# Paul Hedrick

> Paul Hedrick is the Austin-based founder and executive chairman of Tecovas, the Western footwear and apparel brand he launched in 2015. A Harvard graduate who previously worked at McKinsey and Catterton, he built the business around handmade boots, direct sales and welcoming retail experiences. He handed the CEO role to David Lafitte in June 2022 and continued shaping the brand and its products.

- **Role:** Founder & Executive Chairman at Tecovas
- **Organizations:** Tecovas, McKinsey & Company, Catterton (now L Catterton)
- **From:** Houston, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** AB; studied economics, Harvard University
- **Known for:** Founded Tecovas in 2015 and led it as CEO until June 2022., Led the business through its first $100 million-plus revenue year in 2021., Built a digitally launched brand that expanded into a national store network.

## Career timeline

- **2010s, before Tecovas** — Worked at McKinsey & Company and then Catterton in consumer retail and portfolio operations.
- **2014** — Moved to Austin and developed the Tecovas concept, including visits to bootmakers in León, Mexico.
- **2015** — Launched Tecovas online in October.
- **2019** — Tecovas opened its first full retail store on South Congress in Austin.
- **2021** — Tecovas passed $100 million in annual revenue and sold its millionth pair of boots.
- **2022-01** — Tecovas announced a $56 million Series C led by Elephant, bringing lifetime equity funding to about $120 million.
- **2022-06** — Became executive chairman as David Lafitte joined as CEO on June 27.
- **2024-08** — Tecovas announced its entry into wholesale distribution.

## Achievements

- Founded Tecovas in 2015 and led it as CEO until June 2022.
- Led the business through its first $100 million-plus revenue year in 2021.
- Built a digitally launched brand that expanded into a national store network.
- Helped secure approximately $120 million in total equity funding by January 2022.

## Latest updates

- **2026-03** — Field & Stream published an interview covering his Texas upbringing, boot design process and the names behind Tecovas styles; the piece includes a store count that conflicts with other contemporary accounts, so that count is not used.
- **2025-12** — Announced joining Intro to advise entrepreneurs and said Tecovas expected to surpass $300 million in annual revenue that year; this was a founder projection.
- **2025-05** — Appeared on How I Built This with Guy Raz; the episode discussed production, early selling and the move into stores.
- **2025-05** — Was identified as founder and executive chairman in coverage of William L. McComb joining the Tecovas board.

## Links

- Website: https://www.paulhedrick.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulhedrick
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paul_hedrick/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/paul-hedrick
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-19