Silas Beebe: Lead Designer in Portland, OR

Since a year before we launched the brand, I have been on retainer with Hubbard. In close collaboration with owner Bruce Katz (co-founder of Rockport), I drive innovation in all stages of design and development of our premium comfort footwear. Using only the best European leathers and manufacturing, we prioritize perfecting the fit of every shoe to provide consumers with footwear they fall in love with. Our designs are amongst the best selling and most loved shoes at top retailers across the country. They are highly rated online, and favorites of celebrities from Bill Clinton to Peter Gabriel.

My fifth-generation Portland family brand specializes in LUXURIOUSLY USEFUL tech and travel accessories made in America. We make and sell trend-resistant smartphone holders for cars/bicycles/motorcycles, soft cotton city and trail maps, and leather accessories. I have worn many hats for the brand, including: branding strategy, product design, sewing prototypes, USA materials/hardware/production sourcing, art direction for website/social media/catalog/photo shoots, international sales, etc. A Portland, Oregon company established in 1884, The Beebe Co. was originally founded in Portland and Astoria by my great, great grandfather as ship builders and jobbers of equipment for the shipping, sailing and fishing industries.

Managed design and all stages of development for 23 wakeboard and waterski boots and gear across three brands (Hyperlite, HO Sports, Byerly Wake). Went from concepts to market with the lightest boots in the industry and many industry-first features in only ten months. Spent six months in China and South Korea: sourcing new high-quality factories, new vendors, building a materials library, setting up a fitting testing and confirmation sample system, coordinating with graphic designers, working closely with team pro riders, mold design and correction, quality control, solving warranty problems, writing POP copy, etc.

Collaborated with multi-disciplinary teams on design strategies and industrial design for medical, professional, sports and consumer products. Example projects include an award-winning and much-imitated design for a gender-specific ergonomic bicycle handgrip for Ergon, branding and design strategy for over 5000 products for Bahco, hand controls for Volvo, footstool for Baby Bjorn, and a range of work gloves for Ejendal.