Explore every episode of the podcast Canadian Founder

What do a frustrated climber, a second-hand pizza oven, a 140-million-year-old fossil, and a multibillion-dollar global brand have in common?

The answer is Arc’teryx.

In the first episode of Canadian Founder, Eason traces Arc’teryx from Dave Lane’s small North Vancouver workshop in 1989 to its emergence as one of the world’s most admired outdoor companies. Along the way, Jeremy Guard helps transform a better climbing harness into a larger ambition built around evolution, uncompromising design, and relentless experimentation.

This narrative explores the Vapor harness, the Bora backpack, the near-company-breaking development of the Alpha SV, the unusual origin of the Archaeopteryx logo, and the systems that allowed Arc’teryx’s product culture to survive new leaders, multiple acquisitions, and extraordinary global growth.

More than a company history, this is a case study in solving problems from firsthand experience, turning founder obsession into organizational capability, preserving manufacturing knowledge, maintaining focus as opportunities multiply, and building a reputation one difficult decision at a time.

Canadian Founder uncovers the stories behind Canada’s most remarkable founders and companies—building the North, one story at a time.