Our Roots: Get to Know Co-Founders Mark and Jedd

Growing up in the West, Jedd Rose and Mark Hansen were always interested in getting outside and the gear required to do so.

They found themselves wishing there was a company offering products like the ones they grew up with: simple, functional and timeless. The kinds of pieces with staying power.

Jedd and Mark loved companies that were focused on connecting with their customers on a deeper level; companies that made you feel like part of the family. They wanted to build that into the core of their business, because they felt it was missing from the outdoor industry at the time.

Frustrated by the realization that they spent their lives toggling between their "outdoor kits" and their "town kits," they wanted one set of gear that could perform well in many environments and look good doing so.

When they couldn’t find what they were looking for, Jedd and Mark knew they had two options: compromise or create.

They decided on the latter.

Topo Designs started in 2008, with Jedd sewing packs in his basement while Mark traveled around Colorado looking for partners and resources to build those designs on a larger scale.

We think they did a pretty good job.

Meet Jedd

Founder, President

• Raised in Wyoming; spent most of his childhood outside. Camping, fishing and hunting were his favorites (and still are).
• Jedd studied Sculpture and Printmaking in college, then spent over a decade working in graphic design and branding.
• He worked everywhere from print studios to motion graphics and video animation firms.

Meet Mark

Founder, CEO

• Landed in Colorado by way of Pennsylvania and California.
• An avid skier, bike commuter and Onewheel rider (catch him zipping around trade shows and the office).
• His work experience ranges from field biology in the Pacific Northwest to teaching middle school to loading ice cream trucks to software design.