About PoCampo :: Bike and Be Free!
Emily and Maria are native Chicago designers that have always loved the ease of biking around town. Whether it is to work, to their 16” softball games or to meet friends at the Hideout, biking gets them there quickly and is fun to do.
While biking in Chicago was a convenient mode of transportation, there were some unpleasantries that bogged Emily and Maria down. Arriving at the office sweaty from carrying a bag on their backs or showing up at a bar with a giant messenger bag made them feel like they were not their stylish selves, and not how they wanted to be feminine. One day, while discussing how frustrated they were at accessories not being fashionable AND functional, it occurred to them they just might be able to make the stuff themselves.
Early on Emily and Maria realized that a core element of their vision was to have their products made locally and be part of the community. “Chicago is a great city and really defines what we want our products to be; functional and independent. Functional Freedom is what we call it.” says Emily. It was slim odds producing a new brand locally while competing against foreign made bike accessories and a difficult economy, but Emily & Maria were persistent on seeing their vision through.
Their perseverance paid off. Now available in stores, Po Campo bike products have teamed with local bike shops & boutiques to bring Functional Freedom to women who bike all over the nation. They are proud to present their first products; the Handle Bar Bag and Rack Bag!
They look forward to all the great things they still want to do to make active transportation attractive. They hope their story inspires others to not be daunted by doing things differently but rather doings things they way that they think they should be done.