Stephen Cleary, essa

Stephen Cleary
essa
Waterbury, VT
After five years working for Burton Snowboards, Stephen Cleary realized there was a need for cool and fashionable boarding apparel. In 2003, after getting thoughts from a few pro snowboarders and sketching a design on a napkin at Mount Hood, Oregon, Cleary founded eesa with fellow snow-sports guru Fran Frost.
The idea that came together for layering pieces that wouldn’t look like underwear, and that a skier or rider could feel proud to display after peeling off a coat. Cleary and Frost called their concept “lift-to-lounge,” and they decided to base eesa in Waterbury.

When it came time to finance their business plan, Cleary looked to Community Capital for assistance. “As a startup we didn’t have a track record, and Community Capital provided us with an opportunity for alternate financing. They helped us fund our first stages of growth, and our experience with them has been great.”