PAKA Introduces New General Manager and Advisory Board

June 20, 2024

The leading alpaca fiber apparel brand adds former prAna executive and new advisory board to forge new growth

Boulder, CO /OUTDOOR SPORTSWIRE/ –  PAKA, the sustainable alpaca clothing brand best known for natural fiber innovation, announces the addition of former prAna executive Brian Thompson to their team as General Manager of Paka. Thompson has held senior leadership roles focused on driving sustainable product design and innovation for leading brands in the outdoor industry. He joins PAKA after over four years as VP of Product at prAna, a leader in sustainable, outdoor fashion. Before that, Thompson served as VP of Product for Marmot, General Manager of exOfficio, and Director of Global Sales and Marketing at Toad & Co, for a combined tenure of over 10 years. Thompson brings his experience with mission-driven brands to PAKA, where he will help the brand forge a growth path that prioritizes natural innovation and elevates PAKA’s radically transparent supply chain practices.

“It is a huge honor for me to join the PAKA team and to be part of a brand that takes a holistic approach to its success,” said Thompson. “I have certainly been impressed by the brand’s fast growth, but even more impressed by the positive impact it has had on the communities and natural spaces where its products are produced.”

Thompson will lean on his experience in the active apparel space to help guide PAKA’s expansion into new product verticals and consumer markets. The brand brings a unique offering to the outdoor market, prioritizing natural alpaca fiber in all products and creating a strong tie to the local communities in Peru. Currently, every piece of PAKA clothing features a unique, handmade Inca ID, woven by the local Quechua women weavers that they employ at 4x the living wage. By keeping production local to Peru, PAKA ensures that each product is made with the highest quality fiber and that the local economy is bolstered.

“Brian has the heart and deep passion that Paka is built on,” Kris Cody, Founder and CEO of Paka, said. “This, alongside his excellence as a people leader made it an easy choice. We’re eager to engage him.”

In addition to welcoming a new GM, Paka introduces an advisory board to guide the brand through a new era of growth. Russ Hopcus, long-term outdoor industry executive and former president of prAna living, Pete LaBore, tenured outdoor executive with Backcountry, Reformation, and current CEO at Christy Sports, and the leadership team at YETI Capital unite to make up the brand’s new board with a shared belief that the business has both the capacity and responsibility to be a driving force for social, environmental, and economic change in the industry.

Please reach out with any questions to Allison Slusar at allison@purpleorangepr.com.

About PAKA:

Paka® is the leading innovator of alpaca fiber apparel. Founded in 2017, Paka started as a vision to bring the revolutionary alpaca fiber to the outdoor industry. Paka is a Certified B Corp, and secured the Best for the World™ award in 2022. The brand employs 200+ Quechua weavers at 4x the living wage in Peru, makes upwards of 90% of products locally, and donates 1% of its revenue to Peruvian Hearts, an NGO dedicated to the education and empowerment of young women in Peru. Learn more at www.paka.co Instagram: @paka