Full Name
Steve Van Doren
Job Title
Vice President, Events & Promotions - “Ambassador of Fun”
Company
Vans Shoes
Description
For over 50 years, Steve Van Doren has traveled the world on trains, planes and RV’s firing up the grill and high-fiving fans around the world. On every trip, Steve spreads the stoke and works hard to deliver a best-in-class Vans experience, showcasing to everyone he meets what it means to be a Van Doren. Steve started working for Vans at 10 years old and has never worked anywhere else in his life. As Van’s Vice President of events and promotions, Steve makes it his personal mission to reach out and talk to as many people as he can, often while flipping them a burger or a hot dog on his ever-present grill. His worldwide travels and ability to create a Vans-tastic atmosphere at every event has given him the title of Vans Ambassador of Fun. To understand the roots of Steve’s “constant motion” approach to life, one has to look no further than the history of Vans.
In 1966, the Van Doren Rubber Company opened for business in Anaheim, California, as a retail store with the factory attached in back. It was a family affair with Paul Van Doren and his brother, Jim, as principals along with spouses and a slew of kids pitching in manning the registers, running shoes to and from the stockroom and, eventually, painting and setting up the shiny new stores as they sprung up around Orange County.
From the start, Van was an underdog company, but there was one thing that Paul Van Doren Drove home with his kids: that to be successful, they had to be more passionate and work harder than their competitors. Vans didn’t have much a budget to spend on advertising campaigns, so the Van Doren’s came up with Van’s first grassroots campaign: Tell a friend about Vans! The Van Doren’s became fixtures at local country fairs and at the beach spreading the word about Van’s affordable, quality footwear. In that first year, Vans opened 10 stores in 10 weeks and the word-of-mouth promotion was starting to take hold. Van’s canvas shoes became a staple at the beach and on the feet of skaters throughout Southern California.
Steve was one of the young Van Doren’s that spent his weekends passing out Vans stickers and fliers and chatting up the family business. The middle of five kids, Steve took to heart what his father preached about hard work and passion. Now more than 50 years later, a company that started off as a small, family business has evolved into the original action sports brand and icon of creative expression, most notably one with an uncanny emotional connection with its loyal customers. Much of that connection can be attributed to the passion for Vans and youth culture that Steve exudes to all Vans employees and to every person he meets each day.
Steve considers his job the best in the world. He loves meeting the young as well as the young at heart and witnessing the passionate lives they live. It is Steve’s calling to deliver events they can enjoy whether it’s a legends skateboarding competition, a concert or a live mural painting. His father’s philosophy was that it was the people who made Vans special. That was true in 1966 and is the foundation for Vans today.
In 1966, the Van Doren Rubber Company opened for business in Anaheim, California, as a retail store with the factory attached in back. It was a family affair with Paul Van Doren and his brother, Jim, as principals along with spouses and a slew of kids pitching in manning the registers, running shoes to and from the stockroom and, eventually, painting and setting up the shiny new stores as they sprung up around Orange County.
From the start, Van was an underdog company, but there was one thing that Paul Van Doren Drove home with his kids: that to be successful, they had to be more passionate and work harder than their competitors. Vans didn’t have much a budget to spend on advertising campaigns, so the Van Doren’s came up with Van’s first grassroots campaign: Tell a friend about Vans! The Van Doren’s became fixtures at local country fairs and at the beach spreading the word about Van’s affordable, quality footwear. In that first year, Vans opened 10 stores in 10 weeks and the word-of-mouth promotion was starting to take hold. Van’s canvas shoes became a staple at the beach and on the feet of skaters throughout Southern California.
Steve was one of the young Van Doren’s that spent his weekends passing out Vans stickers and fliers and chatting up the family business. The middle of five kids, Steve took to heart what his father preached about hard work and passion. Now more than 50 years later, a company that started off as a small, family business has evolved into the original action sports brand and icon of creative expression, most notably one with an uncanny emotional connection with its loyal customers. Much of that connection can be attributed to the passion for Vans and youth culture that Steve exudes to all Vans employees and to every person he meets each day.
Steve considers his job the best in the world. He loves meeting the young as well as the young at heart and witnessing the passionate lives they live. It is Steve’s calling to deliver events they can enjoy whether it’s a legends skateboarding competition, a concert or a live mural painting. His father’s philosophy was that it was the people who made Vans special. That was true in 1966 and is the foundation for Vans today.
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