since 2018, Mr. Lee has served as the President of MicroTube, Inc. as well. Mr. Lee was formerly the audit committee chairman at First… more
David M. Rendall joined our Board in January 2021. Mr. Rendall is an attorney and licensed real estate broker in the state of California. Mr. Rendall has been the broker and owner of RE/MAX of Santa Clarita, RE/MAX of Valencia, and RE/MAX Gateway since February 2014. Mr. Rendall manages… more
Bernard Blotner joined our Board in February 2023. Mr. Blotner retired in April 2020 as Senior Vice President and Corporate Client Group Director with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. He was associated with Morgan Stanley since 1983, having joined the firm originally with E.F. Hutton &… more
Mr. Zehr joined our board in May 2024. Mr. Zehr brings extensive experience working in the food industry. Since 1990, he has held various roles in food quality and safety, sanitation, and operations management. He is the General Manager of Commercial Food Sanitation LLC (CFS). CFS, an… more
Ivan Chen joined our Board in June 2018 and has served as Chairman of the Board since August 2021. Mr. Chen brings extensive experience in the healthcare, life sciences and technology industries. He currently serves as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Imagen Dental Partners, a dental partnership organization that provides non-clinical support services to dental practices across the United States. In this role, he is a member of the executive leadership team and oversees all legal, compliance, government relations, insurance/risk and patient relations matters at Imagen. Before joining Imagen, he was Director, Senior Corporate Counsel at PDS Health, one of the largest dental support organizations in the United States, where he focused on acquisitions, dispositions, commercial contracts and healthcare compliance. Prior to joining PDS Health, he was Director, Global M&A Counsel at eBay, a publicly-traded e-commerce platform. In this position, he led the negotiation and execution of numerous U.S. and cross-border acquisitions. Earlier in his career, he was an associate at Morrison & Foerster LLP and at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, both large international law firms. In these roles, he focused on transactional, securities and corporate governance matters.
In addition to serving on the Board of our company, Mr. Chen also is on the Board of AiTmed, a privately-held, early-stage telehealth platform. Mr. Chen earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School, a master’s degree from the University of Cambridge, and a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University. He is admitted to the bar in California and New York and is a registered in-house counsel in Arizona.
Tom Myers is our Executive Vice President Technology and Development and has served as a member of the Board since January 2021. He also has served in many other roles since joining our company in 2011. In his various roles, he has led the implementation and application of our silver di-hydrogen citrate (SDC) technology in customer facilities through problem identification and solution development, custom protocol development and training. Mr. Myers has over 40 years of food industry experience focusing on operations management, quality control and assurance, research and development, product and process development, plant design and construction, food safety and regulatory compliance. Prior to joining our company, Mr. Myers served as the President and Principal of Idaho Milk Products, where he built a $105 million green field dairy proteins plant and launched a worldwide business with revenues in excess of $200 million annually. Mr. Myers also has held executive management roles at Weider Nutrition International, Puritan Quartz Pharmaceuticals, FruitSource Associates and FruitSource Confections, Nancy’s Specialty Foods, Izaki Glico and Berkshire Hathaway Corporation (See’s Candies and See’s Candy Shops). Mr. Myers holds a Bachelor of Science from California State University, Long Beach.
Robert Bartlett is our Chief Executive Officer. He also has served as a member of the Board since February 2023. Mr. Bartlett retired in 2006 as Chairman of the Board of Advanced Marketing Services, a major distributor of books and media to warehouse clubs worldwide. Since 1995, he has been the founder and Managing Director of Combined Resources International, a manufacturer and distributor of picture frames, cork erase boards, and children’s furniture to warehouse clubs in the United States and Canada. From 1993 to 1995, he served as Vice President, Divisional Manager at Anderson Chamberlain, Inc., an in-house general merchandise and food broker for Costco’s warehouse clubs worldwide. From 1990 to 1993, he served as Senior Vice President, Operations, Merchandising, Traffic and Distribution with Source Club, Inc., a division of Meijer Stores. From 1989 to 1990, he served as Executive Vice President Merchandising, Operations, Traffic and Distribution with The Wholesale Club, Inc. until it was sold to Walmart in 1990. Prior to that, from 1981 to 1989, he was Executive Vice President, Merchandising, Traffic and Distribution at The Price Company, Inc., the first membership warehouse club in the United States, which later merged with Costco. He served in the United States Army after being drafted in 1965. He served as an artillery surveyor/training non-commissioned officer for an artillery battalion of the 7th Army in Europe, after which he was honorably discharged at the rank of Sergeant (E-5) in 1967. After discharge, he attended junior college under the GI Bill.
