Nicolas Mermoud keynote speaker

Nicolas Mermoud is the co-founder of HOKA, one of the fastest-growing and most disruptive athletic footwear brands in modern history. An accomplished alpine skier, trail runner, and outdoor athlete from Chamonix, France, Nicolas challenged conventional wisdom during the height of the "barefoot running" trend by pioneering maximalist, ultra-cushioned running shoes engineered to make downhill running feel like flying.

By bridging unconventional product design with a deep understanding of athlete needs, Nicolas helped scale HOKA from an alpine prototype into a global billion-dollar brand acquired by Deckers Brands.

A visionary innovator who operates at the intersection of product design, brand strategy, and human performance, Nicolas shares lessons on market disruption, challenging industry consensus, product innovation, and scaling passion-led ideas into global movements.