Where does the creative, dedicated minority go next? Run retail.

Vivek Gowri is the new proprietor of SF Run Co - a landmark moment for South Asians in the running world

It’s possible that Vivek Gowri, the new owner of San Francisco Running Company, is the first South Asian run specialty store owner in the USA. I sadly can’t find the data to check this, so please introduce me to any others that you know of. We’d love to meet them.

I caught up with Vivek at The Running Event in December, where we joked uncomfortably about being able to count on one hand the total number of South Asian people in attendance, either working for brands or as retail buyers. I connected with one of the other two (she reads this newsletter, funnily enough), and she shared the same discomfort.

With three entries in the top 10 most populous countries in the world (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan), South Asia’s position as the most densely populated region of the world is clear. Making up over 25% of the global population, can South Asians really be the smallest minority in the running world? It certainly feels like it. A South Asian man taking charge of SFRC, an important hub at the epicenter of some incredible, storied NorCal trails, is a huge moment.