[Tex/LaTex] vertically align cell in table that includes minipages

Question

In the following table (code included below), how can I vertically center the text RowName1? (note that each bulleted list must be within a minipage environment).

Code:

\documentclass[letter]{article}
\usepackage{booktabs}

\begin{document}

\begin{tabular}{cp{2in}p{2in}}
\toprule
          & \multicolumn{1}{c}{\textbf{ColName1}} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{\textbf{ColName2}} \\
\midrule
\textbf{RowName1}
&
\begin{minipage}[t]{\linewidth}
\begin{itemize}
\item 1
\item 2
\end{itemize}
\end{minipage}
&
\begin{minipage}[t]{\linewidth}
\begin{itemize}
\item 1
\item 2
\item 3
\item 4
\end{itemize}
\end{minipage}
\\
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}

\end{document}

ADDENDUM

It would also be useful, if the same effect could be achieved without using minipages. I have tried to do so (see code below), but get the following:

This is problematic for two reasons: (a) RowName1 is not vertically aligned, and (b) there's extra space before and after the bullet lists.

The code used is:

\documentclass[letter]{article}
\usepackage{booktabs,enumitem,array}

\begin{document}

\begin{tabular}{p{1in}p{2in}p{2in}}
\toprule
          & \multicolumn{1}{c}{\textbf{ColName1}} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{\textbf{ColName2}} \\
\midrule
\textbf{RowName1}
&
\begin{itemize}[topsep=0em, partopsep=0em, parsep=0em, itemsep=0em, leftmargin=1em]\raggedright
\item 1
\item 2
\end{itemize}
&
\begin{itemize}[topsep=0em, partopsep=0em, parsep=0em, itemsep=0em, leftmargin=1em]\raggedright
\item 1
\item 2
\item 3
\item 4
\end{itemize}
\\
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}

\end{document}

Answer 1

By help of tables nesting and use m column type from package `array:

\documentclass[letter]{article}
    \usepackage{array,booktabs,paralist}%enumitem

    \usepackage{lipsum}

    \begin{document}
\begin{tabular}{c m{2in} m{2in}}
\toprule
          & \hfil \textbf{ColName1} & \hfil \textbf{ColName2} \\
\midrule
\textbf{RowName1}
&   \multicolumn{2}{@{}l@{}}{
    \begin{tabular}{|p{2in}|p{2in}|}
\begin{minipage}[t]{2in}
\begin{itemize}[\textbullet]
\item 1
\item 2
\end{itemize}
\end{minipage}
    &
        \begin{minipage}[t]{2in}
        \begin{itemize}[\textbullet]
        \item 1
        \item 2
        \item 

        3: \lipsum[2]
        \end{itemize}
        \end{minipage}
    \end{tabular}   }
    \\
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}
    \end{document}

Used package \paralistenables simple to define different itemize's label stiles as well adopt left margin of itemize to label width. Of course, if you more familiar withenumitem` package, the same can be achieved with it.

Addendum: If you like to manually centering of first cell's content, that see of the next solution is less over-killed :-). In it is not nested tables, only minipages. Position of first cell content you adjust with maxsimal number of lines in other cells.

\documentclass[letter]{article}
    \usepackage{booktabs,multirow,paralist}%enumitem

    \usepackage{lipsum}

    \begin{document}
\begin{tabular}{c p{2in} p{2in}}
\toprule
          & \hfil \textbf{ColName1} & \hfil \textbf{ColName2} \\
\midrule
\multirow{21}*{\textbf{RowName1}}
    &   \multicolumn{2}{l@{}}{
\begin{minipage}[t]{2in}
    \begin{itemize}[\textbullet]
    \item 1: \lipsum[2]
    \item 2
    \end{itemize}
\end{minipage}\hspace{2\tabcolsep}%
    \begin{minipage}[t]{2in}
        \begin{itemize}[\textbullet]
        \item 1
        \item 2
        \item 3: \lipsum[2]
        \end{itemize}
    \end{minipage}          }\\
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}
    \end{document}

Result is similar as before. This time I omited vertical lines, which in the first case serve only for show columns width in would be in real use omitted.