Leveraging more than 20 years of professional experience, Ryan C. Barnes is well-regarded in the field of entrepreneurship as the founder and chief executive officer of STUDSON Inc. Since 2019, Mr. Barnes has served at the helm of the company, which manufactures industrial safety helmets and above-the-neck PPE. Impressively, the company became incorporated in January 2019, and they successfully conceived and engineered their inaugural product by August 2021. Impressively, STUDSON is recognized at the forefront of industrial helmet manufacturing, becoming the #1 top choice for professionals among over 30 other PPE brands.
As a testament to its success, STUDSON has received numerous accolades. The recipient of the Pro Tool Innovation Award in 2024, the company previously earned Makers and Manufacturers Awards from the Portland Business Journal in 2023, as well as the BLT Built Design Award and the NED Innovation Award. Mr. Barnes emphasizes that his success in the industry was born from innovation, as he recognized the need for higher quality, redesigned hard hats and industrial safety helmets, whose design has seen minimal evolution since its introduction in the early 20th century. Since that time, Mr. Barnes has dedicated his career to developing new products for safety considerations, and STUDSON has been well received due to its perfect fit.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Barnes worked for several athletic companies in business-oriented roles, such as POC Sports, where he served as a snow category sales manager in North America from 2014 to 2020. He was also a business development manager and senior buyer for The Clymb from 2011 to 2013 and an account executive for Smarsh Inc. from 2010 to 2011. Furthermore, Mr. Barnes served as a product and marketing manager for the TRU Company from 2007 to 2010. Previously, he was involved in marketing and sales at Salomon and K2 SKIS dating back to the late 1990s.
Mr. Barnes holds a Bachelor of Science in sociology, with a minor in business, from the University of Oregon. Although he has experienced many career highlights, he is particularly proud of turning an idea into a successful brand that has become highly sought after in a competitive market. Looking toward the future, Mr. Barnes is working on developments in cooling accessories to help workers regulate their body temperature. He and his team also have plans to introduce new products outside of the PPE sphere and collaborate with global partners to expand the reach of their products. Ultimately, Mr. Barnes endeavors to enter the European market in the coming years.
