# Joe Kudla

> Joe Kudla is the founder and CEO of Vuori, the California-inspired performance apparel business launched in 2015. An accounting graduate and former model, he built the brand around versatile clothing, direct customer feedback and a mix of online, wholesale and retail distribution. He is based in Encinitas, California.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at Vuori
- **Organizations:** Vuori, Vaco San Diego, Ernst & Young, Sammy Jo
- **Education:** Accounting degree, University of San Diego
- **Known for:** Founded and continues to lead Vuori., EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2022 Pacific Southwest Award winner., Glossy Founder of the Year, 2022.

## Career timeline

- **2000** — Graduated from the University of San Diego; subsequently spent two years modeling and traveling.
- **Early career** — Returned to work at Ernst & Young, earned a CPA license and experimented with the Sammy Jo apparel label.
- **Before Vuori** — Helped build recruiting and consulting business Vaco San Diego and pursued another apparel venture.
- **2015** — Launched the current Vuori performance apparel brand in Encinitas.
- **2019** — Vuori received a $45 million minority investment from Norwest.
- **2021** — SoftBank Vision Fund 2 invested $400 million at a $4 billion company valuation.
- **2022** — Received EY Pacific Southwest Entrepreneur Of The Year and Glossy Founder of the Year honors.
- **2024** — Vuori announced an $825 million secondary tender at a $5.5 billion valuation; Kudla and Michael Persall jointly committed $2 million to an entrepreneurship summit at USD.
- **2025** — Vuori reached 100 stores and USD launched its inaugural Entrepreneurship Leadership Summit.

## Achievements

- Founded and continues to lead Vuori.
- EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2022 Pacific Southwest Award winner.
- Glossy Founder of the Year, 2022.
- Led Vuori through a 2024 secondary transaction valuing the company at $5.5 billion.
- Jointly committed $2 million with Michael Persall to establish an Entrepreneurship Leadership Summit at the University of San Diego.

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — A June 30 Cinco Días profile described Kudla’s continuing role as Vuori’s internal men’s fit model and his involvement in product details.
- **2025-12** — Identified product innovation and global ambassador partnerships as 2026 priorities in a Vogue interview.
- **2025-09** — An Inside Retail interview reported Vuori had opened its 100th store in August 2025.
- **2025-05** — USD announced the launch of the inaugural Entrepreneurship Leadership Summit supported by Kudla and Persall’s joint pledge.
- **2024-11** — Vuori announced an $825 million secondary tender led by General Atlantic and Stripes at a $5.5 billion valuation.

## Links

- Website: https://vuoriclothing.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-kudla-6551871

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/joe-kudla
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-11