Vivek Gowri has spent his career at the intersection of technology and community. Six months ago he added running store owner to that list, buying San Francisco Running Company and stepping into the shoes of a brand that has been a pillar of Bay Area trail running for nearly 15 years.

He joins Long Run Labs at TrailCon in Tahoe to talk about what it actually takes to build a more diverse trail running community, why doing the right thing and doing the profitable thing are more aligned than most brands want to admit, and what he is building at SFRC that he hopes will matter long after the race results are posted.

Jon and Vivek chat about:

• what run specialty actually does in the running ecosystem and why shoes are better bought in person

• how Vivek thinks about buying for the store and balancing innovation with staple product

• bringing e-commerce to SFRC and what that opens up beyond the Bay Area

• how races factor into the store ecosystem from bib pickup to training programs

• the women's trail half marathon in the Marin Headlands and why they brought it back bigger

• the childcare grant and free 12 week training program built into the race

• why The North Face said yes immediately and what that conversation looked like

• how to pitch a brand on funding a community initiative when ROI isn't immediate

• green flags that tell you a brand is actually down to build something together

• the commercial argument for diversity and why it's an argument for funding not for why

• why Broken Arrow is the most diverse trail race and what intentionality actually looks like

• Tommy Runs and the power of showing up so others know they can too

• why diversity doesn't grow organically without a push

• angel investing in Avelo and Laurel and where those intersect with the store

• what fires Vivek up about running right now and the Chi and Miles Friday crew

• why trail running is booming and what responsibility brands and consumers have to steer it right

• the cognitive dissonance of a sport that is open and accepting on trail but occasionally gatekeepy off it

This episode is supported by:

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