Maka is a designer of premium quality bags, clothing, boards, and apparel for skaters currently launching worldwide with our first two products; water-resistant skateboard bags in two unique designs that make transporting your board 100x easier. Who is behind Maka? Maka is driven by a dedicated team in Medellín, Colombia. Maka is the brainchild of two skaters; Diego Pineda (CEO) and Jorge Calle (Lead Designer). Diego was born in Colombia but fled to Arizona, USA, with his family in 1999 due to violence. He picked up skating immediately and would go on to work for skate shops and tour the country with a team. He returned in 2008 to study International Business, although he never put down his board, certain that he would find a way to make a living out of skating. Jorge was born in raised in a small ghetto in Medellín, Colombia. While many of his friends found their way into drugs and violence, Jorge found his way forward in life either on top of a skateboard or behind a sewing machine. His true passion is to create without limits, to try, to fail, and to try again until he’s created the best there possibly could be. So Diego, why did you start Maka? I live a pretty simple life philosophy; I do what I enjoy doing. However, like everyone (especially skaters), it can be hard to do what you really enjoy and pay the bills. I’ve always looked up to the skate culture for inspiration ever since I started to understand it – the style, the clothes, the street, the attitude to be against the norm of society… It’s a close-knit community, although it’s an individual activity. You don’t need a team to be able to skate. It’s a way of self-expression, and that, for me, is the starting point of it all. What is the ambition of Maka? There are not many cultures that truly accept everyone. Skateboarding does. White, black, green, yellow, purple, tall, short, weird, funny, cool – everyone is accepted because it’s about your individuality. For the majority of my life, most of the people I’ve met come from skateboarding. It all comes down to having fun. Learning, falling, and getting back up. So, why does all of this relate to ambition? Because, while we’re taking the brand worldwide, we also want to seize the opportunity to support more kids with what skating has given us; a way to express ourselves, a sense of purpose, and life-long friends. Skating made our lives what they are, and now it’s time to give back. 10% of all profits go towards supporting social causes here in the city of Medellín. To follow us on our mission, we invite you to follow our social media to help more children find paths away from the drugs and violence that are still present in this city.