Industry Experience & Background

Throughout his career across Nike, Coach, REI, and biomedical engineering, Ajay has consistently operated as a strategic bridge between technical innovation and commercial execution. At Nike, he led materials development across seasonal launches and engineered the yarns for the first Flyknit skate shoe used at the Tokyo Olympics. At Coach, he served as the founding Materials Innovation leader for Coachtopia, establishing its circular, recycled material ecosystem. Today at REI, he leads a global cross-functional team across fabrics, trims, chemical engineering, and digital color.

Ajay holds a Master’s degree in Textiles, an MBA, a Six Sigma Black Belt, and holds over 10 patents in engineered materials.

Why We’re Excited for Ajay to Speak at SFF26

Systemic sustainability inside a fashion brand doesn't happen in a vacuum, it hinges on internal behavior change. For any material innovation or circular system to gain budget, leadership buy-in, and cross-functional support, it must prove its value to the end consumer.

Ajay sits directly at the intersection of systems change and consumer reality. Having led complex material overhauls at scale, from REI’s company-wide transition to PFAS-free fabrics to building the materials framework for Coachtopia, Ajay brings a grounded, operator perspective on how consumer expectations drive internal business decisions.