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What does it really take to build a breakout consumer brand in a crowded category, and do it with intention, community, and high repeat purchase rates?

​For Ariana Ferwerda, co-founder and CEO of Halfdays, it started with spotting a gap no one else saw. As a lifelong outdoor enthusiast who moved to Colorado only to find women’s technical gear uninspired, unstylish, and lacking performance, Ariana used her background in retail consulting and analytics to build what the industry was missing: performance fashion designed by women, for women, to own the mountain.

​Today, Halfdays is one of the most exciting modern outdoor brands. It's Olympian-founded, rooted in community, and known for its bold colorways, technical design, and high-desirability product. Ariana has raised more than $15M in venture funding, launched collaborations with HOKA and ILIA, built a fast-growing omnichannel footprint, and earned a spot on Forbes 30 Under 30.

​In this live session, Ariana pulls back the curtain on how she and her co-founders built a brand that blends performance, style, and mission, and the strategic decisions behind their growth.

​We’ll cover:

• ​How Ariana identified a true market gap and validated demand

• ​The brand and product decisions that fueled Halfdays’ early traction

• ​Community-driven growth vs. paid marketing, and what actually worked

• ​What founders should know about raising capital in apparel and consumer

• ​How Halfdays approaches omnichannel: from DTC to wholesale to a flagship store

• ​Scaling a seasonal business and building year-round revenue

• ​Co-founder dynamics, leadership during rapid growth, and building a female-led team

• ​The behind-the-scenes of collaborations, partnerships, and high-ROI marketing moves

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​MORE ABOUT ARIANA

​Ariana is the co-founder and CEO of women's outdoor apparel brand, Halfdays. Olympian-founded and designed in Colorado, Halfdays creates performance fashion for women to own the mountain. 

​Raised in Michigan surrounded by the beauty of the Great Lakes, Ariana's passion for the outdoors runs deep. However, upon relocating to Colorado, she was disheartened by the lack of stylish, technical outdoor clothing for women. Drawing from her background in retail consulting and analytics, Ariana identified a significant market gap and launched Halfdays to address it. Now, she works to transform the outdoor industry by building a brand that is approachable, inclusive, and fun. 

​As the CEO of Halfdays, Ariana has raised over $15M in venture funding, collaborated with leading brands like HOKA and ILIA, and was named Forbes 30 under 30.