LEIGH CAPOZZI
My heart and home are in the west, but my youth was on the east coast. After growing up in upstate New York, I moved on to college at the University of Vermont (UVM), where I played Division 1 soccer and snowboarded and climbed mountains as often as possible. Then, I began working for Burton Snowboard's flagship retail store at headquarters, testing products for Hardgoods, and writing catalog copy as I finished my final semester as a business and international marketing major at UVM.
Hungry to work, I cut my teeth in my early 20's at Burton Snowboards. Starting my career in the action sports industry, where I could apply my passions at work, with a group of inspiring colleagues and professional athletes, laid the foundation for the rest of my career. My professional career has been focused on working for brands and with mission-driven, collaborative teams, prioritizing a positive and creative culture, and having a work hard / play hard approach.
After Burton, publishing was my next stop working for Snowboarder Magazine and cross-selling for Surfer and Powder Magazine. I started in advertising account sales during the height of snowboarding's growth, which created an opportunity to develop deep connections across many industry brands, understand their marketing priorities, and then build media plans to support print and digital advertising goals. Next, I transitioned to the role of Associate Publisher, taking on the magazine P&L and leadership responsibilities with the Editor. Having the opportunity to begin my career in action sports, which is largely a "sink or swim" culture, I learned to dream big, be creative, and get work done.
After a few years of beach living in Southern California, my husband I happily moved up to the Pacific NW to be closer to the mountains and back into a seasonal environment. During my ten years in Portland, I worked at the world-class industrial design firm Ziba Design on the account team with clients like Nike, Dell, Microsoft, and others. And after having my two daughters, I began working for NYC-based Missy Farren & Associates focused on west coast clients - one of which was Nau Clothing, which led me to move in-house at Nau Clothing as the Marketing Director in 2011. Nau was a progressive apparel brand focused on making fashionable outdoor clothing with minimal environmental impact. Nau demonstrated industry leadership with a strong design style, in-depth storytelling, and Partners for Change philanthropic programs.
In summer 2014, my husband and a good friend started dreaming up the idea of North Drinkware. Fast forward to February 2015, a blistering Kickstarter launch and success with one product. The Kickstarter experience brought together the previous almost 15 years of experience - from brand building to platform storytelling to PR - to launch a successful and sustainable brand. Fast forward to today, and North Drinkware offers dozens of hand-blown products, custom art, paper goods, and home goods. My previous North role was leading marketing, communications, wholesale partnerships, inventory management, forecasting, and accounting. My current role as co-founder is strategic advising.
Since moving to Bend in the summer of 2016, I have been interested in immersing myself in the Bend professional community. As a result, I've enjoyed consulting projects with Visit Bend, serving on several boards of directors, being highly engaged, and volunteering with local schools. In September of 2019, I moved in-house with Mt. Bachelor and Sun Country Tours and have been the Brand and Marketing Director for the heartbeat of winter culture in Bend, Oregon.
Check out my full resume in the link below. Or even better, I’d love to connect in person!