Tom Y. Lee, CPA joined our Board in October 2014. He served as Chairman of the Board from January 2019 to August 2021 and as Chief Executive Officer and President until 2023. Since 2018, Mr. Lee has served as the President of MicroTube, Inc. as well. Mr. Lee was formerly the audit committee chairman at First Continental Bank (which merged with United Commercial Bank in 2003). Mr. Lee has been an active CPA since 1983 and earned a Master’s Degree in Accounting from California State University, Long Beach, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from TamKang University in Taipei, Taiwan.
David M. Rendall joined our Board in January 2021. Mr. Rendall is an attorney and licensed real estate broker in the state of California. Mr. Rendall has been the broker and owner of RE/MAX of Santa Clarita, RE/MAX of Valencia, and RE/MAX Gateway since February 2014. Mr. Rendall manages approximately 175 agents and has annual gross sales volume of over $1 billion. He is the owner of Group One Investments, Inc., a licensed real estate property management and real estate investment firm specializing in commercial management, Value Add commercial real estate investments, real estate syndication and development. He currently sits on the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation board and is the Chief Executive Officer of Escrow Advantage, Inc., an independent escrow company. Mr. Rendall also is the general partner, owner, president, managing member, and/or member of multiple businesses and real estate partnerships. In addition to his real estate companies, he is the Principal and Partner of Group One Legal, PC. Mr. Rendall has been practicing real estate since 2001 and law since 2003, when he was admitted to the state bar of California. Mr. Rendall earned a J.D. from Loyola Law School, a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Sociology from University of California, Los Angeles. He also was an adjunct professor at College of the Canyons, where he taught Real Estate Principles, Real Estate Practices, and Legal Aspects of Real Estate.
Bernard Blotner joined our Board in February 2023. Mr. Blotner retired in April 2020 as Senior Vice President and Corporate Client Group Director with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. He was associated with Morgan Stanley since 1983, having joined the firm originally with E.F. Hutton & Company. Beginning in 1988, Mr. Blotner and his team focused on serving the investment needs of high-net-worth individuals and corporations, specifically in relation to stock option plans, stock purchase plans, restricted stock plans, control and restricted securities, and Rule 144 transactions. The team’s assets under management was over $750 million, and plans ranged from small, local companies to multinational Fortune 500 companies. He was a member of the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals (NASPP), and his licenses included FINRA Series 7, Series 65, Series 63 and Series 3. Mr. Blotner was named to the list of Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors (2020). He graduated cum laude from Boston College with a Bachelor of Arts degree and received his Master of Arts degree from San Diego State University. Mr. Blotner has served on the Boards of Directors of several not-for-profit organizations. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, he was the Program Director of the Jewish Community Center in San Diego.
Mr. Zehr joined our board in May 2024. Mr. Zehr brings extensive experience working in the food industry. Since 1990, he has held various roles in food quality and safety, sanitation, and operations management. He is the General Manager of Commercial Food Sanitation LLC (CFS). CFS, an Intralox Company, is a global food safety consulting and training organization that works across all food industry segments and has operations in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Prior to this role, Mr. Zehr spent 22 years with Kraft Foods where he held numerous roles in operations, including Area Sanitation Manager, Business Unit Manager, and Plant Manager. He is Treasurer of the Board of Directors for Beaver Camp, a non-profit Christian Camping establishment, a former board member of the New York State Cheese Manufacturer’s Association, and former board member of the Lewis County General Hospital. Mr. Zehr received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from The State University of New York (SUNY) at Oswego. He lives in Northern New York with his wife of 30 years and has three adult children.
