Visual Magic is transforming the way people experience and support parks – driven by a passion for connecting people with nature and each other

Welcome To The World Of Visual Magic

Meet the Team

Gary Warhaftig – Co-Founder, CEO

In 1992, VisualMagic™ cofounder, Gary Warhaftig, started Point of View Telescopes (POV). POV Telescope leases have been exclusively with non-profit organizations or parks. Gary has always appreciated the dedication of these staffs to providing the best possible visitor experience and viewed the telescopes as an interpretive tool. 

Prior to POV, Gary’s career has been in the non-profit world. He was the Director of Development for the San Francisco Ballet; Executive Director of the Institute of Noetic Sciences; and a director for a San Francisco Community Foundation. Gary spent many years as a docent naturalist at Ano Nuevo State Reserve leading tours of the Elephant Seals, as well as Pescadero Marsh Nature Preserve, home to over 200 species of birds including a rookery of nesting egrets, herons and cormorants. 

Gary also spent time as a very successful real estate broker. He brokered the sale of 2000 acres of Redwood Forest to the Sempervirens Fund who transferred it to the California State Parks. His ability to make friends, to ensure everyone’s needs in a deal and to be trustworthy, let him put together many multi-million dollar deals with foreign investors and US property owners whose cultures were radically different. But in the end, with Gary’s help, they all became friends and they all got their needs met. These skills and the character that lies behind them will be powerful assets as the Zoomie™ business scales.

In the years he worked to protect the Montara, CA water supply, Gary demonstrated outstanding relational and collaborative and political skills that are needed to protect precious national resources. When others saw the loss of Montera’s water rights as a lost cause, Gary made friends with powerful political players who held any raiders at bay.

Founding VisualMagic™ is a natural progression for Gary—a business that is also a social venture that supports parks in engaging and educating their visitors and better achieving their missions. It is Gary’s privilege to help support the public lands and venues with VisualMagic’s services, as the importance of this purpose continues to grow.  

Gary brings decades of full-time focus on a similar business, bringing telescopes to parks.  He understands the internal perspectives of parks from many years dealing with them while installing telescopes. He knows who to talk to and what parts of the organization will appreciate the educational or amenity value of a Zoomie™.

Those of us who work with Gary find him a kind, visionary, enthusiastic and inspiring leader who is dedicated to supporting parks and other public lands and venues—and has a wealth of experience working with them. We are always astounded by his countless warm connections, some spanning decades, with those who serve parks and public lands. Whenever VisualMagic™ needs to connect to a particular organization or person with a skill, Gary knows who to call and receives a warm welcome when he does. 

Gifford Pinchot III – Co-founder, Chief Financial Officer

Gifford Pinchot has started five companies and sold four of them. In his youthful years, he worked as a civil rights organizer, at times sitting next to Stokely Carmichael in restaurants as blows rained down upon them. He cofounded, led and sold a metal fabrication company and was a biodynamic dairy farmer. He brings experience in managing technical ventures from his role as CEO of a successful internet security company, which he sold with 100:1 return for initial shareholders, and from engaging in a number of startups as an angel investor.

In 1978, Giff coined the word “intrapreneur” to amplify the work of people who function like entrepreneurs inside a larger company. After writing the bestselling book that started the intrapreneurship movement, he, with his wife Libba, went on to consult on innovation management to half of the Fortune 100, numerous government agencies and environmental NGOs, and many foreign corporations. Intrapreneuring: Why You Don’t Have to Leave the Corporation to Become an Entrepreneur was published in fifteen languages. 

One long-lasting example of the intrapreneurship work of the Pinchots began under Gore’s reinvention program—leading to a multiyear program in the Forest Service to make government work. When audited, the program’s Enterprise Teams (internal service enterprises), led by self-selected and trained intrapreneurs, were found to be 1.8 times as productive as the average Forest Service employee. An intrapreneuring model will allow VisualMagic™ to scale rapidly. 

Gifford was a cofounder and for thirteen years the President of BGI, the first graduate school with an MBA in sustainable business. In 2016 BGI and Presidio Graduate School, its partner school, merged, and still continue within the University of Redlands.

Gifford was named a top twenty leadership thinker by Executive Excellence; received an Olympus Lifetime Education Award and the 2015 Eye for Pharma award for the “Most Impactful Global Initiative” in the pharmaceutical industry. He has an honorary Juris Doctorate and an honors economics degree from Harvard.

