Mountain Moguls: The Inside View of Stio, a Brand that lets the Outside In
Steve Sullivan knows what it takes to build an outdoor clothing brand from the ground up — he's done it twice. After selling his first company, Cloudveil, Sullivan applied everything he learned to launch Stio in 2011, a Jackson-based mountain lifestyle brand built on a direct-to-consumer model. It’s a bet against the crowded, wholesale-driven outdoor apparel industry that has paid off. In this conversation, Sullivan unpacks the white space he saw in the market, why authenticity as a homegrown Jackson company remains core to Stio's identity and how a distributed workforce has fueled the brand's growth. Sullivan also discusses Stio’s next steps, including international expansion, how the company is putting AI to work and the challenge of navigating tariff policy under the Trump administration.
About Mountain Moguls:
Angel investor, former public company CEO and Jackson resident Alex Alimanestianu introduces “Mountain Moguls,” a new KHOL interview radio show and podcast exploring the history, strategy and personality behind homegrown businesses in the Tetons. Alimanestianu spotlights local entrepreneurs, founders and business owners, offering an unvarnished, inside view of the distinct challenges they face and the opportunities they pursue in this unique mountain town. The first five episodes feature deep-dive conversations with the leaders of Stio, Persephone, The Darwin Ranch, Prugh Real Estate and NoSo Patches.
17 Aug 2026
Mountain Moguls: Ripped Gear? No Problem with NoSo
Kelli Jones's idea for NoSo Patches took shape in the tram line at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, where skiers kept asking about the homemade artsy repair patches on her gear. After realizing there was a business idea in selling her nylon fixes, she launched a crowdfunding campaign in 2016 that led to continual growth since – with her inventory now sold online and in thousands of stores around the country. Jones talks about her guiding philosophy of "people, planet, profit," and what responsible capitalism looks like in practice, from sustainable materials to the artists she partners with to design each patch.
About Mountain Moguls:
Angel investor, former public company CEO and Jackson resident Alex Alimanestianu introduces “Mountain Moguls,” a new KHOL interview radio show and podcast exploring the history, strategy and personality behind homegrown businesses in the Tetons. Alimanestianu spotlights local entrepreneurs, founders and business owners, offering an unvarnished, inside view of the distinct challenges they face and the opportunities they pursue in this unique mountain town. The first five episodes feature deep-dive conversations with the leaders of Stio, Persephone, The Darwin Ranch, Prugh Real Estate and NoSo Patches.
17 Aug 2026
Mountain Moguls: Darwin Ranch — Transforming a Century-old Guest Ranch
They may be family, but when Oliver "Ollie" Klingenstein and his mother Kathy are working, it's strictly business. The duo runs Darwin Ranch, a historic and remote guest ranch tucked 25 miles in the Gros Ventre Wilderness. It’s a genuine digital detox, anchored by world-class food and wilderness with horseback riding, hiking and fishing. Ollie discusses. his counterintuitive path to growth: hosting fewer guests to deepen the experience, along with the ever-present risk of wildfire that comes with running a remote property in this landscape.
About Mountain Moguls:
Angel investor, former public company CEO and Jackson resident Alex Alimanestianu introduces “Mountain Moguls,” a new KHOL interview radio show and podcast exploring the history, strategy and personality behind homegrown businesses in the Tetons. Alimanestianu spotlights local entrepreneurs, founders and business owners, offering an unvarnished, inside view of the distinct challenges they face and the opportunities they pursue in this unique mountain town. The first five episodes feature deep-dive conversations with the leaders of Stio, Persephone, The Darwin Ranch, Prugh Real Estate and NoSo Patches.
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