Growing up in an urban environment in a difficult household, Element founder Johnny Schillereff discovered comfort in the artistic expression of skateboarding and other street culture. Emerging as a successful skateboarder and artist, he found himself bombarded with branded items and gear. He intuitively sensed that if he were to have a company, he would treat the branding a little differently. He received all this stuff, but what did it mean? What were they trying to say and who were the people saying it?