Virginia Martino
Founder, CEO
Virginia’s branding and marketing career started in 1990 when she created Tusk Studios, a successful, award-winning graphic design firm. In 1995, she also became the co-publisher of Las Vegas Magazine, the city’s authoritative arts, entertainment and lifestyle bi-monthly. Under her leadership, the publication showcased Las Vegas’ thriving gourmet food and fine arts market to the world and attracted national advertisers.
In 2000, Virginia anticipated the explosive hospitality growth of Las Vegas and seized the opportunity. She dismantled her two successful businesses and engineered BRAND as a full-service marketing and communications company that integrated comprehensive digital marketing strategies with traditional branding endeavors.
Virginia understands the overriding importance of building brands, and a brand’s potential to create a deep, emotional connections with consumers, and the potential of building a brand experience that forms lasting and mutually beneficial trust relationships with customers. She quickly added a complete and unique brand development process to the company’s arsenal of services.
Virginia leads her team in developing national brands within emerging industries. She has also worked with some of the city’s most prestigious hospitality brands, including Paris Las Vegas, Bally’s and MGM Resorts International, including City Center, Aria, Bellagio, MGM Resorts, Mirage and Park MGM, as well as commercial real estate developers, consumer goods and spirits, medical and wealth consulting groups.
Virginia is a recent Class of 2024 graduate of the Henderson Chamber of Commerce Leadership Foundation Program and helped her class achieve a huge success with their selected class project and charity which was the Serving Our Kids Foundation. Virginia led all efforts to re-brand the foundation, creating their strategic marketing plan moving forward. She has also aligned other corporate partners to support their mission with both financial and in-kind donations.
In April 2023, Virginia became a founding board member of The Invisible Enemy Foundation and has handled all branding and public relations for the foundation. The Invisible Enemy is fighting to bring justice and awareness for those veterans who have served at the Nevada Test and Training range and who were also exposed to harmful effects of radiation. There is a bill HR 1400, “The Protect Act” that is being introduced to Congress.
In 2020, Virginia was invited to serve on the Executive Board of The Darren Waller Foundation and actively promote its mission to prevent substance abuse and served for 4.5 years. Waller, an impact player for the Las Vegas Raiders, uses this national platform to share his experience with substance abuse and foster a safe, affirming, accepting and encouraging environment for at-risk youth throughout the Las Vegas valley.
But branding, marketing and good works aren’t Virginia’s only passions. She and her husband, BRAND co-founder Mark V. Martino, share a passion for excellent food and wine, as well as The Arts. They created The Odyssey Lifestyle, a company dedicated to celebrating fine living through gourmet dining, fine wine, luxury travel, art exhibitions and publishing.
Odyssey Las Vegas, an annual, four-day showcase of the city’s greatest culinary talent, attracted high-profile epicures from across the country. Over several years, these events raised more than $750,000 for worthwhile local and national organizations, including Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Las Vegas, The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Susan G. Komen Foundation and the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.
In her spare time, Virginia loves golfing, traveling and watching sports, especially baseball and her beloved Vegas Golden Knights and Las Vegas Raiders, with her husband, family and friends. She also loves the outdoors, biking and hiking in the rugged terrain surrounding Las Vegas. Always looking for another mountain to climb and new business opportunities to bring to life.
Virginia is deeply committed to supporting her community and believes all companies should have a corporate responsibility to give back.
Virginia Martino
Founder, CEO
Virginia’s branding and marketing career started in 1990 when she created Tusk Studios, a successful, award-winning graphic design firm. In 1995, she also became the co-publisher of Las Vegas Magazine, the city’s authoritative arts, entertainment and lifestyle bi-monthly. Under her leadership, the publication showcased Las Vegas’ thriving gourmet food and fine arts market to the world and attracted national advertisers.
In 2000, Virginia anticipated the explosive hospitality growth of Las Vegas and seized the opportunity. She dismantled her two successful businesses and engineered BRAND as a full-service marketing and communications company that integrated comprehensive digital marketing strategies with traditional branding endeavors.
Virginia understands the overriding importance of building brands, and a brand’s potential to create a deep, emotional connections with consumers, and the potential of building a brand experience that forms lasting and mutually beneficial trust relationships with customers. She quickly added a complete and unique brand development process to the company’s arsenal of services.
Virginia leads her team in developing national brands within emerging industries. She has also worked with some of the city’s most prestigious hospitality brands, including Paris Las Vegas, Bally’s and MGM Resorts International, including City Center, Aria, Bellagio, MGM Resorts, Mirage and Park MGM, as well as commercial real estate developers, consumer goods and spirits, medical and wealth consulting groups.
Virginia is a recent Class of 2024 graduate of the Henderson Chamber of Commerce Leadership Foundation Program and helped her class achieve a huge success with their selected class project and charity which was the Serving Our Kids Foundation. Virginia led all efforts to re-brand the foundation, creating their strategic marketing plan moving forward. She has also aligned other corporate partners to support their mission with both financial and in-kind donations.
In April 2023, Virginia became a founding board member of The Invisible Enemy Foundation and has handled all branding and public relations for the foundation. The Invisible Enemy is fighting to bring justice and awareness for those veterans who have served at the Nevada Test and Training range and who were also exposed to harmful effects of radiation. There is a bill HR 1400, “The Protect Act” that is being introduced to Congress.
