Meet The Buffalo Wool Co.

(we just call her “T”)

Ron and T established The Buffalo Wool Co. out of a love for travel and adventurous experiences. Avid travelers, they both want to make great gear that travels well, and can be put through the long-term paces. Like many Buffalo Wool Co. customers, Ron and T are outdoors enthusiasts who love hiking, fishing, and hunting. 

Prior to creating The Buffalo Wool Co., Ron spent 25+ years in the hospitality industry, serving as head chef and owner for several restaurants. T spent 20+ years with the housing authority, working to put roofs over heads that needed them most. These years directly influenced Ron and T’s drive to “waste not, want not.” While the ultimate goal is to be self-sustaining, their first steps mean that The Buffalo Wool Co. only throws away 1 bag of trash a week, and reduces, reuses, and repurposes as much as possible.

Running The Buffalo Wool Co. means that both Ron and T can have a ton of passion for a lot of things, and support experts in the industry. Neither claim to be experts in the textile industry, but they’ve spent the last 10 years building a network of folks who are. 

These days, in addition to making great Bison gear, Ron and T are working to create a self-sustaining ranch. T is a master gardener and Ron is learning to be a pro at herding chickens, ducks, and cows.

Isaac Russell - Founder & CEO

Isaac has always had a passion for all things tech. He has spent his career making sure that clients are able to spend their time building an incredible business instead of tinkering with their website. He believes that code is, in fact, poetry.

Rebekah Russell - COO & Director of Storytelling

Rebekah has always loved words. She spent several years working in higher education in IT and finance, but came back to her roots and is chief content creator for Sprucely Designed. She also manages most of Sprucely’s business admin.

Together, Isaac and Rebekah support The Buffalo Wool Co. with website updates, technical problem solving (coupon codes, we’re lookin at you!), and content writing.

“Mountain Gorilla”

Kevin is the Owner and Head Instructor of Estela Wilderness Education, and is a regular contributing author for several publications like RECOIL, OFF-GRID Magazine, American Survival Guide, American Frontiersman, and Survivor’s Edge.

He is the author of many online articles for various websites and he is the top-billed Contributing Author for the website of Discovery Channel Host, Joel Lambert. He is a sponsored Professional Outdoorsman by numerous product companies and has great working relationships with many others. Kevin is also a product tester for sporting goods companies and has a proven name in the business for providing honest feedback from years of experience in the field. In January 2015, Kevin officially signed the Estela Wilderness Education Fund into effect. This fund was created to send underprivileged youth from his hometown to educational programs at the Environmental Learning Centers of Connecticut. 

Since Frank Solivan left the cold climes of Alaska for the bluegrass hotbed of Washington, D.C., he’s built a reputation as a monster mandolinist — and become a major festival attraction with his band, Dirty Kitchen. Solivan, with banjoist Mike Munford, 2013 IBMA Banjo Player of the Year, award winning guitarist Chris Luquette and bassist Jeremy Middleton, simmer a bluegrass/newgrass stew from instrumental, vocal and songwriting skills so hot, they were named IBMA’s 2014 Instrumental Group of the Year. In addition to his musical talents, Frank inspired a much loved hat - our Sol Fedora is named after him!

Traveling to many remote and off the beaten path locations, Avner attempts to capture intimate moments, and glimpses into other cultures. Studying the languages, customs,  and geography of the places he visits enables him to explore deeper into that culture, and try to revel some of the essence of the place. He picked up his dad’s old Pentax ME Super when he was in high school, and has been shooting ever since. With a degree in geography and camera in hand, Avner follows a simple concept: Travel . Culture . Art . 

Avner was fortunate to intern at National Geographic back in 2000, which was an amazing experience. That is what brought him to DC, where he still lives. He travels every year for 2-3 months, during the winter, and sells the rest of the year at markets and festivals around the area.