Van Hipp, Angel Investor

Van Hipp, a businessman and a veteran of the United States Army, currently assists a broad range of organizations with programs related to public relations, business development, and government affairs as the Chairman of the Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm American Defense International, Inc. Originally from South Carolina, Van Hipp began his career as the Chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party. As one of the state’s leading political figures, he acted as a member of the Presidential Electoral College and introduced Newt Gingrich at the Republican National Convention in 1988. Following his service in South Carolina, Van Hipp was sworn in as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, and in this position, he helped organize the reserve forces during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm during the first Gulf War. Following the Tailhook Scandal in 1991, Van D. Hipp Jr. earned the post of Principal Deputy General Counsel to the Navy, where he oversaw a variety of the division’s legal matters. Van is also an angel investor primarily in the venture and other early funding rounds. His portfolio includes Atomic-6, a manufacturing startup bringing next-generation composite products.