Much of Giff’s life has been devoted to the dual goals of supporting the welfare of the nation’s people and the environment they depend on—in the words of his grandfather over a hundred years ago, the goals of both “caring for the land and serving people”, the motto of the Forest Service the first Gifford Pinchot founded. Today, Giff sees that VisualMagic’s work is a critical lever for supporting the 700 million plus acres of public parks and lands in thriving as public land. He is grateful to be part of VisualMagic’s team and help ensure that public parks will continue to serve the people and the ecosystems of this great nation.

Jamie Riotto – Chief Development Officer

Jamie Riotto is a technological renaissance man and VisualMagic’s Chief Development Officer. A life-long Computer Architect, Jamie developed the hardware for the world’s first portable computer, IBM’s Mighty-Mite, in 1974. He designed the CPU and core architecture for Tandem’s innovative 2nd generation Fault-Tolerant Computer, codenamed Checkmate. He then designed the world’s first UNIX PC at Convergent Technologies, eventually becoming Director of Engineering responsible for all UNIX products. After being acquired by Unisys, Jamie became Chief Hardware Architect and led the joint effort with JPL to build the first distributed Hyper-cube computer, the U8000. As Director of Systems Engineering in the Desktop Division at Silicon Graphics, he managed the design for all Indigo workstations after the introduction of the original Indigo 1. He personally drove the architecture for the world’s first fully crossbar computer, the Octane, which became the world’s fastest workstation and Silicon Graphics’ first billion-dollar product. He then conceived and led the creation of the computer interconnect, CrossBow, which became the cornerstone of all Silicon Graphics computers, and was eventually renamed Cray-Link, after SGI’s purchase of Cray Computers. Jamie started the IO working group, “Friends of IO”, with members such as IBM, DEC, HP, etc. and was eventually developed into the InfiniBand Specification. 

Jamie’s first startup was Terawave, where he led the development of a revolutionary single-fiber, multi-drop telecommunications product that supported delivery of Voice, ATM, Ethernet and Video. 

As Senior Vice President of Engineering at Topspin Communications, he developed systems that utilized InfiniBand technology and dominated the high-end cluster market. In 2005, Topspin had designed and installed 11 of the Top (i.e. fastest) 50 computers in the world. He then expanded their market by leading the development of Virtual Data Center technology, which was deployed by JP Morgan Chase, Lufthansa Airlines, Skybox, EDS and others. When Topspin was acquired by Cisco, he became a Senior Vice President at Cisco and led the incorporation of Virtual Data Center technology into Cisco’s products, partnering with VMWare and EMC to form backbone products used by datacenters world-wide, most notable IBM Global Services. 

Jamie is experienced in raising money for the startups he helped to launch. He has the track record of being a great person to work for, which may be  as important as his technical genius as Virtual Magic scales. 

In joining VisualMagic™, Jamie is devoted to using his skills to support the parks and public lands he and his family frequent. He has been camping in the woods since he was six and is an avid camper to this day.

Aeron Miller – Chief Operations Officer

Aeron Miller is a dynamic and skillful leader of operations, product development, and business development with a passion for helping visionaries bring their ideas to fruition. As Chief Operating Officer at VisualMagic™, she drives the company’s mission to revolutionize park visitor engagement through its innovative Zoomie™ technology. This groundbreaking tool transforms how visitors experience parks while promoting education, sustainability, and fundraising for national treasures like the National Parks. Aeron’s expertise lies in scaling emerging technologies, fostering strategic partnerships, and delivering measurable results that create positive social and environmental impact.

With her career of leadership roles in app development, gaming technology startups, watershed advocacy nonprofits, and arts and wellness organizations, Aeron can unite diverse teams and guide them toward peak performance in rapid business growth. Her work consistently bridges creativity, technology, and operational excellence to achieve ambitious goals. Aeron’s leadership ensures that VisualMagic™ not only enhances park experiences but also delivers lasting value to public lands and their stakeholders, sponsors, and communities nationwide.

A lifelong professional photographer and videographer, Aeron holds a BA in Photography and Spanish American Studies from Mills College. Aeron is married to a skilled sculptor who creates large-scale garden art designed to bring peace to viewers, and she is the proud mother of an 8-year-old child who brings so much inspiration and joy to her life.

