Meet Jessie Svec | Co-Founder PitchKit Co.

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

Hi Jessie, every day, we talk about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

PitchKit actually came to be for a few different reasons – but the underlying and perhaps the most important was creating easy, affordable, sustainable access to nature and outdoor exploration.

Something we realized very early on, was the incredible mental, physical and emotional reset that nature provides. It is literally a breath of fresh air. When you can stand in awe at the base of El Cap, at the edge of the Grand Canyon or even just sit next to a roaring campfire, you can disconnect from the chaos of everyday life, reconnect with yourself, and rediscover the natural beauty that surrounds us.

We also realized there was a barrier to this incredible resource. There are SO MANY mind blowing National, State and County Parks and Monuments that are just out there waiting be explored – but unless you have the time, finances and physical space to store high quality camping gear (the kind that actually makes the experience of camping warm, dry and enjoyable) then the adventure is easily overlooked.

PitchKit makes camping CONVENIENT AND EASY with pre-formulated rental kits that include everything you need to have an incredible experience outdoors.

Everything in our kits, from Shelter to Kitchen, eliminate single use items and educate on best practices to minimize the human impact on our parks and outdoor spaces.

For the beginner camper, there is an easy, all inclusive option so you can pick up the gear and KNOW it’s everything you need without having to cherry pick items and choose between cost and comfort (FYI the sleeping pad is ALWAYS worth it).

For the expert camper who lives across the country but wants to explore what the West Coast has to offer – we wanted them to feel confident leaving their gear behind and grabbing a high quality rental kit with cool new gear to use and test out without having to ship theirs across the county.

For families with young kids, we want them to be able to introduce their children to nature without having to deal with the stress of a pre-pack or post clean up.

PitchKit was designed to make camping fun, enjoyable and easy.

By providing an easy access point to nature, we hope more people will fall in love with the greatness and beauty of our natural resources and spaces. Ideally, this will inspire a greater collective mindset about environmentally conscious actions – in and out of the tent – in order to better protect it.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
PitchKit is a joint venture between myself and my two brothers Will and Kevin. We all come from different professional backgrounds and perspectives that make this business unique and hopefully someday wildly successful.

Currently, we all have day jobs outside of PitchKit and frankly, it’s HARD to come home from a challenging day at the office and switch gears to push the passion project forward. But luckily, that’s what this is – passion. We love to be outside, to camp and explore – and believe that it should be easy, fun, and accessible for everyone.

While juggling families, necessary outside jobs and muddling through all the legal paperwork and red tape behind owning a small business – the most important lesson we have learned along the way, is the ability to set it all aside and still genuinely enjoy spending time together (especially outside).

Luckily, it’s almost impossible to let that get in the way when you are sitting around a campfire, blind tasting bourbon and watching shooting stars with your siblings.

If you are ready to take a break from all the screens, emails, notifications and constant connectivity, then let PitchKit help you get away from it all.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m sure you’re shocked… but we would 100% take a visiting friend camping. If they were in town for a whole week, we would probably try to hit up a few of our favorite SoCal camp spots.

We’d start by grabbing a campsite at the south end of San Elijo State Beach Campgrounds in Encinitas with an ocean view and easy access to the sand.

Beach camping, especially in the late summer, is magical. We’d pack skateboards to cruise along the paved campground roads and surfboards because the beach is just steps away. Eggs & bacon over the campfire and an early morning coffee walk on the beach. In between lounging and catching waves, I would suggest a midday walk to Fish 101 to feast on the best grilled fish burritos in North County, then walk the Cardiff Reef Rail for epic ocean views.

We’d swing by Seaside Market and grab a few local San Diego brews or hard kombucha for a sunset happy hour and then pick up some Cardiff Crack for dinner over the campfire.

After a few days of “urban beach camping” I would pack everyone up and head to a gem just 2 hours East of San Diego.

Anza Borrego Desert State Park is designated starry sky destination and with over 600,000 acres, it is the largest state park in California. It contains 500 miles of dirt roads, 12 wilderness areas and miles of hiking trails that provide visitors endless opportunities to experience the wonders of the desert. The park features washes, wildflowers, palm groves, cacti and epic views – but most importantly, there is absolutely no shortage of camping.

There are four developed campgrounds with 175 total sites, eight primitive campgrounds and unlimited roadside camping similar to Mojave National Preserve (just make sure you are at least one cars length away from any paved or dirt road).

We would squeeze in a few scenic hikes including; Borrego Palm Canyon Trail, a popular loop that brings you Dr. Seuss inspired palm tree oasis in a canyon west of Borrego Springs and maybe check out the Wind Caves – sandstone formation with wind-eroded pockets – near Fish Wash Mountain. But no Anza trip wouldn’t be complete without catching sunrise at Fonts Point.

Fonts Point is an unbelievable overlook into the Borrego Badlands. These miles of corrugated ridge-lines make Fonts Point looks like something that you would see at the Grand Canyon or Death Valley, not in the middle of a seemingly flat, desert landscape.

After getting properly grimy from a desert adventure, we would head back to San Diego, but not without stopping at The Courts, a super cool and funky pit stop that includes four tennis courts, small clubhouse and pool right in the middle of the desert for a quick dip and competitive tennis match.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Our shoutout is to all the dedicated people and professionals who are out there taking an active stand to help the climate crisis.

Also to the leaders and environmentalists who knew the importance of protecting and setting aside land for wilderness preservation throughout the country and allowed the creation of our incredible system of National, State and County Parks and Monuments.

Website: https://www.pitchkitco.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pitchkitco/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Pitchkitco/

Other: email us at: info@pitchkitco.com

Image Credits
Kevin Fabrizi