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TECH THREADS WITH STYLE POINTS: WILD RYE Like many seeking to live the quintessential mountain town dream while simultaneously furthering a professional career, Cassie Abel initially found a home with Smith Optics. A veritable Ketchum institution, Smith offered many the chance to work for an internationally recognized company that was founded on the shared values of all who truly love the outdoors. But when Smith’s parent company decided it was time to shutter the brand’s Ketchum HQ in 2014, the employees were
either let go or given the option to move to a new office in Portland, Oregon. For Abel and many others, the choice was an easy one. There was no way they could leave Ketchum. They would just need to find some other way to make it in the Valley. Immediately, Abel’s entrepreneurial instincts kicked in, and she began using the skills she had honed with Smith to start her own PR company and eventually the women’s technical apparel company, Wild Rye. “Having spent time with Smith working in the outdoor industry, I always felt that women weren’t getting a fair shake,” says Abel, “from
K ATIE LOZ ANCICH
Wild Rye team member Kajay Rooke sends it off a jump at Highland Bike Park, New Hampshire, in August 2021.
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