David Howitt

David is an accomplished entrepreneur with 20+ years of experience providing business strategy and brand counsel to thriving start-ups, small businesses and Fortune 100 companies. The author of Heed Your Call, an integrated business book for entrepreneurs, David is an inspiring innovator and guiding mentor in the world of commerce. 

David’s ability to foster the growth of iconic consumer brands started right after law school. While serving as Corporate Counsel for adidas, the brand experienced explosive growth and David was invited to serve as Vice President of Licensing and Business Development. In this capacity, he oversaw a $250 million dollar licensing portfolio and drove successful acquisitions for several corporate entities including TaylorMade and Salomon. 

Always an entrepreneur at heart, David supported his wife, Heather Howitt in the launch of an iconic tea-based product, Oregon Chai in 1994, where they grew sales of the home-crafted brew from twenty thousand to two-hundred thousand dollars within their first year of business. Within six short years, the brand had spread to forty countries and across five continents. In 2004, Heather and David sold the company for seventy-five million dollars. 

David founded Meriwether Group, a boutique private equity, business accelerator, and advisory firm that supports some of the most disruptive and recognizable consumer brands. He and the firm are committed to transforming the way human values are expressed through business. Meriwether Group supports universal shifts in commerce by helping founders to “Fulfill their Journey,” as David and most of the team has personally done. 

Meriwether Group has provided financial, operational, and strategic guidance to these companies: Stumptown, Pendleton, adidas, Voodoo Doughnut, Salomon, yogitoes, Klim, Bloch, Dave’s Killer Bread, Oregon Chai, ABC Carpet & Home, Living Harvest, Laughing Planet, Nautilus, ChefWorks, Barre3, Xterra, and many more.