Our Story & Team
OUR STORY:
One of the greatest aspects about shopping small is that it’s an intimate experience for both the shopper and the business. We are real people that answer your emails, and I’m not gonna lie, we even do a little happy dance when our phone rings from an incoming order. If you’re new here, I’d love to introduce myself and my family. I'm Jess, the Owner + Creative Director of Litto Howler. My partner Isak is the Production Manager who's in charge of making all your leash dreams come true. When we’re not making your pup’s favorite adventure leashes here in Los Angeles, we’re away exploring the great outdoors with our very own pack of 4 dogs.
Litto Howler was started back in 2017 because we simply needed a safer and more durable leash for our pack. As rock-climbers, we both trusted climbing rope to be the safest outdoor gear, even entrusting it with our own lives. So what did we do? We took our old gym rope, tied a climber’s knot, and added a carabiner — voila we had our first dog leash prototype. But once our pack grew, we needed a better system of leashes to make our walks in the city easier and most of all, safer. That’s when we designed, tested, and created Litto Howler’s tangle-free leashes. Our leashes are hand crafted here in Los Angeles. Each and every leash is crafted for adventure and designed for safety, made up of real rock-climbing rope and gear.
Fast forward a few years, we’ve both left our respective careers and committed to pursuing Litto Howler full time. The outdoors is what inspires us to create, so we’re constantly trying our best to find the “balance” of work and getting out there for more inspiration to continue creating. Our team and I strive to make the safest, most durable, and most of all, adventure proof leashes for you and your pups. In just a few years, we’ve built a community of adventure seekers that never leave their dogs behind — #LittoFam. With our community’s help, our leashes and gear go out on the most epic adventures with amazing stories that are one of a kind. Whether it’s a story of Litto Howler serving as your rescue dog’s first leash, helping to reignite the confidence she once had or a story of Litto Howler worn on your adventures hiking in the narrowest canyons and over the tallest mountains; there is truly no greater satisfaction for us than knowing that our leashes and gear have found a place in your home. As always, adventure on!
MEET THE LITTO HOWLER TEAM:
Jess
Owner + Creative Director
We stand proud knowing that we're an Asian American + Woman Owned Small Business. Jess makes all the business decisions around here at Litto Howler, creates the newest collections, and also run the socials. As a micro-small business owner, it's no surprise we all wear a lot of hats, especially Jess, the shop owner. She's also in charge of ordering supplies, maintaining the website, and also sources materials. Jess and her partner Isak have a pack of four dogs and love exploring the outdoors together. They're avid campers, overlanders, hikers, climbers, and huge foodies. Jess is born and raised in Los Angeles and used to work in the fashion industry as a Creative Director before fully committing to Litto Howler.
Isak
Production Manager
This is Isak. He is the mastermind behind all of our leash designs. He's been a climber for 10+ years and has much knowledge of safety on the tall rocks since he's a lead + multi-pitch climber. He's climbed all the tallest mountains in Brazil - where he's originally from. He speaks 5 languages that includes his fist language Portuguese, English, Korean, Spanish, and a little Tagalog since he's also lived in the Philippines for 10 yeas. He's super talented and crafty which is why he makes sure each and every one of your leashes are perfected before we send them out. Isak is a beer lover and his favorite day ever would be a day in the mountains with the dogs + a pack of his favorite beer. Cheers!
Kayla
Client Service Manager
This is Kayla. She's been with Litto Howler for 2 years now. She responds to your daily emails and makes sure your orders are packed with love and care. She also organizes inventory, helps everyone with their custom orders no matter how confusing it may be, and sets up all the appointments here at the HQ. Kayla has a passion for traveling and exploring new places. She is proudly part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Sam
Production Assistant
This is Sam. He is Isak's brother who is also from Brazil. He assists Isak with production. He's been with Litto Howler a year now. He's been a huge help in helping us speed up the processing time. Sam is an introvert so he's pretty shy at first, but once you get to know him, he's the sweetest giant. Sam loves playing soccer and golf. He's a huge foodie and loves Korean food in K-Town because it wasn't something so easily accessible when he lived in Brazil.