To say Naadam Cashmere co-founder Matt Scanlan’s story is legendary would be an understatement. In an epic turn of events (the type that can only be described as “fate”), Matt quit his job at a New York City venture capital firm and embarked on a 20-hour journey across Mongolia where he met a group of nomadic herders who for centuries have produced some of the highest quality cashmere in the world. Inspired by the trek, Matt and business partner Diederik Rijsemus founded Naadam Cashmere. The business produces high-quality, eco-friendly garments, while actively supporting the nomadic herders who produce the materials. We caught up with the NYC-based entrepreneur to see what makes him tick.
I started Naadam Cashmere because…
We saw an opportunity to disintermediate a 1,000-year-old supply chain problem that marginalized rural farming and herding communities and inflated prices for consumers. It just didn’t seem fair to either the bottom or the top of the supply chain. The nomadic herders should be paid more money, and the customer should pay less.
