West Slope Startup Week, Durango 2023
It all began during West Slope Startup Week in Durango, where Robin, Kelly & TJ were on a panel together to discuss how rural outdoor brands collaborate and grow their businesses in more remote communities. They discovered that their businesses all faced similar growth struggles, inherent in smaller communities. These obstacles are shared by many rural brands, and there is an opportunity to address them. During the discussion, they held an off-the-cuff collaborative workshop that generated some pretty rad ideas they had to follow up on.
Meet the Founders
Meet Robin
Location: Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Company: Town Hall Outdoor Co.
Favorite Activities: Playing Outside & Traveling with family and friends
Robin Hall is the CEO and Co-Founder of Town Hall, a sustainable kids outdoor apparel company with community and planet at its core. With over 15 years in the outdoor industry, Robin is a seasoned and enthusiastic leader, strategist and project manager. Robin has built a career out of diving deeply into all functions of an outdoor brand and she passionately brings diverse groups together to solve problems, with her values as her guide. Robin's #1 and #2 StrengthFinders strengths are Positivity and Achiever, which means she gets it done with a genuine smile on her face and for the love of the process. Town Hall is the epicenter of her passions, bringing together community, environmental stewardship, kids and the outdoors. Robin loves outside daily with her husband, two sons and Bernese Mountain Dog, Yeti, in the amazing community of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Meet Kelly
Kelly Mazanti is the Co-Founder and CEO of Buttnski, a women owned & operated outdoor apparel brand based in Summit County, Colorado. Buttnski makes elevated clothing for adventure’s playground. It all started with fleece shorts that Kelly's Mom got in the late 80's to keep her butt warm while she skied in the Pacific Northwest.
After leaving her corporate job in 2017, Kelly founded and ran a brand design & strategy business called Pier Collective for 5 years. Growing up in Washington State, Kelly has loved the outdoors from a young age. She now lives with her husband / Co-Founder, Christian and husky / retired sled dog, Drake in Summit County, Colorado.
Meet TJ
Location: Grand Junction, Colorado
Company: Stray Wild
Favorite Activities: Climbing, Backpacking, Art, Putzing in the Shop
TJ Smith is the Founder and CEO of Stray Wild, a creative studio that specializes in branding, merch design, illustration and environmental advocacy for those who give a hoot about the outdoors. Each project stems from the drive to restore our love for the outdoors through the creation of art.
TJ's passion for the outdoors began between the trees of Pennsylvania, where he explored the natural world day in and day out. With a move westward, he expanded his explorations, cultivating a lifestyle of adventurous play and multidisciplinary creative pursuits. These practices include murals, branding, art, illustration and product design. Led by nature, he approaches his projects with the idea that art can better our relationship to the lands, animals, waters, blue skies, and tall trees we all call home.
Rural Is Rad
Together with Town Hall Co., Buttnski and Stray Wild, we are starting a movement to support rural founders & brands in the outdoor industry.