Jim Dickinson – Park Outreach and Sales

Jim Dickinson brings a dynamic blend of sales leadership, entrepreneurial spirit, and a deep passion for the outdoors to the Visual Magic team. With more than two decades of experience building and leading high-performing sales organizations, Jim is known for his ability to design effective teams, develop strategic partnerships, and drive sustained revenue growth.

Jim’s career highlights include serving as managing broker and co-founder of a top-producing real estate team in Seattle, where he specialized in innovative sales strategies, team mentorship, and exceptional client service. His leadership extends beyond real estate—he chaired the Board of Directors for Washington Future Business Leaders of America, helping thousands of young professionals develop the skills needed for success in business and life.

Jim holds a BS in Business Administration from Seattle University and an AE in Fisheries Management from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. His diverse background includes roles in aviation, logistics, and operations, giving him a practical, solutions-oriented approach to business challenges.

Growing up in Seattle and spending formative years in Alaska, Jim developed a lifelong love for wilderness adventure. He is an Eagle Scout, avid bush pilot, and experienced outdoorsman who has lived off-grid, fished the Bering Sea, and explored some of North America’s wildest places. This passion for exploration and resilience shapes his approach to business: Jim believes that the best results come from teamwork, adaptability, and a willingness to tackle new challenges head-on.

Outside of work, Jim is dedicated to a healthy, adventurous lifestyle—enjoying hiking, fishing, yoga, and mindful living. He brings this same energy and enthusiasm to his professional life, inspiring those around him to pursue excellence while staying grounded in what matters most.

At Visual Magic, Jim is excited to build a sales team that shares his commitment to innovation, collaboration, and connecting people with the wonders of the natural world. His leadership will play a key role as Visual Magic expands its impact on parks, public lands, and communities nationwide.

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Nancy Margulies – VP Creativity

Nancy Margulies began developing her visual recording technique in 1984. Since then, she has worked with corporations and educational groups worldwide, facilitating visioning strategic planning sessions and clarifying concepts using her unique form of graphic representation, Mindscaping. The graphic facilitation process Nancy developed is called Mindscaping. During conferences and other events, from strategic planning meetings to interfaith dialogue, she literally draws the ideas using pictures, symbols and words on flip chart sheets, capturing the content, showing relationships among ideas and creating a memorable record of the event.

She brings diverse groups together, inviting them to discover their collective wisdom by examining questions that matter deeply. (www.theworldcafe.com) 

As a facilitator and graphic recorder she traveled the world and enjoyed the opportunity to work with The Clinton White House, corporate and community leaders in the US, South Africa, Israel, Turkey, India, Thailand, Australia, Switzerland and New Zealand. She authored a number of books, the best selling are Mapping Inner Space and Visual Thinking, as well as a number of educational comics and videos.

Libba Pinchot – VP of Enterprise Development 

For the first five years of her career, straight out of her BA, Libba Pinchot was the co-leader of Stanford’s computer-based math education program for primary school students, from inception to implementation in school systems. In the second half of the decade, she served as Executive Director of a demonstration college-based HeadStart teacher training startup. Both were groundbreaking—never done before—and both experiments devised effective ways to improve the lives of those touched. Since then, she has been a start-up and innovation maven. 

With her spouse Gifford, she co-invented the concept of intrapreneurship and co-wrote the NY Times bestselling book that launched a movement that liberated employees to express their values through entrepreneurial innovations implemented inside larger organizations. For three decades she led their intrapreneuring business that consulted to many organizations, large and small, training employees to transform organizations for more innovation and positive impact.

In 2002, Libba conceived, drove the creation of, and co-founded the Bainbridge Graduate Institute (BGI)—the first graduate school to offer an MBA in Sustainable Business—with a focus on value-based entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship. The 800 graduates, both intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs, are proving that businesses that serve both customers and the planet can be profitable market leaders.

In the role of VP of Enterprise Development, Libba helps facilitate the growth of the VisualMagic™ team and the co-creation, inside and out, of organizational connections, relationships and culture for maximal mission effectiveness. 

She finds VisualMagic™ to be a dream project with a growing dream team that promises great positive impact for her abiding social and environmental passion—supporting and defending the nation’s public lands. Dr. Pinchot has a Ph.D. in organizational transformation, two master’s degrees and a BA in philosophy from Stanford University.

