Today I’m speaking with Alpine Fit founder Jen Loofbourrow. Jen launched Alpine Fit to be an outdoor activewear brand in line with her customer's values offering fit options for body proportions, odor-resistant fabrics for spending more time outdoors, and making products in Alaska. Raised in Ontario, Canada in a hard-working, outdoor-loving family. She went on to live in Vancouver followed by Galway, Ireland before settling down in Anchorage with her husband, and two children, and they all love the outdoors including hiking, running, skiing, kayaking, and camping.

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In your early twenties, you fell in love with expeditions kayaking the outer islands of Alaska's Southeast coastline. How were you introduced to the outdoors? Was it kayaking?

Well, that definitely wasn't my first time getting into the outdoors. I'd say I got introduced to the outdoors as a child going to my grandparents' little cabin up north in Ontario, Canada.

we called it a cottage, but it was what you would more identify as an off-grid cabin in the woods. You know, outhouse. Pump for house getting the water up from the lake to closer to the cabin for washing dishes. Endless trails to hike through the woods. So pretty remote.

And you have a BS in chemistry and an MBA? Were those degrees intentional?

I felt like I should probably go into the sciences because I was highly more likely to get a job that I'd be able to do after university. And somehow that science career led me to chemistry, which did bizarrely lead me to fabric development and did indeed, create a building block over my career. But, I don't know if I do chemistry over again. If I had the choice.

 How'd you get into science? Where'd that come from?

I certainly always liked questions and problem-solving and seeking solutions. And I do remember having one of those nerdy, you know, microscope sets. But I think I really always liked Science and Art. I mean, that sounds like the most diplomatic answer I could possibly give, but I really, really enjoyed both science and art and I think I just picked science because I thought maybe I'd be able to get a better job.

How were you inspired to get into design? That must have been the art side of your brain.

Yeah, definitely. I mean, I always did painting and you know, my mom did a lot of sewing in her younger years and my grandmother as well was a quilter. So I think I've always been around art, fabric, and textiles my whole life. So, it was just kind of a natural fit to pull on those different building blocks of my, upbringing.

And one of your first design-related jobs was as a material de