Meet Emmanuel Barron | Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emmanuel Barron and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emmanuel, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I was born and raised in Colorado and I am a passionate outdoorsman. I especially love to hunt big game in the backcountry. When I became a father, I knew that I wanted to pass on the great tradition of backpack hunting to my three boys. They are currently still elementary age and I figured I can start taking them out on day hunts. I started looking for equipment and clothing for my boys which they could use on our outings. I want to teach them fieldcraft, personal responsibility of their equipment, and how to plan for trips. Having good gear is essential for organization and planning, quality gear can also make any trip more enjoyable. However, when I started shopping around, I realized that there was virtually no options for kids hunting equipment, especially packs and technical clothing. It was frustrating enough, that I bought an industrial sewing machine and made my own. Friends and family thought my packs were so good, that I should start selling them. So I started American Steppe.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am perfectly described as a jack of all trades. In high school I was an apprentice of Leo Tanguma, a muralist and artist who is most famously known for the “illuminati” murals at Denver International Airport. I worked with him for two years learning about the power of art and community. At the age of 17 I enlisted in the US Army as a wheeled mechanic. I completed basic training in the summer between my junior and senior year of high school. Upon graduating high school I returned to Fort Jackson South Carolina to complete my mechanic training. I was in the Army reserves, so I returned to Denver where I served in the 244th Engineer battalion in Aurora and I became a full time college student at Metropolitan State University of Denver. In college I enrolled in the ROTC program for the Army, while there I participated in many ROTC competitions and races. As a cadet I also attended the US Army Air Assault school, and Airborne school. My senior year of college I became the company commander of the ROTC program on Auraria campus and in 2012 I graduated as a Distinguished Military Graduate (top 13% of the nation) with a degree in Anthropology with a focus on Archaeology, and a minor in History. I commissioned the next day as an Infantry Officer in the Army. I shipped out to Fort Benning Georgia, where I remained for a year learning the art of warfare. I would eventually move to Alaska where I served in the 1st battalion 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 25th Infantry Division as an operations officer and eventually as a platoon leader in 3rd platoon Comanche Company, and the Distribution platoon of Golf Company. I returned to Colorado in 2016, where I took over management of the family company, Barron’s Asphalt and Concrete, and I enrolled in Colorado State University as a biology student. I graduated in December of 2022 from Colorado State University with a BS in Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology. I planned on working in the Biology field, but I was offered a position as an Archaeologist that I couldn’t refuse, and I am currently working on scaling up American Steppe.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If a friend was vising Colorado, I would have to take them on a backcountry hike outside of Buena Vista, in the colligates range. The backcountry is steep and very picturesque. If they were up to it I would probably take an early day and hike them up the 7 miles to the top of Longs Peak through the Boulder Field then take them to Estes Park for dinner, maybe even a ghost tour at the Stanley Hotel. We would definitely have to get pizza at Woody’s Wood Fired Pizza in Golden and maybe do a beer tour. If it was 4th rifle season, I would most likely take them up to visit Craig Colorado and the Routt National Forest. I could also take them down to the four corners area where we could explore pueblos hidden in the back country outside of Mesa Verde. The rodeo in Westcliff would also be fun, or go on a nighttime UFO hunt in the valley just outside of Great Sand Dunes. I would not take them to Aspen, its over rated, plus Vail lays claim to the home of James Hetfield of Metallica, so it takes the cake. I may teach them to appreciate something Colorado is not known for, the great plains, the American Steppe if you will. If it was a spring day, I would drive them out to Pawnee and sit among the grasses and forbs and watch the Antelope from a distance and listen the meadow lark calls in the early morning. But the best part of Colorado for me is in the fall, when the aspen leaves turn yellow and orange and the nights get crisp and cold up in the back country woods. At this time of year, I would ideally want my friend to experience laying in a sleeping bag very early in the morning when its still dark out, shivering from the cold, but warming up their soul listening to the bugles of bull elk echo through the forest all around them.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a shout out to my father, Jesus M Barron. From an early age he has been teaching me personal responsibility, that value of hard work, and integrity. He has supported me in every decision I have made in life and in every dream I have pursued, including the ones that I have failed in.

Website: www.americansteppegear.com

Instagram: @americansteppe