Gordon Wiltse – Director of Photography and Installation Team Leader

For over half a century, Gordon Wiltsie's photography has celebrated the wonder and majesty of some of the wildest places and cultures on Earth. His work has made people care about our planet and helped inspire the modern boom in adventure sports and travel. He has often traveled with leading explorers of our time, and his images of mountaineering, rock climbing, extreme skiing, dog sledding, mountain biking, and many other activities have brought awe to millions of viewers

Combining a unique mix of organizational, leadership, and technical skills, Gordon has led and/or photographed over 100 treks and expeditions to remote places that few, if any, had been before. These include numerous journeys to the Himalayas, the Andes, the Canadian Arctic, Antarctica, and both geographic poles. He is an accomplished mountain guide and has led many treks and adventure tours for leading companies like Mountain Travel/Sobek, Geographic Expeditions, and National Geographic Expeditions.

The Explorer's Club has called Gordon one of the great expedition photographers of his generation. His work has been widely published in international magazines, including numerous features for National Geographic, Travel and Leisure, Outside, Geo, Life and many more. He is the author of "To the Ends of the Earth – Adventure of an Expedition Photographer," and his images have appeared regularly in calendars, posters, and advertising for leading outdoor companies like Patagonia, The North Face, and Nike. Visit his website at https://www.gordonwiltsie.com to see his work.

Both at work and at home, Gordon is a skilled do-it-yourselfer with expertise in electricity, plumbing, construction, and mechanics. In one instance, he and his family used only hand tools to build a cabin and boathouse on an off-the-grid Canadian wilderness island, an hour by boat from the nearest road. Over the years, they improved the property, and today, they rent it as an Airbnb, complete with hot water, internet, and most home amenities.

At Visual Magic, Gordon will help choose locations for Zoomies™, oversee and maintain camera installations, fine-tune the composition, zoom and settings, and teach other installers to do the same.

Advisors

We are grateful to our Advisors who have given so selflessly of their time and generously of their wisdom in service to our Parks. 

  • Hung Q. Nguyen

    Global Innovation Leader in Software & AI

    Hung Q. Nguyen is a veteran technology executive, entrepreneur, and author withnearly 40 years in software, imaging, and AI. He founded LogiGear in 1994 and grew it from a Silicon Valley startup into a global software-testing leader spanning the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Vietnam. His pioneering work in test automation—and several widely read books on software quality—have earned him international recognition as a thought leader.

    Today Mr. Nguyen operates at the intersection of software, AI, video, and imaging. He founded Shade of Hue, an e-learning platform for modern software testing; backs forward-looking startups such as Secuvy (AI data privacy), EyeVi (3-D geospatial mapping), and SpeechLab.ai (AI speech translation); and is a limited partner at Ascend Vietnam Ventures. He also advises AgileAI Labs, AGEST/LogiGear, Haywork Global, and Hue University, leveraging decades of business-scaling and East-West market experience to help teams turn cutting-edge ideas into enduring value.

  • Pete Warden

    Machine Learning and AI, Google
    CEO Useful Sensors, Stanford University

    Pete Warden co-founded Jetpac, which was sold to Google in 2014. At Google, he led the development of the TensorFlow Lite machine learning framework for mobile and embedded applications. He is a leading thinking, innovator and entrepreneur in Visual AI, software and big data. He is the author of 3 O’Reilly books and currently is enrolled in a PhD program at Stanford University.

    Pete is the CEO at Useful Sensors. He is one of the original creators of the TensorFlow framework, wrote the leading textbooks for embedded machine learning and for building mobile applications with TensorFlow. Pete also created a standard data set for short speech recognition and is dedicated to organizing the physical world’s information to make it universally accessible and useful.

  • Sabrina Watkins

    Global Head of Sustainability, ConocoPhillips
    Pioneering Leader in Global Sustainability & Conservation

    Sabrina Watkins is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability, with a career spanning over three decades advancing environmental, social, and business performance. As the former Global Head of Sustainability at ConocoPhillips, she led award-winning initiatives that significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions, saved millions, and strengthened stakeholder engagement. Sabrina’s expertise has also benefited organizations such as Future 500, the U.S. Business Council for Sustainable Development, and Balsam Mountain Trust, where she continues to champion conservation and environmental education.

    Guided by a lifelong passion for the outdoors, Sabrina brings both technical expertise and visionary leadership to her advisory work. Her collaborative approach and commitment to positive impact align deeply with Visual Magic’s mission to connect people with the wonders of the natural world and promote sustainable stewardship for future generations.

