FOR FOUNDERS, BY FOUNDERS
It all began in 2023 at West Slope Startup Week in Durango, Colorado. Robin Hall (Town Hall Outdoor Co), Kelly Mazanti (Buttnski) & TJ Smith (SmithBorn Studio) were panelists discussing the magic of collaboration among rural founders. They discovered that their businesses all faced similar growth challenges, inherent in smaller, more remote communities. These obstacles are shared by many rural brands, and there is an opportunity to address them collectively. During the discussion, they held an off-the-cuff collaborative workshop that generated some pretty rad ideas they had to follow up on. A few months later, they created Rural is Rad to build a directory of rural brands and a community of founders that is 50+ and growing.
MEET TJ
Location: Grand Junction, Colorado
Company: SmithBorn Studio
Favorite Activities: Climbing, Backpacking, Art, Putzing in the Shop
TJ Smith is the Founder and Brand Experience Designer at SmithBorn Studio, an interdisciplinary art and design practice, strategically guiding purpose-driven businesses in their pursuit for brand cohesion and community trust.
TJ's passion for the outdoors began between the trees of Pennsylvania, where he explored the natural world day in and day out. With a move westward, he expanded his explorations, cultivating a lifestyle of adventurous play and multidisciplinary creative pursuits.
These practices include murals, branding, art, illustration and experience design.
MEET KELLY
Location: Frisco, Colorado
Company: Buttnski
Favorite activities: Skiing & Mountain Biking
Kelly is a Co-Founder of Rural is Rad and Founder of Buttnski, a woman-owned outdoor apparel brand blending technical performance with playful, mountain-inspired design. She is an entrepreneur, brand strategist, and outdoor industry advocate focused on helping rural brands and founders grow through strategic partnerships, community-building, and authentic storytelling.
With a background spanning brand strategy, marketing, eCommerce, and business development, Kelly has worked with globally recognized brands including Starbucks, Nordstrom, Red Bull, and Staples. She also previously founded Pier Collective, a creative agency focused on helping brands grow through strategy, storytelling, and thoughtful execution.
In addition to her entrepreneurial work, Kelly serves on the Outdoor Recreation Advisory Group with the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, helping support and shape the future of Colorado’s outdoor recreation economy.
A graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder Leeds School of Business, Kelly is passionate about supporting outdoor communities, emerging brands, and rural entrepreneurship. When she’s not building brands, you’ll find her skiing, biking, hiking, or exploring the mountains and coastlines that continue to inspire her work.
MEET ROBIN
Location: Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Company: Town Hall Outdoor Co.
Favorite Activities: Playing Outside & Traveling with family and friends
Robin Hall is the CEO and Co-Founder of Town Hall, a sustainable kids outdoor apparel company with community and planet at its core. With over 15 years in the outdoor industry, Robin is a seasoned and enthusiastic leader, strategist and project manager. Robin has built a career out of diving deeply into all functions of an outdoor brand and she passionately brings diverse groups together to solve problems, with her values as her guide. Robin's #1 and #2 StrengthFinders strengths are Positivity and Achiever, which means she gets it done with a genuine smile on her face and for the love of the process. Town Hall is the epicenter of her passions, bringing together community, environmental stewardship, kids and the outdoors. Robin loves outside daily with her husband, two sons and Bernese Mountain Dog, Yeti, in the amazing community of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
OUR TEAM
Kelly Mazanti, CEO
Melanie Davidson, CMO
David Vergoz, CFO