KORE Outdoors Podcast

Casey Shaw is a product designer who has played an important role in outdoor apparel design and fabrication through his work at Cloudveil, Arcteryx and Patagonia. There’s a good chance he has contributed directly or indirectly to one of your favourite pieces of outdoor apparel.This episode is a wide-ranging conversation about how Casey approaches product design, how he thinks about innovation and the stories behind some of his favourite projects. He truly is a polymath and this conversation barely scratches the surface of his wide-ranging interests and skill sets. Here are just a few of the interesting topics he covers in this conversation:* Why climbing is the best activity for testing apparel* Tuning racing motorcycles & sound frequencies* Designing for a very specific activity leads to better products in general* Using cleverness (instead of money) to solve problems* The story of creating the Atom LT for Arcteryx* Working for Yvon Chouinard* Designing the worlds best down parka* Having a process for problem-solving* Measuring is as important as making* The theory of comfort* Risk with discretion can be a tool* Finding the sublime balance in life and innovation

Eoin Comerford was the CEO of Moosejaw Mountaineering for 12 years, from 2012 to 2024. During his time at the Michigan-based outdoor retailer, he launched many new initiatives including the Outdoor Accelerator, a topic discussed in this episode. He also led Moosejaw through an acquisition by Walmart and, later, by Dick’s Sporting Goods. Eoin is currently an advisor to, and investor in, early-stage outdoor brands. He is the Principal at Outsize Consulting where he spends his time advising founders and working with retailers and investors in the outdoor industry. A few of the topics covered in this episode are:Three things every founder should focus onThe advice Eoin gives every founder he works withPitfalls to avoid when raising investment capitalHow to create a plan to profitability

Raquel Vélez is the founder and CEO of Alpine Parrot, a company that makes technical outdoor apparel for sizes 14-30, which, until now, has been a category that the outdoor industry has all but ignored. Raquel has a background in engineering and she used her experience working with Bay Area tech companies to springboard her journey into entrepreneurship. In this conversation, she breaks down how apparel patterns are made and why previous methods for creating plus-size apparel didn’t work. She also discusses the important role that mentors, peers and her time in accelerator programs have played in keeping her going through turbulent times.

Georgia Grace Edwards is the co-founder and CEO of outdoor apparel brand Gnara. She is a driven business person who has raised millions of dollars for her company by winning pitch competitions and winning over investors. Gnara is well-known for its patented Go Fly zipper technology, which allows women to pee outside without removing clothing. They produce their line of apparel, like the popular Go There Pants, as well as license their Go Fly technology to other brands.In this episode, Georgia Grace talks about the power of pitch competitions, how to grow customer loyalty by being transparent, and why solving a real problem is the best inspiration for facing the challenges of growing a brand.Gnara has recently launched a second Kickstarter campaign for its Go Free Leggings. For more about the KORE Outdoors Podcast, visit https://koreoutdoors.org/kore-outdoors-podcast/#craftgearfromhere #shoplocal

Alex Lauver is the Senior Director of Materials, Innovation and Sustainability at Outdoor Research. As his title implies, he operates at the intersection of multiple disciplines. He works on projects that bring innovation to market as well as on the  operations side of the business. It's a position that requires the ability to take complex topics and explain them in a way that makes them easy to understand. In this episode, Alex discusses the role that innovation can play in product development and how to foster innovation within an organization. He shares his perspective on sustainability within the outdoor industry as well as the challenges we face moving to a more circular economy. He also gives an overview of PFAS substances, what they are, and how new regulations will change the way technical apparel is manufactured.You can read more about Alex and some of the insights from his work on linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-lauver/For more about the KORE Outdoors Podcast, visit https://koreoutdoors.org/kore-outdoors-podcast/#craftgearfromhere #shoplocal

James Friedrich is a senior merchant at Mountain Equipment Company and a consultant at his firm Venturing Up. James has experience on the brand side as well as on the retail side, which provides him with a unique perspective. In this episode we learn how to position your product in the market, the importance of the value equation, how to price your product and how to work with retailers to have successful sell-through of your products. 

Robin Hall is the co-founder of Town Hall Outdoor Co, based in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, which produces high-quality, sustainable outdoor apparel for kids.In this episode, we talk about utilizing in-person events to gain traction as a new brand, working with co-founders to bootstrap the business and the importance of finding the right retail partners to work with.Robin loves the outdoor industry and helping other up-and-coming brands grow. She is a founding member of the “Rural is Rad” movement, which helps shine a light on the brands that are being started in smaller communities.You can learn more about on their website townhallco.com and you can connect with Robin on LinkedIn.

Wes Allen owns Sunlight Sports in Cody, Wyoming with his wife, Melissa and both are advocates for strengthening the outdoor industry through independently owned retailers and brands.Wes has enjoyed a wide-ranging career in the outdoor industry: he's worked in sales at REI and Chaco and he's president of the US-based Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, a community of independent outdoor specialty retailers and brands.This episode is full of actionable advice for smaller brands looking to grow in the outdoor industry. Wes explains omni-channel selling, which is using all channels and platforms to offer products and services to prospective clients, and why he believes it is the best way for both brands and retailers to succeed. He also tells us why we should be cynical about big, publicly-traded companies if we want the outdoor industry to survive, and he gives us some excellent tips brands can incorporate to improve their selling to retailers.Aside from appearing in this podcast, Wes regularly shares his experiential insights through industry publications and public speaking events. You can find his writing and follow him on LinkedIn.

Mallory Ottariano is the founder and Chief Everything Officer at Youer Apparel. She started her brand as a creative side project making one-of-a-kind apparel and has grown it into a full line of active lifestyle apparel for women.Today, Mallory owns her own factory in Missoula, Montana where they produce thousands of pieces of apparel every year. Mallory has been a vocal advocate for domestic manufacturing and has grown her loyal customer base by being transparent about what it takes to run an apparel business and the costs associated with producing apparel in America.In this episode, we talk about what it takes to get a brand started, her struggle to find reliable factories, and how her loyal customers funded her expansion to start her own factory.  She tells the story of how she turned a horrible experience pitching her products to REI into a viral social media video and how she has grown her brand without spending a dollar on advertising.Mallory has utilized social media to organically grow her business. You can find her on Instagram and learn more about Youer on their website.

Jamie Bond is one of the founders of RUX, the Squamish, BC-based innovative gear storage brand. In this conversation, we learn about how he and his team took RUX from an idea to a reality through a successful Kickstarter campaign. We dive into the do’s and don’ts of running a crowdfunding campaign, how to grow an early-stage e-commerce company and the importance of building a brand as well as innovative products.