We Are California Grown
We Are California Grown is a privately held, founder-owned California-themed apparel and lifestyle brand founded in 2007 in Santa Cruz, selling sweatshirts, tees, hats, and stickers to California consumers via DTC e-commerce and 100+ in-state retail partners, with proceeds supporting local nonprofits.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersCalifornia, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What We Are California Grown does
We Are California Grown is a privately held, founder-owned apparel and lifestyle brand headquartered in Santa Cruz, California, founded in 2007. The company designs and sells California-themed merchandise — sweatshirts, t-shirts, beanies, hats, stickers, decals, and gift cards — distributed through two channels: a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store (wearecaliforniagrown.com) offering free shipping on all orders, and a wholesale network of 100+ independent retailers across California. The brand originated from a roll of California Grown produce stickers rescued from a grocery store and has evolved over nearly two decades into a statewide lifestyle line.
The business operates with approximately five employees and is bootstrapped, with no disclosed outside funding, parent company, or institutional ownership. Revenue is generated entirely through one-time product transactions (apparel and merchandise sales) with no subscription component and no publicly disclosed pricing tiers. Customer targeting is horizontal, focused on California-centric consumers who use the apparel to express regional pride and on cause-driven shoppers who purchase products that fund local nonprofits. Marketing is community-driven, relying on Instagram (@we_are_ca_grown), an email newsletter, and user-generated content campaigns using the #WeAreCaliforniaGrown hashtag.
Commercially, the company differentiates on brand heritage and cause alignment rather than technology or pricing. It maintains ongoing partnerships with nonprofits including Homeless Garden Project (Santa Cruz) and a broader coalition of California environmental and community organizations, with proceeds from many designs directed to those causes. The technical foundation is a standard Wix-hosted storefront (designed by Moongold Marketing) with no proprietary technology, no mobile app, no API surface, and no disclosed integrations — positioning the business as a brand- and distribution-led lifestyle apparel operation rather than a technology company.
We Are California Grown firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- We Are California Grown
- Legal name
- We Are California Grown
- Website
- https://wearecaliforniagrown.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- We Are California Grown is a privately held, founder-owned California-themed apparel and lifestyle brand founded in 2007 in Santa Cruz, selling sweatshirts, tees, hats, and stickers to California consumers via DTC e-commerce and 100+ in-state retail partners, with proceeds supporting local nonprofits.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
We Are California Grown industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Lifestyle Apparel
- NAICS
- Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers (458)
- SIC
- Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Retail-Miscellaneous Shopping Goods Stores (5940)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Outdoor & Active Lifestyle Apparel Retail (CRAAABAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sporting Goods & Outdoor Inventory-led Online Retailers (CRAFADAJ), Sports, Concert & Venue Gift Shops (CRALAJAH)
Keywords
Where We Are California Grown is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- California
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
We Are California Grown business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel
Revenue model
- Apparel and Merchandise Sales: Direct sales of branded apparel including sweatshirts, t-shirts, beanies, hats, stickers, and decals through their e-commerce platform and retail partner network. Revenue is generated through one-time product transactions with no subscription component.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
We Are California Grown product offering
Product offeringCore offering
We Are California Grown designs, sources, and sells California-themed apparel and lifestyle merchandise, including sweatshirts, t-shirts, beanies, hats, stickers, and decals. Products are sold directly through the brand's e-commerce storefront and distributed via 100+ independent retailers across California, with proceeds from many designs supporting environmental and community nonprofits in the state.
Product overview
We Are California Grown is an apparel and lifestyle brand offering California-themed merchandise including sweatshirts, t-shirts, hats, beanies, stickers, and decals. The brand, founded in 2007, represents California pride through local art and authentic cultural moments. Products are sold directly through their online store and distributed via 100+ retailers across California. The company also offers gift cards as an ancillary product. All items connect to causes and community organizations throughout California.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sweatshirts & Tees
Companies that use We Are California Grown
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
We Are California Grown technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
We Are California Grown partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered featured, minor and core.
