I recently had the privilege of reviewing the The Ascent vaporizer by DaVinci on KnowTechie and I was blown away by their product. Literally.
While doing the normal research I would do for any company that I'm reviewing, I usually do a little digging on the CEO, just so I can get a better idea of the culture and vision of the company. One common theme kept popping into my head while I read and dug through this particular CEO's history: "This guy is literally the most interesting man in the world."
Seriously, here's some of the information I found on Cort Smith:
- International Relations degree from BYU and fluent in Mandarin
- Introduced bungee jumping to China
- Built 35 extreme sports parks throughout China
- Produced first Asian "X" Games. Co-hosted Taiwan's Extreme Game TV for five years
- Has complete projects in market entry, construction and engineering, new product development and Joint Venture consulting for many international companies such as Budweiser, China National Sports Bureau, Channel V (Hong Kong), Coca Cola, Formosa Plastic (Taiwan), Kleenex, Levi Strauss, Lipton, Makro (Germany), MTV, Pepsi, President (Taiwan), and Shanghai Stadium.
Naturally, I had to get in touch with Cort, so I sent him some questions he was kind enough to answer them for me. Here it goes:
Looking at your past accomplishments and achievements, it seems like you're the most interesting man in the world (think the guy in those Dos Equis commercials). What made you get in the vape business?
I've been fortunate to manage a lifetime of adventure traveling. Seeing the tribes of Africa to the villages of Burma. Along that path I noticed that all cultures appreciate art and good craftsmanship which widened my outlook on what tools I would bring along with me. As a 'lifestyle traveler', I wanted a vape that fit my needs and expressed my passion for the industry. The culmination of building something for my own needs and integrating my professional background as an inventor lead me to shoot for the ultimate vaporizer. The timing, dedication and inspiration all lined up with a host of amazing people to help us to where we are now. Looking back, it seems the entire collection of life experiences lined for roll call and ushered us towards the vape industry. I couldn't be happier with the outcome.
Other than offering the world's first glass on glass portable vape and other new features, what sets you guys apart from your competition?
I think some of the magic that sets us apart from our competition aside from product features is our company culture and the people we attract. We decided that to be the best, we would have to invest into our own factory, R & D team, and keep our work scope fun and exciting. Last week I took the entire manufacturing staff bungee jumping and opened their eyes to strengths within themselves. It was priceless! When it comes to design and material selection, it has always been simple. We often ask ourselves, "What would Da Vinci do?" and only select the best options.
What's down the road for DaVinci? Do you ever plan to make a stand alone vaporizer? Compete with Volcano?
Da Vinci is deeply entrenched in new plans to offer a premier line of vaporization products across all applications. For those who want the most 'well thought out' vaporizers, we continue to innovate and disrupt the norm. We will soon be offering an advanced vape that reflects the innovation of what would make Da Vinci proud. For now, I can say that 2015 is going to be an exciting year for vape enthusiasts across the globe!
For more information about Davinci, check out their website here: DaVinciVaporizer.com
This post was written by Kevin Raposo, a tech blogger for KnowTechie. Follow him on Twitter!
