SAN FRANCISCO, CA (BRAIN)—Mark Dwight, Timbuk2’s former chief executive officer, has partnered with Timbuk2’s founder, Rob Honeycutt, to launch a messenger bag company, Rickshaw Bagworks.
“I like bags because they’re the most functional of accessories—they have to organize, they have to be stylish— and it’s a really rich space for designers such as myself,” said Dwight, an engineer and designer by training.
The fact that no expensive tooling is needed to create bags also appealed to Dwight, the sole investor in the new company. “There is very minimal upfront investment, and for an entrepreneur that’s appealing. So I decided to start another bag company,” Dwight said.
Dwight left Timbuk2 last May after selling the company to private equity, then took a yearlong sabbatical while his noncompete clause expired. Having decided to start a bag company, he recruited Honeycutt to serve as its director of operations. Although the duo worked together only briefly at Timbuk2 during a transition, they maintained a friendship.
Dwight took the brand name from a photojournalism book, “Chasing Rickshaws” by Lonely Planet, which showed rickshaws throughout Southeast Asia. The word Rickshaw is derived from three Japanese characters meaning “human powered vehicle.”
“It’s good fortune that we were able to find a name for the company that’s connected with cycling and connected with the eco movement,” Dwight said.
The Rickshaw line will be based on urban cycling culture and eco-friendly fabrics. Rickshaw will show initial products, including messenger bags, backpacks and artist tote bags, at Interbike. —Megan Tompkins
