We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessie Frietze-armenta and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessie, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
Growing up skating and surfing in North County San Diego, nature and action sports were outlets that allowed me to feel free and find my sense of self – places I could go to feel truly free from the worries of the outside world.

I remember skating on a ramp that overlooked the ocean in my hometown, peering out over the bluff, feeling the breeze, and being overcome with a sense of urgency and responsibility to protect these beautiful outdoor places that allow us to do things we love and serve as outlets for so many in the action sports community.

Fast forward, I dedicated my career towards environmental policy and fair-trade products, spending years in politics, nonprofits, and the fair-trade coffee industry.

Growing up as a female skateboarder, I saw relatively little investment in women and minorities in action sports. This fueled my steadfast pursuit to bolster investment for women in action sports and share the importance of financial empowerment and access to capital in underserved and minority communities. I wanted to use my education and career to open financial gateways and encourage others to follow their dreams, whether it be through producing inspiring stories in media and entertainment, or by creating businesses owned by and for women and nontraditional riders in the action sports and outdoor industry.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
When I first started Shred Cycle, I was an unlikely startup entrepreneur, a queer woman with relatively little business experience, a background in humanities and environmental advocacy, who spent most of her time with teenagers at the skatepark. For context, only 2% of venture capital funding goes to women, even less to women from diverse backgrounds.
One day when I was out skating, I looked down at my equipment and wondered how to recycle it. I was in the midst of graduating with my MBA and I realized our equipment was not sustainable, not easily or affordably recyclable, and over 6 million pounds of polyurethane waste from the action sports industry was going into landfills, per year!
We set out to figure out how to recycle all this waste and to my surprise, industry experts and manufacturers said we couldn’t recycle it – it was trash, it was not possible, by their standards.
Three years later, through work with our chemistry partners, we were able to successfully turn this waste into pellets and a circular faux leather, and later into a finished product – a RESHRED faux leather wallet.
I knew that skaters and action sports enthusiasts were passionate about environmental sustainability and craving sustainable solutions and equipment – so I took a leap of faith and started Shred Cycle with a simple social media post.
What started as a grassroots collection and upcycling service for skaters, has grown into a larger effort to make sustainability easy and accessible for action sports enthusiasts and brands.
Our goal is to create a lasting impact, close the loop on waste in action sports, and inspire people to realize a radically sustainable world!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’d assume this friend is a skater or an aspiring skater with a love of nature and action sports.
First up – coffee. I used to be a professional coffee roaster for many years, so that is the first thought on my mind in the morning. I’d either pour some espresso from my machine at home, or we’d head on over to a local shop – Hilltop Café, Bar Nine, Cafecita, maybe a Stumptown, or my new favorites, Common Room and The Library in Long Beach. I’m a sucker for old 90s style coffee houses, but I also love some good direct trade espresso.

Second up, a skate session to start the day – Venice, the Cove or Vans in HB – depending on how much energy we have and how much traffic we’re willing to deal with.
Post skate coffee – head to Little Lunch – run into some sustainability people or nonprofit skate buddies.
Hang at the beach, grab some sandwiches, tacos, or Tuesday margarita deals.
Post skate vermicelli or sushi in Sawtelle or West side. If we are feeling real fancy – head to my favorite Italian place, Ugo. Watch the sunset at Baldwin Hills, Kenneth Hahn, or at LMU’s bluff.

End the night in Culver sipping some cocktails at Bar Bohemien, catch a movie at the local movie theater, or a late night a stop for libations at Honey’s Star Love. If we are lucky enough that this weekend falls on a Cumbiatón weekend – then we go dance. If it was up to my wife, then we’d go play pinball and Galaga, and find a really good mole dish.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
It takes a village. First and foremost credit goes to my wife, Dora Frietze-Armenta for her unwavering belief, support, and encouragement throughout this journey. To the team who has made this possible including fellow startup founders, Noah Chavez-Stedman and Greg Farrar, who both provide me with a healthy dose of insanity, and nonprofit Founder of Bridge to Skate Chantelle Heroux who inspired me to start Shred Cycle and nominated us for this Shoutout!

Website: https://shredcycleskate.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shred_cycle/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shred-cycle/?viewAsMember=true

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@shredcycle

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@shred_cycle?lang=en

Image Credits
Micah Sedmak
Jill Baker
Carolina Franco

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