Robert Bartlett is our Chief Executive Officer. He also has served as a member of the Board since February 2023. Mr. Bartlett retired in 2006 as Chairman of the Board of Advanced Marketing Services, a major distributor of books and media to warehouse clubs worldwide. Since 1995, he has been the…more
Dolana Blount is our Vice President, Technology Development and Regulatory Affairs. She also has served in many other roles since joining our company in 1998. Ms. Blount is responsible for coordination of technologies in new product development, manufacturing oversight and quality assurance… more
Mark Elliott is our Vice President, Finance. Mr. Elliott has over 15 years accounting and business administration experience. He is responsible for preparing the financial statements, notes, MD&A as well as other financial information and disclosures for SEC reporting. Mr. Elliott also manages all accounting and reporting… more
Jeff Kitchell is our Vice President of Operations. He also serves as our Corporate Secretary, a role he has had since 2019. Mr. Kitchell oversees day-to-day functions, supports operations throughout our company, and implements new structures and processes. Mr. Kitchell has served in many roles since joining our… more
Tom Myers is our Executive Vice President Technology and Development and has served as a member of the Board since January 2021. He also has served in many other roles since joining our company in 2011. In his various roles, he has led the implementation and application of our silver di-hydrogen citrate...more
Tim Steffensmeier has a 20-year career in the food industry, having held key leadership roles in sanitation and food safety. His career began at Kraft Foods, where he led his plant sanitation department. Following his tenure at Kraft, Mr. Steffensmeier spent 10 years at Commercial Food Sanitation (CFS), an Intralox… more
Robert Bartlett is our Chief Executive Officer. He also has served as a member of the Board since February 2023. Mr. Bartlett retired in 2006 as Chairman of the Board of Advanced Marketing Services, a major distributor of books and media to warehouse clubs worldwide. Since 1995, he has been the founder and Managing Director of Combined Resources International, a manufacturer and distributor of picture frames, cork erase boards, and children’s furniture to warehouse clubs in the United States and Canada. From 1993 to 1995, he served as Vice President, Divisional Manager at Anderson Chamberlain, Inc., an in-house general merchandise and food broker for Costco’s warehouse clubs worldwide. From 1990 to 1993, he served as Senior Vice President, Operations, Merchandising, Traffic and Distribution with Source Club, Inc., a division of Meijer Stores. From 1989 to 1990, he served as Executive Vice President Merchandising, Operations, Traffic and Distribution with The Wholesale Club, Inc. until it was sold to Walmart in 1990. Prior to that, from 1981 to 1989, he was Executive Vice President, Merchandising, Traffic and Distribution at The Price Company, Inc., the first membership warehouse club in the United States, which later merged with Costco. He served in the United States Army after being drafted in 1965. He served as an artillery surveyor/training non-commissioned officer for an artillery battalion of the 7th Army in Europe, after which he was honorably discharged at the rank of Sergeant (E-5) in 1967. After discharge, he attended junior college under the GI Bill.
Dolana Blount is our Vice President, Technology Development and Regulatory Affairs. She also has served in many other roles since joining our company in 1998. Ms. Blount is responsible for coordination of technologies in new product development, manufacturing oversight and quality assurance management, GMP/GLP regulations, design of protocols for custom studies and ensures and enforces compliance with regulatory guidelines. Ms. Blount also oversees our company’s intellectual property portfolio and customer service. In addition to microbiology, Ms. Blount has an extensive background in government regulatory issues, including EPA, FDA and DOT submissions, maintenance, compliance and reporting. Prior to joining our company, Ms. Blount spent 7 years as the Chemical Compliance Coordinator and Safety Officer for Soldemer Incorporated, a warehousing and ground transportation company. Ms. Blount earned a Bachelor of Science in microbiology from University of California, San Diego, and has managed several post-graduate research projects.
Mark Elliott is our Vice President, Finance. Mr. Elliott has over 15 years accounting and business administration experience. He is responsible for preparing the financial statements, notes, MD&A as well as other financial information and disclosures for SEC reporting. Mr. Elliott also manages all accounting and reporting systems, ensuring compliance with appropriate GAAP standards and the Sarbanes Oxley Act. Mr. Elliott also supervises Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable personnel. Previously, Mr. Elliott served as our Controller and has been responsible for managing all accounting and regulatory reporting activities since May 2006. Prior to joining our company in 2004, Mr. Elliott worked in government accounting for the City of San Diego. Mr. Elliott earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration-Accountancy at California State University, San Marcos.
Jeff Kitchell is our Vice President of Operations. He also serves as our Corporate Secretary, a role he has had since 2019. Mr. Kitchell oversees day-to-day functions, supports operations throughout our company, and implements new structures and processes. Mr. Kitchell has served in many roles since joining our company in 2001. In his various roles, he managed the legal affairs of our company and helped our company acquire its intellectual property. Prior to joining our company, Mr. Kitchell held various leadership roles in small to large companies. Mr. Kitchell earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.
