Crew
Chris Edmundson was born in a straw-laden manger to a virgin mother and a carpenter father. After a quick stint of healing lepers and curing the blind, he turned his attention to rock. He spent his youth headbanging his way across America, ultimately settling in San Francisco. He quickly solved San Francisco’s endemic homeless problem to the surprise and consternation of the mayor and the majority of SF’s liberal-wanna-be-do-gooder residents. Bored, antsy, and with pockets full of change – he co-founded GAMA-GO. He currently spends his time teaching orphans to hug and bitterly complaining about the proliferation of upscale donut shops. He’s a sharp dresser and enjoys telling hippies to “sit on it, Potsie.”
Greg LongAs a child my father taught me the three B’s of life: Bear Wrastlin’, Big Nacho Platters, and Buck Naked Croquet. I put in my time learnin’ the B’s. A lot of blood, sweat, bear saliva, and delicious hot cheese went into making me the man I am. The skills I acquired learning to put a hammer lock on a 850lbs grizzly have proven to be directly applicable to the day-to-day operations of GAMA-GO. Not a day goes by that I don’t thank my dad for showing me how to wack a croquet ball clear into next Tuesday. I currently spend my days teaching my young son the intricacies of choosing a proper croquet mallet and determining which chip to first pull from a nacho pile. I’m fortunate to be working with a group of like-minded, free-thinking, talented folk here at GG. I live in San Francisco and am extremely thankful for my friends, my family, and my excellent sense of smell.
Jennifer BrownJennifer spent her formative years in Minneapolis, MN behind a Polaroid making fake ID’s so that she and her friends could get into rock shows. She also studied at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. While employed as a buyer for an indie retailer in Seattle, Jennifer fell in love with GAMA-GO’s RAD tees and hoodies…coincidentally (or not) GAMA-GO headquarters happened to be in SAN FRANCISCO, a city she had left her heart in as a child. In 2006 it all came together and she couldn’t be happier living or working anywhere else. When not jet setting around the country to tradeshows showing off the latest GAMA-Goodies, you might find her urban-deep-sea-diving for mid-century modern pieces at estate sales, or walking her fox through Golden Gate Park.
Wednesday KirwanWednesday Kirwan grew up watching vintage cartoons projected on a movie screen in her family’s back yard. Thanks to her animation aficionado father, she arrived at GAMA-GO with a cartoon aesthetic that fit in with the awesome tees and hoodies the company had been producing for years. Previous to designing GAMA-gear and GAMA-goods, Wednesday was an elementary school art teacher and later a children’s book illustrator. She studied painting at the Kansas City Art Institute and continues to participate in art shows in San Francisco and Los Angeles. When not drawing pictures, Wednesday is often checking out the view from Bernal Hill with her small dog, Nemo.
Jackson PrittBorn and raised in California, Jackson is a graduate of the Design programs at both UC Davis and the California College of the Arts. He currently lives in Berkeley, CA with his wife, cat, and collection of clip-on ties.
Shiu Pei LuuMany years ago on a day not unlike this one, Shiu Pei opened up a gift from her boyfriend only to find a GAMA-GO gift pack. Greedily and happily rummaging through the gift pack she declared “I will work for GAMA-GO!” With a love for all things animation, a dark sense of humor and an engineering degree from the University of the Pacific in her back pocket, Shiu Pei headed out from her hometown of Lodi, CA for the big flashy city of San Francisco. When she’s not working on product concepts and designs with the GAMA-GO art crew she can be found arting and crafting with her friends, spending time with family in Lodi or eating her way through the city of San Francisco with her boyfriend and little dog, Mimi.
Stephanie Sampang
Operations Manager
Steph first spotted the wonderful world of GAMA-GO at Wishbone boutique on Irving St. And with the good fortune of a Craigslist posting and the encouragement of her best friend, Kori (a longtime Gama-Fan), Steph applied for a position with the company. Three years and hundreds of tee designs later, she makes sure the wheels are cranking on a daily basis and is now part of a growing team dedicated to bringing things that bring a smile to your face. When not in the office, you can find this artsy fartsy singing tunes in an ’80s/’90s pop cover band called “Slick Blow & the Tenderonies” and performing in various theatrical productions. To all the friends, loved ones, and fans who have supported us through the years — a big THANK YOU!
Eli RudnickWhen he is not vigilantly guarding the goods of GAMA-GO or preparing pallets with precision and purpose, you can find this San Francisco native just a half-block away from headquarters, relaxing in his SOMA penthouse with a sifter of VSOP cognac, eating lobster from Crustacean’s, while listening to Gap Band 45′s with his lady and their Shiba Inu.
Loren Diamond
Sales Coordinator
Loren Diamond is fourth generation in the fashion business. Loren grew up in sweater factories and knitting mills. After relocating from the high-end fashion business in NYC, she landed in CA and fell in love with the Yeti. When not at work at GAMA-GO, she is off seeking new adventures going on day trips with her husband or playing with the kitty cubs at home.
Yalina Ponce
Sales/Customer Service
The daughter of a fisherman father and a seamstress mother, Yalina Ponce spent her formative years dodging middle school field trip buses and flocks of road-crossing chickens in San Juan Bautista, California. One night, Yalina decided to leave her sleepy farm community and began digging a tunnel to San Francisco. The going was slow and Yalina broke a great many nails along the way, but she could not be stopped in her quest to bask in the glow of those big city lights. In 2006, Yalina emerged from her passage only to find herself at The Art Institute of California’s San Francisco campus majoring in Fashion Marketing. A fan of all things bright, colorful and goofy, Yalina brought her penchant for fashion and excavation to GAMA-GO where she works on the sales team reeling in the big fish and keeping customers smiling. When not in the office, Yalina can be found dancing ‘til dawn to her favorite DJ sets, painting her nails on Thursdays and sipping Bloody Marys while watching “The Sound of Music” for the millionth time.
Caricatures by Jon Casey and Wednesday Kirwan