Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Keith Eshelman, co-founder of Parks Project
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Keith Eshelman, co-founder of Parks Project
About this episode
My guest this week is Keith Eshelman, co-founder and CEO of the Parks Project. The Parks Project is a social commerce company in that they have created some of the most comfortable clothing you will ever wear AND they have donated over 50% of their profits to over 50 partners such as Yosemite Conservancy, Sierra Club, the National Park Foundation, and many more.
After a weekend volunteering in the Santa Monica Mountains in 2014, Keith and his co-founder, both TOMS employees at the time, were struck by the challenges facing America’s underfunded and underappreciated National Parks. They set out to harness consumer power to help support the enormous backlog of underfunded projects within the national parks system by creating collections of apparel and accessories that would further connect consumers with the parks they love.
Within this episode you will hear quite a bit about the influence that Blake Mycoskie, the founder of TOMS, had on Keith’s journey. And that’s the beauty of entrepreneurship…it’s not a solo journey.
It’s also not an overnight journey, and more times than not…it’s decades in the making.
In this episode, you'll hear:
How Keith was born in northern California and grew up around career professionals. He had a conventional path pursing education that would lead him to a successful job.
He shares as a child he wanted to be a doctor and went to UC San Diego Medical School but left after sophomore year as he couldn’t consume the detailed information required for med school. He graduated with a management science degree, minor in Spanish that allowed him to travel.
He shares his love for Brands, but not only for their products but the whole company, and how he wanted to help companies that were making a difference.
Before he joined Toms, we worked in London with Puma and OMD, usually in product marketing.
When working at TOMS he experiences how a purchases can not only for fill the customer but help people and charities in need. Like Toms theory of purchasing a pair of shoes can give another child a pair for shoes.
Keith shares how TOMS allowed him to have his first taste of entrepreneurship by being allowed to run popup shops.
Keith explains his passion for recycling plastic in clothing like board shorts and wanted the product to have its own story.
He shares how he found his problem and why he pursued founding Parks Project, and what he is doing to fix it.
How he started his company from his garage and has been growing his team ever since.
How Parks Project is empowering the next generation, and their mission is to leave it, as you found it.
Keith shares how his company is here to build and innovate the product with useful recycling.
Resources from this episode
Join Grindology: https://grindology.com/
ExpressVPN: Get 3 Months Free → https://www.expressvpn.com/startupstory
Get Emails: https://app.getemails.com/referrals/newaccount?ref=R18HWW5
The Startup Story Inner Circle: https://www.thestartupstory.co/vip
The Startup Story on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thestartupstory
The Startup Story is now on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/jamesmckinney
The Startup Story on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestartupstory
Park Project https://www.parksproject.us
Hint Water Give Away https://mailchi.mp/thestartupstory/hint
Share the podcast
The Startup Story community has been so incredible sharing our podcast with others, and we thank you! We do have more stories to tell and more people to reach. There are three ways you can help.
First, the most powerful way you can support this podcast is by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Second, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and be sure to share your favorite Startup Story episodes with your friends and on social media. Tag or mention @thestartupstory.co so we can give you a virtual high five and a thank you!
Lastly, share the podcast on LinkedIn. The Startup Story podcast is for entrepreneurs. Don’t underestimate the power of sharing on LinkedIn so other entrepreneurs can discover us.
With your support, we hope to further our reach in encouraging and inspiring the founders of today and tomorrow. Thank you!
EPISODE CREDITS
This episode was made possible due to the support of our sponsor Grindology. Visit https://grindology.com/ to obtain founder-direct tactics and strategies.
View all episodes
By James McKinneyAbout this episode
My guest this week is Keith Eshelman, co-founder and CEO of the Parks Project. The Parks Project is a social commerce company in that they have created some of the most comfortable clothing you will ever wear AND they have donated over 50% of their profits to over 50 partners such as Yosemite Conservancy, Sierra Club, the National Park Foundation, and many more.
After a weekend volunteering in the Santa Monica Mountains in 2014, Keith and his co-founder, both TOMS employees at the time, were struck by the challenges facing America’s underfunded and underappreciated National Parks. They set out to harness consumer power to help support the enormous backlog of underfunded projects within the national parks system by creating collections of apparel and accessories that would further connect consumers with the parks they love.
Within this episode you will hear quite a bit about the influence that Blake Mycoskie, the founder of TOMS, had on Keith’s journey. And that’s the beauty of entrepreneurship…it’s not a solo journey.
It’s also not an overnight journey, and more times than not…it’s decades in the making.
In this episode, you'll hear:
How Keith was born in northern California and grew up around career professionals. He had a conventional path pursing education that would lead him to a successful job.
He shares as a child he wanted to be a doctor and went to UC San Diego Medical School but left after sophomore year as he couldn’t consume the detailed information required for med school. He graduated with a management science degree, minor in Spanish that allowed him to travel.
He shares his love for Brands, but not only for their products but the whole company, and how he wanted to help companies that were making a difference.
Before he joined Toms, we worked in London with Puma and OMD, usually in product marketing.
When working at TOMS he experiences how a purchases can not only for fill the customer but help people and charities in need. Like Toms theory of purchasing a pair of shoes can give another child a pair for shoes.
Keith shares how TOMS allowed him to have his first taste of entrepreneurship by being allowed to run popup shops.
Keith explains his passion for recycling plastic in clothing like board shorts and wanted the product to have its own story.
He shares how he found his problem and why he pursued founding Parks Project, and what he is doing to fix it.
How he started his company from his garage and has been growing his team ever since.
How Parks Project is empowering the next generation, and their mission is to leave it, as you found it.
Keith shares how his company is here to build and innovate the product with useful recycling.
Resources from this episode
Join Grindology: https://grindology.com/
ExpressVPN: Get 3 Months Free → https://www.expressvpn.com/startupstory
Get Emails: https://app.getemails.com/referrals/newaccount?ref=R18HWW5
The Startup Story Inner Circle: https://www.thestartupstory.co/vip
The Startup Story on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thestartupstory
The Startup Story is now on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/jamesmckinney
The Startup Story on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestartupstory
Park Project https://www.parksproject.us
Hint Water Give Away https://mailchi.mp/thestartupstory/hint
Share the podcast
The Startup Story community has been so incredible sharing our podcast with others, and we thank you! We do have more stories to tell and more people to reach. There are three ways you can help.
First, the most powerful way you can support this podcast is by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Second, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and be sure to share your favorite Startup Story episodes with your friends and on social media. Tag or mention @thestartupstory.co so we can give you a virtual high five and a thank you!
Lastly, share the podcast on LinkedIn. The Startup Story podcast is for entrepreneurs. Don’t underestimate the power of sharing on LinkedIn so other entrepreneurs can discover us.
With your support, we hope to further our reach in encouraging and inspiring the founders of today and tomorrow. Thank you!
EPISODE CREDITS
This episode was made possible due to the support of our sponsor Grindology. Visit https://grindology.com/ to obtain founder-direct tactics and strategies.