UNCAGED Innovations, a biomaterial company creating sustainable leather from grains based in New York, N.Y., has announced the appointment of Noel Kinder to its board of directors. A senior executive with 25 years of global experience at Nike, including as chief sustainability officer, Kinder brings expertise in sustainability, innovation strategy and global operations.
Kinder’s career has spanned multiple roles, including serving as general manager for Nike Vietnam. During his tenure, he oversaw the transformation of Nike’s environmental operations across 550 factories in 42 countries and drove collaboration with governments, NGOs, academia and media to advance industry-wide sustainability practices.
“Decarbonizing the footwear and apparel industries begins with finding innovative alternatives to traditional commodity materials. What drew me to UNCAGED is its groundbreaking technology and world-first approach to creating high-quality leather alternatives at scale. Throughout my career, I’ve encountered fascinating materials in this space, but many are still in development. UNCAGED is already operating at a commercial level — a critical factor in driving meaningful impact—and I’m excited to help guide the company as it continues to expand its influence globally,” says Kinder.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Noel to our board. He has extensive experience working with global fashion brands and his expertise in sustainability and global operations makes him an invaluable appointment as we enter the next phase of our growth. This is such an exciting time for us as a company and 2025 is set to be our biggest year yet, so we are thrilled to have welcomed Noel on board,” says Stephanie Downs, CEO and co-founder of UNCAGED Innovations.
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