We help ambitious brands figure out what they're really building. And then help them build it.

We partner with technical apparel and equipment brands to build the strategy, culture and operational capability to turn their ambitions into results.

What We Do

We diagnose and build strategy. Together.

We work alongside your teams to identify where you are, clarify where you're going, and design the path between the two. That means organizational strategy and purpose, brand positioning, supply chain and impact strategy, product architecture and culture, not in isolation, but as a connected system.

We stay until it works.

Strategy without execution is just a conversation. We embed ourselves into organizations through interim roles, team coaching, and hands-on implementation, so the work takes root and your team owns it after we leave.

We build the capability to lead whatever comes next.

The goal isn't dependency on us. We upskill your people, build internal processes that last, and leave organizations better equipped than when we found them.

Results

Our clients come to us when something major isn't working: profitability, growth, relevance, culture, or all of the above. They leave with:

A leadership team with clarity on what they’re building and why

A strategy they can execute, not just present

A team that's grown in capability and confidence

Less noise, more momentum

We measure success by what happens after we leave.

Our Five Areas of Expertise

Organizational strategy and culture
Diagnosing the business, identifying opportunities, and designing the path forward while aligning your purpose, values, and the way your people actually work.
Product creation and supply chain
From advanced R&D and go-to-market processes through to sourcing, vendor relationships, S&OP, inventory, and margin. The full path from idea to consumer.
Process design
Building the repeatable systems that let great teams scale.
Leadership development and team coaching
Mentorship, capability building, and closing the gap between where your team is and where it needs to be.
Social and environmental impact strategy
Helping organizations move beyond commitments on paper to measurable progress that's embedded in how they operate and determine success.

Why Formative?

We are six people who spent decades inside some of the most respected global brands in technical apparel and equipment, including Arc'teryx, MEC, The North Face, Herschel Supply Co. and Mustang Survival.

We've held the P&L. We've built the supply chain and created world class product. We've done the culture and impact work when it was uncomfortable. We know what it takes to move from idea to consumer, from strategy to org chart, from ambition to a team that can deliver.

Our approach is different. We don't arrive with the answer. We build solutions with your team, stay through implementation, and measure success by what's working long after we leave.