DANIEL TARALA

Product Development | Brand Strategy | Go-to-Market | R&D | Design Direction | Scaling Global Brands

San Francisco, CA | daniel.tarala@gmail.com | 303 229 8457 | danieltarala.com | LinkedIn.com/in/danieltarala

CAREER PROFILE

I build products — setting direction, driving development, and getting things made. Working across design, engineering, and manufacturing, I take products from concept to market with a hands-on approach that balances long range vision with day to day execution. I work with AI as a genuine partner in the process, using it to move faster and think sharper.

Specializing in overseas factory and vendor relationships, consumer electronics, travel, carry, lifestyle, and licensed products — across DTC, wholesale, B2B, and OEM environments, from early stage startups to global brands.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Drove the highest revenue global launch in company history at Peak Design — $17M from concept to customer

• Executed high stakes product launches across consumer electronics, travel, carry, lifestyle, outdoor, and licensed categories contributing to $100M+ in annual revenue

• Developed and managed licensing and collaboration programs with Marvel, Sennheiser, Blizzard, BMW, Audi, Callaway, Timberland, and Sony

• Built Target's Embark private label travel brand from first sketch through retail execution at scale

• Recruited specifically to conceive and build Callaway Golf's travel, lifestyle, and equipment bag program from the ground up

• Built and managed overseas factory networks across Asia — 12+ manufacturers and 37 suppliers, negotiating terms, timelines, and pricing directly

• PMP certified | 15+ years building lean, competent, and creative teams across global markets | Fluent with AI as a working partner

Awards: CES Product of the Year · Red Dot · Travel + Leisure Product of the Year · Outdoor Retailer Best in Show · NLDA Best New Product

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

PEAK DESIGN — San Francisco, CA ‍ ‍2023–2025

Product Line Lead

• Drove design and engineering-led development of a new product category end to end — from concept and brief through prototyping, factory execution, and global launch — delivering $17M in launch revenue.

• Set product direction and tone, collaborating directly with designers and developers to translate vision into market-ready product

• Managed factory operations and development timelines through targeted 12-18 month product plans, improving schedule efficiency and reducing costs by approximately 4%

• Built long-range product roadmaps integrating sustainability and material innovation, collaborating across design, engineering, and sourcing

DROP (Massdrop) — San Francisco, CA‍ ‍2018–2021

VP, Product Development / Head of Studio

• Drove product development at one of the most innovative community-driven CE platforms — setting creative direction, managing design and development, and bringing products to market across consumer electronics, outdoor, apparel, carry, accessories, and EDC categories.

• Set tone and direction for the design studio — working hands-on across concepting, prototyping, and development to bring products from brief to launch

• Developed and executed licensing and collaboration programs with major global brands including Marvel, Sennheiser, and Blizzard Entertainment

• Used direct community and consumer insight to drive product decisions, category development, and launch strategy

• Introduced 18-month rolling R&D calendars, bringing structure and discipline to development and launch cadence

• Delivered double digit margin improvement through supply chain optimization, cost stabilization, and product prioritization

DANIELTARALA.COM — San Francisco, CA 2017–Present

Independent Consultant & Fractional Product Leader

• Independent product development consultant and fractional product leader working with startups and emerging brands across consumer goods, CE, travel, carry, and accessories — specializing in building the product infrastructure needed to scale.

• Partner with founders and leadership teams to build the operational foundation for scaling — processes, team structure, supplier networks, and product architecture designed to grow

• Guide early stage companies through the full product development lifecycle — from market analysis and short, medium, and long range roadmap creation through factory selection, development, and launch

• Build and pitch investor-ready product programs including factory partnerships, material innovation, procurement plans, and R&D strategy

• Source and negotiate directly with overseas factories — managing terms, timelines, pricing, and quality oversight across global supply chains

• Deliver hands-on design work including tech packs, design briefs, color and material plans, and sample review

YEEZY — Oakland, CA 2017–2018

Global Strategy & Product Development

• Built Yeezy's product development operation from the ground up — establishing the Oakland design and prototyping studio and driving development across apparel, accessories, footwear, eyewear, and headphones.

• Built and managed a supply chain of 12+ manufacturers and 37 suppliers, negotiating terms and managing relationships directly

• Set material direction, drove trend-driven design, and managed concept development cycles hands-on

• Executed rapidly across design, development, and sourcing in a high-velocity startup environment with lean resources

VICTORINOX — Ibach, Switzerland 2014–2016

VP, Product & Strategy

• Drove global product strategy, design, and development for one of the world's most iconic heritage brands — working hands-on across travel gear, accessories, and licensed portfolios in a tiered good-better-best program.

• Set product direction and managed development and Asia operations across strategy, sourcing, and execution — working directly with designers, developers, and factories

• Executed annual back-to-school hard side collections and Swiss Works programs — the best selling tier in the portfolio — on a disciplined 2.5 year collection refresh cycle

• Developed new categories and region-specific products for Latin America, Europe, and Japan, expanding international reach while maintaining disciplined SKU control

• Managed Swiss Gear and Wenger product lines through brand integration, maintaining development cadence and growth trajectory

TRG GROUP — St. Louis, MO & Dongguan, China 2004–2014

VP, Product & Strategy / Director of Design

• Drove product development, design, and strategy for a portfolio of global licensed and private label brands across travel, carry, accessories, and consumer goods — executing multiple annual global launches across brand partners simultaneously.

• Recruited specifically to conceive and build Callaway Golf's travel, lifestyle, and equipment bag program — taking the brand from brief to market across carry and accessories

• Built Target's Embark private label travel brand from the ground up — first sketch through retail execution, developing the full program hands-on

• Developed and managed licensed product programs for BMW, Audi, Chrysler, Timberland, Victorinox, and Swiss Gear — managing brand relationships and factory execution directly

• Managed brand partner, factory, and retail relationships across global markets — compressing timelines and improving quality year over year

HEXHEAD DESIGN — Denver, CO 2002–2004

Designer

• Designed soft goods and multi-category consumer products across carry, accessories, and consumer electronics, specializing in fabric, material, and color development — working with leading brands including Sony, Case Logic, and Ping Golf, and collaborating with action sports icons Tony Hawk and Shaun White.

CORE SKILLS & CAPABILITIES

Product Development · Design Direction · Industrial Design · Soft Goods & Hard Goods · Fabric, Material & Color · Tech Packs & Design Briefs · Consumer Electronics · Softgoods · Factory & Vendor Management · Overseas Sourcing & Negotiation · Supply Chain Management · Licensing & Brand Partnerships · Program & Project Management · Go-to-Market Strategy · Business Development · AI-Augmented Development · PMP Certified

EDUCATION & CERTIFICATION

• B.S. Industrial Design — Art Institute of Colorado

• PMP Certification — Project Management Institute (PMI)