Meet Cate Havstad-casad

We were lucky to catch up with Cate Havstad-casad recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Cate, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

I’ve got two badass sisters out in the world doing pretty incredible work and was raised by two amazing parents who always worked for themselves. Whether they meant to or not, they instilled a lot of the entrepreneurial spirit in me and my sisters. In college I was pretty aimless in my studies and took a couple of breaks to go abroad and get some real-world working experience in. Once I finished my degree, I had a series of serendipitous moments that led me to a mentorship with a hat maker. I loved the tactile nature of it, started sharing what I was doing on social media and people responded with enthusiasm, so I kept going. While hat making is a deep passion of mine, and over a decade later, is still one of the things that truly fills my creative cup, I wouldn’t call it my purpose. No – purpose is much bigger. I’ve had two babies in the past three years and am finding purpose in motherhood through the ways it inspires me to move in the world – ways that will build a safe and hopeful future for my children to inherit.

In addition to my hat business, I co-own and run a regenerative, organic farm with my husband and founded luxury leather goods brand, Range Revolution. These ventures have become avenues to help me fulfill this purpose. On the farm we’re feeding the community and being stewards of the land and its creatures. With Range Revolution I’m combining my passions for design and agriculture into a purpose-filled endeavor to engage a wider audience through fashion. The combination of my life’s experiences and my personal passions have led me to a place where I feel confident in my purpose to create the world I want for my children.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m a farmer/rancher, custom hat-maker, founder and mother – so have a lot going on at all times. But something that I’m really excited about is the momentum behind Range Revolution.

I founded Range Revolution after seeing first-hand the waste and environmental destruction of the leather industry. As a rancher, I deeply understand that there is no room – financially or environmentally – for waste. We’re partnering with American ranches to make use of these hides that would otherwise be sent to landfill and creating beautiful, heirloom-quality goods. Our mission is to reduce waste, increase financial return to American ranchers, rebuild our domestic supply chains, and produce intentional products that inspire ecological agency in what we wear.

Last year we really lept out into the world with some fun campaigns, presence at aligned events and our ecommerce site, building up a beautiful community along the way. I’m looking forward to 2025 as even more growth, connection and potential are on the table and I can’t wait to see how the brand and our creative cohorts will continue to fuel this work and impact tangible change in the industry.

We love hearing thoughts, questions and ideas from those interested in fashion, agriculture, sustainability – and encourage you to follow along with what Range Revolution is doing (on social, email, etc.), but also to get curious yourself – find out where what you wear, buy and consume comes from. Whose hands grow and produce it. What impact does it have on the environment and community it comes from. And above all – never stop thinking about what we as consumers can do to make things better.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

It might be cliche, I think it’s really about being curious, pursuing your genuine interests and being willing to take a chance (no matter how scary or poorly timed it may seem). It’s helpful to think about the things that bring you joy, asking others what they think you are good at, and the skills you have that can tangibly or financially support your life. The intersection of these three are usually where passion and purpose meet and can help provide direction. As for development and improvement, you just have to go for it. Learning and adapting along the way.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

If this past year has taught me anything it’s that not being afraid to tap into your relationships and finding creative ways to partner with others is a huge key to success. We’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with musicians, influencers, chefs, nonprofits, local businesses, national brands and fellow founders. Each of these relationships have exposed Range Revolution to new audiences and provided dynamic and authentic ways to connect and tell our story.

That said, we’d love to keep it going – connecting with those that are dedicated to doing things different and having a positive impact on people, planet and community. If you or someone you know could be a fit, reach out! The best way to do so is by using the “contact” form at the bottom of rangerevolution.com

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rangerevolution.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rangerevolution/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cate-havstad-casad-08175722a
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Range_Revolution
• Other: Substack: https://rangerevolutions.substack.com/

Image Credits

Michelle Serna, Hannah Ellis, Lauren Massie Photo