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Kyle Wakayama
New Ventures Manager at Snow Peak USA, Inc.
Kyle Wakayama is the New Ventures Manager at Snow Peak USA, Inc., a company in the outdoor industry.13 He is a seasoned professional with over a decade of experience in brand experience building and marketing within the outdoor sector.1
Professional Background
Kyle describes himself as a "brand experience builder" with extensive expertise in the outdoor industry.1 His role at Snow Peak USA involves managing new ventures, which likely includes developing and implementing innovative strategies for the company's growth and expansion.3
Current Projects
Recently, Kyle has been involved in a significant project:
- He is part of a team working on building a campground, which appears to be a long-term venture for Snow Peak USA.2
- This project involves rethinking the camp experience and designing new outdoor experiences for customers.6
Team Collaboration
Kyle works closely with colleagues on various initiatives:
- He is part of the New Ventures team at Snow Peak USA, collaborating with team members like Matt Liddle.5
- His work is highly regarded by his colleagues, with some unable to "speak highly enough" of his contributions to projects.4
Previous Experience
Before joining Snow Peak USA, Kyle's professional history includes:
Kyle Wakayama's LinkedIn profile (username: kyle-wakayama) likely contains more detailed information about his professional journey and accomplishments in the outdoor industry.
Highlights
⏰ Long Overdue Update: Building the Campground of Dreams 🏕️
Three years ago, I joined Snow Peak to lead the development of the brand’s first US Campfield. Our mission: to create a campground embodying Snow Peak’s camping philosophy inspired by Japanese values—being with nature, human gathering, and comfortable restoration.
The Campfield is now open on the Long Beach Peninsula in Washington State. It features 50 tent sites (including pre-set "glamping" sites), 14 modern cabins, and resort-level amenities—a Campstore, a Spa building (inspired by Japanese onsens) with a hot pool, sauna, and cold plunge, and a communal wash facility with sleek bathrooms and hot water dishwashing sinks. Cars are left at the entrance to maintain natural harmony. Every detail has been considered to create a space that is functional, beautiful, and in harmony with nature.
In my role, I've had the privilege of working on experience and architectural design, financial modeling, CapEx management, construction administration, website/booking system development, and marketing/communications. Big projects in small organizations often mean wearing many hats—sometimes even hanging window shades 😊. This project faced numerous challenges: supply and labor constraints, strict regulatory conditions, language barriers, sensitive ecological areas, team turnover, and unpredictable weather. Several times we found ourselves at a dead end, and only through resilience, the humility to go backwards when necessary, and so much kava stress-relief tea, did we managed to overcome these obstacles and bring our vision to life.
We would not be here without the entire Snow Peak team, our board of directors (and their steadfast commitment), and many other partners. Special thanks to:
Matt Liddle: The leader who brought me into this project, who believed in me, and whose vision and optimism helped me find my way, especially when things went sideways (oh did they).
Josh Clouser: My other half—designer, project manager, and partner who brought consideration to each detail. Josh was a trusted voice and empathetic friend when it was needed most.
Josh S.: The fearless GM of the Campfield who has helped carry the construction across the finish line, built an incredible team, and helped operationalize this highly complex business.
Let's go camping: www.snowpeakcampfield.com
📸 PC: Arthur Hitchcock
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