Tom Myers is our Executive Vice President Technology and Development and has served as a member of the Board since January 2021. He also has served in many other roles since joining our company in 2011. In his various roles, he has led the implementation and application of our silver di-hydrogen citrate (SDC) technology in customer facilities through problem identification and solution development, custom protocol development and training. Mr. Myers has over 40 years of food industry experience focusing on operations management, quality control and assurance, research and development, product and process development, plant design and construction, food safety and regulatory compliance. Prior to joining our company, Mr. Myers served as the President and Principal of Idaho Milk Products, where he built a $105 million green field dairy proteins plant and launched a worldwide business with revenues in excess of $200 million annually. Mr. Myers also has held executive management roles at Weider Nutrition International, Puritan Quartz Pharmaceuticals, FruitSource Associates and FruitSource Confections, Nancy’s Specialty Foods, Izaki Glico and Berkshire Hathaway Corporation (See’s Candies and See’s Candy Shops). Mr. Myers holds a Bachelor of Science from California State University, Long Beach.
Tim Steffensmeier has a 20-year career in the food industry, having held key leadership roles in sanitation and food safety. His career began at Kraft Foods, where he led his plant sanitation department. Following his tenure at Kraft, Mr. Steffensmeier spent 10 years at Commercial Food Sanitation (CFS), an Intralox Company, where he was one of the founding members. As Senior Food Safety Specialist, he was responsible for leading the multiple divisions in North America, as well as strategic global accounts. In his last two years at CFS, Mr. Steffensmeier developed a role which allowed him to support the Intralox regional and global sales teams as a subject matter expert for food safety, sanitation, chemical compatibility, and hygienic design. During his career, Mr. Steffensmeier co-developed global food safety and sanitation assessments, global training programs, and has co-authored articles for prominent industry magazines.
ADVISORY
BOARD
JScott Harris, Ph.D., MSPH was appointed to our Scientific Advisory Board in August 2020. Dr. Harris is the Associate Director of EHS Services in the Austin, Texas office of GDS Associates and an adjunct faculty member at the University of Texas at San Antonio, University of Utah and University of North…more
Martin Wiedmann, Ph.D. was appointed to our Scientific Advisory Board in December 2020. Dr. Wiedmann received a veterinary degree and a doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, and a Ph.D. in Food Science from Cornell University, where he… more
Scott Harris, Ph.D., MSPH was appointed to our Scientific Advisory Board in August 2020. Dr. Harris is the Associate Director of EHS Services in the Austin, Texas office of GDS Associates and an adjunct faculty member at the University of Texas at San Antonio, University of Utah and University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. His experience spans 30 years of EHS management and Type 1 disaster management across general industry, federal and state government, consulting and university instruction. Dr. Harris received his Ph.D. in Environmental Science, with a specialization in Disaster and Emergency Management, from Oklahoma State University and holds degrees in Geology and Public Health from Western Kentucky University. He is recognized as a national expert in preparedness and response management and is a sought-after speaker and writer on workplace risk management and disaster preparedness and response. A former U.S. EPA Federal On-Scene Coordinator, Dr. Harris held key roles in nationally significant response efforts including Space Shuttle Columbia, the Macdona, Texas chlorine derailment (largest chlorine transportation release in U.S. history), Hurricane Katrina NOLA water search and rescue and Murphy Oil. In 2010, he served as a Planning Specialist embedded with the U.S. Coast Guard preparing the Florida Keys for oil impact from BP Deepwater Horizon and later as the Planning Section Chief for the Enbridge Energy Pipeline release near Marshal, Michigan. As Deputy Incident Commander, he supported the USDA Green Team for their 2015 Hi-Path Avian Influenza response in Iowa. He is currently on assignment to the FAA advising them on national COVID-19 pandemic mitigation and response measures.
Martin Wiedmann, Ph.D. was appointed to our Scientific Advisory Board in December 2020. Dr. Wiedmann received a veterinary degree and a doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, and a Ph.D. in Food Science from Cornell University, where he currently is the Gellert Family Professor of Food Safety. His research interests focus on farm-to-table microbial food quality and food safety and the application of molecular tools and quantitative and modelling approaches to study the transmission of foodborne pathogens and spoilage organisms, with a particular interest in Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. His team has published over 350 peer reviewed publications, which have been cited over15,000 times. Dr. Wiedmann has served as major advisor for 36 Ph.D. students (24 completed) as well as 22 MS and MPS (20 completed) students. His former students are employed in industry, government, and academia across the world, with many in leadership positions. He and his team are also regularly asked to help industry across the world with a range of microbial food safety and quality challenges. Dr. Wiedmann is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), the American Academy of Microbiology (AAM), and the International Academy of Food Science and Technology. He received the Young Scholars award from the American Dairy Science Association in 2002, the Samuel Cate Prescott Award from the Institute of Food Technologists’ in 2003, the International Life Science Institute North America Future Leaders Award in 2004, and the American Meat Institute Foundation Scientific Achievement Award in 2011.