Who We Are

Tillak originated from a small collection of us spread out along the West Coast, who worked other jobs and had various career paths, but we best described ourselves as outdoor addicts. We would spend our weekdays toiling away behind computers or out in the field, but off the clock we were mountain bikers, backpackers, car campers, fly anglers, surfers, snowboarders and climbers. Our obsession with recreating in the outdoors is the backbone of Tillak – our varied lifelong passions and pursuits shape and mold every single product that we make.

In parallel with our love of outdoor activities is our admiration of the outdoor places that we enjoy. One of the main purposes our founders created Tillak was as a means to leverage business as a tool for environmental awareness and stewardship, and in an effort to establish a new precedent for the outdoor industry. At the very core of our team is a shared desire to give as much back to the places we love as we can. Through our Goods That Give Back Program, through volunteer hours with local organizations, or through partnerships with non-profit organizations, all of us here have dedicated our time and ourselves toward the betterment of the environment.

The Team

Here is the small but growing list of faces that make up our Portland, Oregon and Morro Bay, California offices.

• Jason Fitzgibbon

  Co-Founder

  Jason Fitzgibbon is a lifelong mountain biker, surfer, fly angler, climber, writer, photographer and wildlife biologist based out of Morro Bay, California. Jason's love and respect of the outdoors began at a very young age and blossomed through his constant recreational and academic pursuits, eventually leading him to obtain his Master’s of Science degree in Environmental Science and Conservation Biology. As a wildlife biologist, avid outdoorsman, and respected adventure photographer and writer, Jason has spent the better part of the last decade introducing the outdoor industry to environmental issues and concerns, losses and victories. Through founding Tillak, his hope is that he can establish a new norm in the Outdoor Industry - a dedication and a commitment to giving back to the places that we all enjoy.

• Octave Zangs

  Co-Founder

  Octave Zangs grew up with a fly rod in his hand. He is also an established filmmaker, multi-faceted musician, web designer, coder, and devout environmental conservationist originally from Normandy, France. Octave spent the better portion of his childhood and formative years working tirelessly to protect his local, native brown trout fishery until a devastating industry-related cyanide spill occurred. The spill, which completely sterilized his cherished local watershed, opened his eyes to a world where short term gains in business almost always outweighed long term environmental losses. Shortly after losing his local stream, Octave relocated to the West Coast of the United States. Since his arrival here over five years ago his filmmaking and his imagery has helped to raise awareness about the wild places that many of us take for granted - a commodity that long ago vanished from much of his native Europe. Octave co-founded Tillak in hopes of inspiring the outdoor community (and beyond) to cherish, enjoy, and protect the remaining natural landscapes and public lands that we still have.

• Jenna Lagonigro

  Product Designer

  Jenna Lagonigro was born and raised in a small town in North Carolina. She spent much of her time as a child running around in the woods, hiking, camping and swimming - and not much has changed in her adult life. Jenna received her Bachelor's of Art + Design from North Carolina State University and continued on to pursue a career in fashion in New York City. Shortly after moving, she realized that city life failed to quench her constant thirst for nature so she packed up and headed across the country to trade skyscrapers for Douglas fir. Now happier and thriving amongst the conifers and wildflowers, Jenna continues to pursue her passions and refine her beliefs in ethical design and sustainability. Her work for Tillak emulates her shared commitments to ethical, intentional design and environmental advocacy.

• Colton Jacobs

  Staff Photographer

  First and foremost an athlete, creative mind and outdoorsman, Colton's passion for wide open spaces and adventure started long before he ever picked up a camera. In 2015 Colton launched into a full-time photography career after shadowing under several of Seattle's elite photographers, and has spent nearly a decade working in the outdoor industry. Colton is not only known for his ability to capture the human interaction amongst earth's most delicate and pristine landscapes, he is also well known for his ability to get to them. His endurance, dedication and unique perspective make his work incredibly original. Colton's photography has been published in magazines such as Outside Magazine, Transworld Snowboarding and Mens Journal.

• Conrad Gowell

  Conservation Advisor

  Conrad is an expert angler, river snorkeler, biologist, naturalist and forager, with a knowledge and appreciation of his natural surroundings that is both undeniable and incredibly contagious. Conrad spent his youth exploring and learning amongst the old growth forests and wild watersheds of Coastal Oregon before obtaining his Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Science from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. He has since worked with various non-profit organizations, academic institutions, indigenous cultures, and fisheries consultants, aiming to advance the sustainable management and restoration of watersheds. He is a lifelong advocate for wild fish and watersheds, whose consistent dedication has brought many communities to action. Conrad currently occupies the role of Biologist at the Wild Fish Conservancy.

• Chloé Lepeltier

  Sustainability Consultant

  Chloé Lepeltier is a passionate writer, an avid hiker, and a recently enthralled forager who lives in Portland, Oregon. As a professional translator specializing in International Humanitarian Law, Chloé has worked on three separate continents, in cities and towns both big and small. Through her work and the varied places it has taken her, she has developed an acute awareness of the need to preserve native habitat and culture. Chloé is a Portland Master Recycler, an Agent of Change of the Center for Earth Leadership, the author of the sustainable lifestyle blog Conscious by Chloé, and the founder of Zero Waste PDX, an organization whose mission is to inspire and empower companies and individuals to reduce their negative impact on the planet.