Stephen Yount Ascher, Jr. is the founder, Group Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Miramar Brands Group, Inc., where he leads the company’s long-term vision, global brand strategy, and stewardship of its internationally recognized Crown Marks portfolio—Miramar®, Sideout®, Queen & King of the Beach®, Queen & King of the Court®, Queen & King of the Snow®, Havuk®, and related lifestyle, sport, and media assets.

A pioneer of modern fashion and sports-lifestyle branding, Mr. Ascher created the original Crown Brands in 1983 along the golden shores of California’s American Riviera, Miramar Beach—where he first designed the iconic Miramar®, King of the Beach®, King of the Court and Sideout® logos that would go on to shape multiple generations of global sports culture, fashion, and competition.

Founder, Builder & Industry Leader

Mr. Ascher served as Founder, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Sideout Sport, Inc. from its founding in 1983 through its acquisition by Cherokee, Inc. (NASDAQ: CHKE) in 1997. Following the transaction, he served as Corporate Officer, Senior Executive Vice President, President of Sideout®, and President of New Business Development at Cherokee through 2003—guiding global licensing, retail expansion, and new category development, increasing market capitalization from $5 Million to over $500 Million.

Today, he continues to build Miramar’s multi-brand platform across the Americas, EMEA, and ASEAN regions, overseeing major initiatives in athlete partnerships, global events, retail media networks, digital commerce, and trademark enforcement. Under his leadership, Miramar and its partner brands have surpassed $5 billion in annual retail sales across apparel, sporting goods, media, and experiential platforms.

Mr. Ascher is also the founder of Omnichanel, American Riviera Brands, and Omnichannel World LLC, a trademark holding company.  Mr. Ascher is an investor and partner in the ownership of the Hang Ten® and Lightning Bolt brands.  His publishing holdings include Cannabis Now Magazine, Hemp Magazine, and Cannabis Aficionado Magazine.

Athlete Origins & Creative Legacy

Mr. Ascher began his athletic career as a competitive ski racer on the Mammoth Mountain Ski Team, training under legendary Olympic champion and 3 time gold medalist at Cortina, Italy in 1956, Toni Sailer. 2026 will be the 70th Anniversary of Toni Sailer’s amazing feat, at the same mountain.  Mr. Ascher’s racing career began after winning the 18-under division under the direction of Toni Sailer himself at his Toni Sailer Summer Race Camp at age 14.

At the University of California, Berkeley—where he earned his B.A. in International Business—at Hearst Gymnasium, he captained the NCAA Club Volleyball team to a 102–29 record and two national club titles under coach Ron Larsen, who went on to coach the Men’s US National Team.

It was at Berkeley, in his fraternity house, that he sketched the original artwork for Miramar®, Sideout® and King of the Beach®, igniting what would become a forty-five year global brand lineage.

Global Leadership & Community

Mr. Ascher has been an active member of Young Presidents’ Organization / World Presidents’ Organization (YPO-WPO) for over three decades, including the San Gabriel Valley, Global One, and YPO 49’ers chapters—where he remains focused on family, mentorship, skiing, outdoor sports and lifelong friendships.

Mr. Ascher is a sports enthusiast from his ski racing roots, deeply committed to the family’s 100 year legacy with the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States (“AAU”) where his grandfather, Vernon William “Red” Ascher was the fastest man in the world in 1926 and sits in Georgetown University’s “Hall of Fame.”.  Red and his teammates shattered world records at the Penn Relays, and again on March 16, 1926  in the 440 yard run and the Mile Relay in New York City.  This milestone is still one of the Georgetown Hoya’s top three moments in their sports history.

Mr. Ascher also is deeply committed and focused on  Miramar’s long-term partnership with the Fédération Internationale du Volleyball (“FIVB”), the international governing body of volleyball, and Miramar’s collaborative partnership with Amsterdam based Sportworx BV, and its CEO Wilco Nijland.  Mr. Nijland  invented and runs the Queen & King of the Court® Crown Series Events presented by Miramar® and broadcast to over 100 Million households across 120 Countries.  Miramar® is hopeful for  this great new and exciting sport’s inclusion into the Olympic rotation, possibly at Los Angeles in 2028!

Personal Interests

A lifelong creative, Mr. Ascher is an avid artist, photographer, reader, and writer. His passions include the global development of volleyball, the fourth most popular sport in the world with over 800 Million participants, health and wellness, skiing, heli-skiing, backcountry adventure, hiking, fly-fishing, mountain biking, boating, surfing, and golf. Deeply spiritual and Catholic, he enjoys time with his children, extended family, close friends, and his two golden retrievers, Cody and Knox.

Contact

contact@miramarbrands.com

6269938000