Steve Patiño is the founder and CEO of AGS LABS INC. / ALES GREY™, a foot-tech company that offers ultra-comfortable, functional, safety, and sustainably certified footwear for diverse sectors and workforces. With 30 years of experience in the global footwear industry, Steve has excelled as a 2X founder, a sales director, an executive consultant, a footwear buyer, working across various domains such as luxury, outdoor, action sports, and sustainability.
Known as "Sneaker Steve", he has a profound understanding of production processes and supply chains in Europe, Asia, and North America, having spent years in China learning the Mandarin language and everything about manufacturing. He also has a strong background in brand development, design, and sales, having played a pivotal role in leading the DC SHOES INC. team during a period of remarkable $1 billion-dollar sales growth in just five years. Steve is a continuous learner, having earned certification from Stanford GSB's Scaling Program and pursued his undergraduate studies at NYU and Vassar College. Steve's mission is to redefine comfort, functionality, and sustainability in the footwear industry, with a focus on providing comfortable and safe shoes for the largest and most influential workforces, particularly those over-indexed as Latinos.