In 2020, Virginia was invited to serve on the Executive Board of The Darren Waller Foundation and actively promote its mission to prevent substance abuse and served for 4.5 years. Waller, an impact player for the Las Vegas Raiders, uses this national platform to share his experience with substance abuse and foster a safe, affirming, accepting and encouraging environment for at-risk youth throughout the Las Vegas valley.
But branding, marketing and good works aren’t Virginia’s only passions. She and her husband, BRAND co-founder Mark V. Martino, share a passion for excellent food and wine, as well as The Arts. They created The Odyssey Lifestyle, a company dedicated to celebrating fine living through gourmet dining, fine wine, luxury travel, art exhibitions and publishing.
Odyssey Las Vegas, an annual, four-day showcase of the city’s greatest culinary talent, attracted high-profile epicures from across the country. Over several years, these events raised more than $750,000 for worthwhile local and national organizations, including Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Las Vegas, The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Susan G. Komen Foundation and the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.
In her spare time, Virginia loves golfing, traveling and watching sports, especially baseball and her beloved Vegas Golden Knights and Las Vegas Raiders, with her husband, family and friends. She also loves the outdoors, biking and hiking in the rugged terrain surrounding Las Vegas. Always looking for another mountain to climb and new business opportunities to bring to life.
Virginia is deeply committed to supporting her community and believes all companies should have a corporate responsibility to give back.
Mark Martino
Master Architect
Mark was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where his parents instilled in him a love of travel, culture and gourmet dining from an early age. He quickly developed a fascination with design and construction, which led him to pursue a career in architecture.
In 1983, he moved to Bozeman and enrolled in a five-year
architectural program at Montana State University. As an undergraduate, Mark had an opportunity to participate in an internship program with a Nevada-based architectural firm. Upon receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in architecture in 1988, he joined that firm and took up residence in Las Vegas, which was primed for explosive growth.
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In 1983, he moved to Bozeman and enrolled in a five-year architectural program at Montana State University. As an undergraduate, Mark had an opportunity to participate in an internship program with a Nevada-based architectural firm. Upon receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in architecture in 1988, he joined that firm and took up residence in Las Vegas, which was primed for explosive growth.
Mark is proud of his contributions to the ever-changing architectural landscape of Las Vegas, from multi-million-dollar commercial projects to local schools, restaurants, condominiums and healthcare facilities.
Noteworthy projects include the Sands Expo and Convention Center, Agassi College Preparatory Academy, the Mesquite Heritage Museum, Molasky Family Park, Clark County Fire Stations and the Lynn Bennett Early Childhood Center at UNLV.
A member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the National Council of Architectural Review Boards (NCARB), Mark has also served as a project manager for a progressive civil engineering firm in Las Vegas.
Next, Mark initiated a scholarship program in conjunction with Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Las Vegas. The scholarships, funded by the proceeds of The Odyssey Lifestyle events, enabled deserving students to pursue their dreams of becoming professional chefs.
Students from Le Cordon Bleu were also given the opportunity to participate in corporate culinary events throughout the year, including launch parties and art exhibits arranged by BRAND.
Mark has been involved in and contributed to many other charitable causes, including The Audi Odyssey Masterpiece, benefitting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Society and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
He has traveled widely, and his love of the vine has taken him from Napa Valley and California’s central coast to the vineyards of Italy. He is a member of the California Olive Oil Council and the American Wine Society. Mark’s personal motto reflects his dedication to wine culture: “I can never have enough wine in my cellar!”
Mark Martino
Master Architect
Mark was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where his parents instilled in him a love of travel, culture and gourmet dining from an early age. He quickly developed a fascination with design and construction, which led him to pursue a career in architecture.
In 1983, he moved to Bozeman and enrolled in a five-year architectural program at Montana State University. As an undergraduate, Mark had an opportunity to participate in an internship program with a Nevada-based architectural firm. Upon receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in architecture in 1988, he joined that firm and took up residence in Las Vegas, which was primed for explosive growth.
Mark is proud of his contributions to the ever-changing architectural landscape of Las Vegas, from multi-million-dollar commercial projects to local schools, restaurants, condominiums and healthcare facilities.
Noteworthy projects include the Sands Expo and Convention Center, Agassi College Preparatory Academy, the Mesquite Heritage Museum, Molasky Family Park, Clark County Fire Stations and the Lynn Bennett Early Childhood Center at UNLV.
A member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the National Council of Architectural Review Boards (NCARB), Mark has also served as a project manager for a progressive civil engineering firm in Las Vegas.
Mark was the co-founder and Chief Executive of The Odyssey Lifestyle, an annual, four-day celebration of the food and wine lifestyle through art, education and inspiration based in Las Vegas. This prestigious event drew the city’s top chefs and artists, the nation’s foremost vintners, and discerning food and wine afficionados from across the country.
Next, Mark initiated a scholarship program in conjunction with Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Las Vegas. The scholarships, funded by the proceeds of The Odyssey Lifestyle events, enabled deserving students to pursue their dreams of becoming professional chefs.
Students from Le Cordon Bleu were also given the opportunity to participate in corporate culinary events throughout the year, including launch parties and art exhibits arranged by BRAND.
Mark has been involved in and contributed to many other charitable causes, including The Audi Odyssey Masterpiece, benefitting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Society and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
He has traveled widely, and his love of the vine has taken him from Napa Valley and California’s central coast to the vineyards of Italy. He is a member of the California Olive Oil Council and the American Wine Society. Mark’s personal motto reflects his dedication to wine culture: “I can never have enough wine in my cellar!”