Spark by HALO  ·  Team

Merchant instinct meets engineering depth

Two senior leaders. Complementary expertise across merchandising, product development, sourcing, and technology. One integrated team that covers every phase from concept to shelf.

Rene Hart

CEO & Co-Founder

Rene is a career merchant and product developer with deep expertise in merchandising, go-to-market strategy, brand development, and consumer product licensing. He has held senior leadership roles at some of America's most recognized specialty retail and consumer product brands, consistently driving category growth and launching products that earn top retail rankings.

He founded HALO to apply that same market intuition and operational depth to help brands of all sizes bring winning products to U.S. retail through the Spark model.

HALO Technologies
CEO & Co-Founder — leads HALO's vision and the SparkbyHALO client model
Three-Sixty GroupSharper Image brand
Chief Merchandising Officer — grew brand from $225M to over $800M in annual retail sales; wholesale up 250%+. #1 NPD rankings in Massage, Handheld Massagers, and Personal Care
Blueprynt International
Founder & Chief Innovation Officer — consulting across Sharper Image, HoMedics, and Vornado on market research, design strategy, product development and sourcing
Brookstone
OVP/DMM — rose from Store Manager to corporate executive over 18 years
Big Blue Audio · AR Drone · Kinetic Sand · Pico Projectors (#1 NPD)
PetSmart
Sr. Director of Hardgoods
Patents
12 utility and design patents — including temperature-controlled massage node technology and the Sharper Image PowerBoost line
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David Yang

CTO — Product Development & Technology

David brings over 20 years of expertise in multi-category consumer product development, spanning audio, personal care, wellness, and consumer electronics. As CTO at HALO, he leads all product development and engineering engagements, from early concept through factory qualification, certification, and mass production.

His career spans senior roles at Three-Sixty Group where he led product development for the Sharper Image brand, FKA Brands where he managed JAM Wireless Audio and Sol Republic, and a decade on the ground in Hong Kong directing merchandising and product development for Brookstone's Asia Division — building deep factory relationships across the region that he brings to every HALO engagement.

HALO Technologies
Chief Technology Officer — leads all product development and engineering across every Spark by HALO client engagement
Three-Sixty GroupSharper Image brand
VP of Product Development & Director of R&D — led product innovation and engineering for the Sharper Image brand
FKA Brands
Sr. Product Manager — JAM Wireless Audio & Sol Republic
Brookstone Asia
Director, Merchandising & Product Development — 10 years across Hong Kong operations, rising from Merchandiser to Director
Patents
Seamless Knit Enclosure for Headphones (US10669655B2) · UV Sanitizing Apparatus (WO2020264225A1) · Co-inventor on Sharper Image PowerBoost patents
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Our Approach

We think like merchants, build like engineers

Most product development firms are either strong on the commercial side or the technical side. We built HALO to close that gap. Rene's decades of retail and merchandising experience means every product decision is made with the buyer, the shelf, and the consumer in mind. David's engineering depth means those decisions can actually be executed. At quality, at cost, at scale.

Together, we cover the full arc. From "what should we build?" to "how do we build it?" to "how do we sell it?" in a single integrated engagement. And with David's decade of Asia-based sourcing experience, we have the factory relationships to back it up.

$1B+
In retail sales generated
14
Patents awarded
20+
Years combined experience
6+
Product categories
Asia
Global factory network

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