  • Bruce Fears

    President, Aramark Parks and Destinations
    – Icon in National Parks Hospitality & Operations

    Bruce Fears grew up near Shenandoah National Park where his father and mother earned their livelihood working for a small company that managed the park’s concessions. When he was old enough, Bruce helped them, learning the business from the ground up.

    Upon graduation from college, Bruce joined Aramark in 1974, as Food and Beverage Manager at Skyland Lodge in Shenandoah National Park, eventually becoming a Regional Vice President and playing an integral role on the company’s management team at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid.

    After leaving Aramark for nine years, he returned in 2005 to lead the Destinations team. With half a century of experience in the hospitality industry, Fears is a recognized leader in the travel and tourism community. He has served on the National Board of the Travel Industry of America and the California State Park Concessions Board, has testified before Congress on National Park Concession’s Policy, and was a presenter at the World Congress of Parks in South Africa in 2004. He has also served as Vice Chairman of the National Park Hospitality Association and was a member of the National Parks Service Centennial Advisory Commission. He was one the founding members of the Grand Circle Association and is currently a board member of the Park Institute of America.

  • Jeff Winkel

    Senior Vice President / Managing Director, Five Star Bank, SF
    – Strategic Banking Executive for Nonprofits & Growth Ventures

    Jeff is a fourth generation San Franciscan and a highly experienced Banking professional.

    Prior to joining Five Star Bank as Senior Vice President/Managing Director, Jeff served as Managing Director of Business Banking at First Republic Bank for over 23 years where he was responsible for underwriting business credit requests, growing overall banking relationships and ensuring a high-level client service experience.

    Winkel managed senior credit analysts and senior compliance officers and worked closely with a team of preferred bankers in different regions who assisted in managing clients’ day-to-day banking needs. His worked focused mainly in the San Francisco Bay Area but he had a presence in New York City and Southern California.

  • Josh Knauer

    Social Impact Entrepreneur & Technology Strategist

    Josh Knauer was a member of President Obama’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and is the founder of EnviroLink – a clearinghouse of environmental information and once the provider of free internet services to non-profit organizations.

    Josh is currently a co-founder of ReSeed Farm (www.reseed.farm) , a founder and General Partner at JumpScale (www.wejumpscale.com).

    He is an adjunct Professor at Carnegie Mellon University and an Executive-in-Residence at Columbia University Ventures/NYSERDA. He is also a photographer with focus on all things natural.

  • Chet Bardo

    District Superintendent, California State Parks (retired)

    As district superintendent, Bardo was responsible for overseeing about 30 parks from San Mateo County to the Pajaro Valley, including statewide attractions like Big Basin Redwoods and Ano Nuevo State Reserve and local favorites like Wilder Ranch and the Forest of Nisene Marks. The district encompasses more than 64,000 acres of parklands and 40 miles of coastline, and includes 20 percent of all land in Santa Cruz County.

    “Chet certainly singled himself out as the guy for this job,” said Ted Jackson, State Parks deputy director of operations in Sacramento. “He’s had a long career with State Parks, and he’s very deserving of leading a district as exciting, as complex, as beautiful as Santa Cruz ... People [there] are getting a real gem.”

    Bardo takes the job as visitor attendance continues to increase while the area’s parks face ongoing staff and budget shortfalls as well as mounting maintenance needs at historic sites and visitor facilities. We’ve really become active in public-private partnerships and figuring out new ways to do things. Chet brings a wealth of experience and good judgement to our project and is a very valuable member of our team.

  • Ron Garber

    Strategic Partnerships & Growth Advisor

    Ron Garber is a distinguished real estate industry leader and dynamic consultant, renowned for over three decades of exceptional achievements and deep industry insights. He is the founder and owner of Consolidated Real Estate Management Strategies (CREMS.net), a leading-edge data company driving innovation in real estate analytics.

    Ron thrives on building relationships and pioneering new ideas. Whether guiding companies through transformative growth or empowering professionals with new tools and insights, he brings energy, clarity, and exceptional results to every endeavor.

    Ron’s career is marked by a passion for innovation, an instinct for connecting people, and a relentless drive to create new opportunities, businesses, and strategic partnerships. Ron has deep understanding of market trends, strategic business development, and an ability to lead through times of rapid change and opportunity.

    Ron is an ardent supporter of the State and National Parks and his strategic acumen, visionary approach, and expansive professional network uniquely position him as a valuable asset.