The first time I heard of pickleball was in 2016. Some friends invited me to play, and I figured my ping-pong skills would translate to the short courts. My ping-pong habits actually carried over too well. I had to stop putting extra spin on the ball, but little adjustments like that and the game’s competitiveness hooked me. I also loved that people of all ages were just as addicted to pickleball as I was. But one experience, in particular, set me on the path leading to The Picklr.
One winter, we went to a rec center, and I saw two teenagers playing pickleball with 50 people waiting to get on the court. My first thought was, “What cult did I join?” It was a weekday, but no one was at work or school. And the two teenagers were playing at a level I hadn’t seen yet. It was fast-paced and exciting. They were hitting overheads and drives I couldn’t believe. I realized then that the youth would eventually take over this sport.
That experience inspired me to create a paddle that felt cooler than anything I had seen in the market. Kuro Paddles was successful, but it was a side hustle eventually inhibited by manufacturer delays due to the pandemic. Shortly after that ended, in 2020, I was laid off from my tech job and left with the decision to look for a new job or go fully independent.
I considered my area’s packed rec center and the lack of indoor courts. And I felt inspired to create a facility for aspiring players of all ages. When I called my friend Austin Wood to tell him my idea, he didn’t even let me finish my sentence. He said, “Let’s do it. I’m in!”
It was scary deciding to take a chance on myself. I could have used a million excuses not to start The Picklr—like having five kids, a mortgage, or even being in the middle of a pandemic. But my father was an immigrant and entrepreneur who strongly believed in working for yourself, and I always admired his resilience. I had faith we could pull it off with Austin by my side.
In January 2021, we were lucky enough to sign our first lease. Somehow, we found a building space with an owner willing to lease a building for our wild pickleball idea he had never heard of. We opened our first location in Uintah a few months later.
Fast forward to today, and The Picklr is partners with Pickleball Inc., Super Bowl Champion Drew Brees, and has over 500 locations sold worldwide. And it’s all because of people who believed in our vision. Some of our executives today are people who showed up at the grand opening of our first location. Pickleball is that powerful in connecting people.
– Jorge Barragan
Co-Founder & CEO
Co-Founder & Chief Visionary
Officer
Vice President of
Pickleball
Chief Operating
Officer
Vice President of
Operations
Chief Marketing
Officer
Chief Strategy Officer
Chief Development
Officer
Vice President of
Construction
Vice President of Pickleball
Meet Matt
Matt is the founder and co-owner of The Picklr Power of 4/P4 and The Picklr Travel & Getaways, while also assuming the role of VP of Pickleball, where he focuses his efforts on The Picklr’s best-in-class on-court programming experience. Matt comes to the PICKLR with 8 years of experience coaching, teaching, managing, operating, building, consulting, and other areas of expertise within the pickleball industry. As an owner of Quatro Pickleball, Matt oversaw operations at multiple high-end resorts and private clubs in locations such as Cabo San Lucas, Italy, Dubai, and various cities across the United States.
Prior to entering the world of Pickleball, Matt spent 25+ years in the golf industry. From high level play to holding positions such as Sales Professional, Regional Sales Manager, National Sales Director and Manager, Executive VP of Sales and Vice President of Golf Operations, Matt spent his time from the ground level to C suite positions with companies such as Taylor Made-adidas Golf, Bridgestone Golf, Cobra-Puma Golf, Oakley Golf, TravisMathew, TASC Performance and Original Penguin Golf.
Matt is father to 3 amazing daughters, Bryce (26) who works in the legal department for Arthrex while attending law school, Grace (23) who is an EKIN PRE Running Specialist for Nike in Ann Arbor, MI and Kaia (18) who is finishing special needs high school. The best accomplishments come from within and Matt is a beyond proud father of his amazing daughters.
Kathryn Bullough is a seasoned marketing leader with a distinguished track record of over 15 years. She has orchestrated the growth of global brands and spearheaded successful marketing initiatives within the consumer tech, sporting goods, and public safety sectors. Her impactful roles at industry leaders such as Skullcandy, Axon, Salomon, and Atomic underscore her extensive marketing expertise.
Intrinsically linked to diverse industries, Kathryn brings her wealth of experience to The Picklr from her role at Axon, a frontrunner in public safety technology. There, she pioneered groundbreaking marketing efforts, crafting and executing pioneering brand campaigns and internal strategies. Prior to that, she led global brand marketing efforts at consumer electronics giant, Skullcandy, developing and implementing brand marketing efforts across the globe for more than 7 years. Kathryn earned her B.A. from the College of Charleston and has called Salt Lake City, UT, her home for more than 12 years.
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