- Homeless Garden ProjectfeaturedNon-profit organization in Santa Cruz providing job training, transitional employment, and support services to individuals experiencing homelessness. Proceeds from the California Grown Strawberry design benefit this organization.
- Moongold MarketingminorDesign partner credited for website design. Listed in footer as the company that designed the We Are California Grown website.
- California Environmental NonprofitscoreThe brand partners with organizations protecting California's coastlines, forests, farms, wildlife, and people. Many designs directly support nonprofits doing real work on the ground in California.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
We Are California Grown competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Salt Life: Coastal and surf-lifestyle apparel and accessories brand selling tees, hats, stickers, and decals through DTC and wholesale. Closely comparable as a regional lifestyle apparel brand with similar product mix (tees, hats, stickers) and community-driven identity.
- Simply Southern: Regional-pride lifestyle apparel brand selling tees, hats, and accessories tied to a U.S. state's identity. Comparable for its state-pride positioning, broad wholesale distribution, and similar product categories (tees, hats, accessories).
- Life is Good: Positive-vibes lifestyle apparel brand with strong nonprofit partnership model (Life is Good Playmakers). Comparable for its cause-driven positioning, optimism-based brand identity, and omnichannel distribution including independent retailers.
Broad incumbents
- Patagonia: Iconic California-rooted outdoor and active-lifestyle apparel brand. Directly comparable as a California-based lifestyle apparel retailer with strong environmental nonprofit partnerships, though at vastly larger scale and broader product range.
- YETI: Outdoor lifestyle brand selling apparel, drinkware, and gear to active-lifestyle consumers. Comparable for its California-adjacent outdoor culture and premium lifestyle positioning, though YETI's category mix is different.
- Billabong: Surf and outdoor lifestyle apparel brand with strong California and beach-culture roots. Comparable for surf/skate/outdoor customer overlap and similar product categories (tees, sweatshirts, hats).
- Vineyard Vines: Lifestyle apparel brand built around an aspirational regional identity, sold through DTC and broad wholesale. Comparable for its regional-lifestyle positioning and multi-category product approach (tees, sweatshirts, hats).
- REI Co-op: Consumer co-operative selling outdoor and active-lifestyle apparel, headwear, and accessories. Comparable as a California-based outdoor lifestyle retail ecosystem, though significantly broader in scope and category.
Emerging players
- Olukai: Hawaii-inspired outdoor lifestyle footwear and apparel brand with community and cultural-identity positioning. Comparable as a state/regional-pride lifestyle brand selling premium apparel through DTC and independent retail.
- Stance: California-based lifestyle socks and apparel brand with strong art and culture collaborations. Comparable as a California-rooted lifestyle brand using artwork, storytelling, and community identity to differentiate commodity apparel.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
We Are California Grown social profiles
Digital presenceWe Are California Grown financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
We Are California Grown leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
We Are California Grown funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
We Are California Grown M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about We Are California Grown
What does We Are California Grown do?
We Are California Grown designs, sources, and sells California-themed apparel and lifestyle merchandise, including sweatshirts, t-shirts, beanies, hats, stickers, and decals. Products are sold directly through the brand's e-commerce storefront and distributed via 100+ independent retailers across California, with proceeds from many designs supporting environmental and community nonprofits in the state.
Is We Are California Grown a public or private company?
We Are California Grown is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was We Are California Grown founded?
We Are California Grown was founded in 2007. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is We Are California Grown based?
We Are California Grown is headquartered in California, United States, in the North America region.
How does We Are California Grown make money?
One revenue line is on record: apparel and Merchandise Sales.
Who are We Are California Grown's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Salt Life, Simply Southern and Life is Good. Broad incumbents are Patagonia, YETI, Billabong, Vineyard Vines and REI Co-op. Emerging players are Olukai and Stance.
Does We Are California Grown have an API?
No public API is recorded for We Are California Grown.
What industry is We Are California Grown in?
We Are California Grown's product category is Lifestyle Apparel. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAAABAL, Outdoor & Active Lifestyle Apparel Retail, with a secondary code of CRAFADAJ, Sporting Goods & Outdoor Inventory-led Online Retailers. Its NAICS code is 458 and its SIC code is 5600.