Kenneth Cole

Kenneth Cole is founder, chairman and creative director of Kenneth Cole Productions, the 40-year brand he launched in 1983. A recent guest on the How I Built This podcast, he appointed Jed Berger as CEO and president to shift the brand to a marketing-led storytelling model, with Emily Cole as executive vice president and chief product officer.

When Kenneth Cole joins the HIBT Podcast, he carries 42 years of experience building a fashion brand that never shied away from cultural commentary. The New York designer founded Kenneth Cole Productions in 1982, launching his first footwear line under the temporary moniker Kenneth Cole, Inc. before formalizing the company. For decades, he held the roles of founder, chairman, and creative director, leading with a design-first vision that built the label into a globally recognized fashion house.

That approach was never just about product. It was about using fashion to spark conversation. On October 15, Cole made a rare structural shift for the brand. He appointed Jed Berger as CEO and president, moving away from Kenneth Cole Productions' historically design-driven leadership toward a marketing-led approach centered on storytelling. The same announcement elevated Emily Cole to executive vice president and chief product officer.

The move signals a deliberate pivot: the brand will retain its signature aesthetic, but operational leadership now prioritizes narrative and market strategy over creative direction alone. Beyond fashion, Cole's public platform has long been tied to social advocacy. He serves as founder and chairman of the Mental Health Coalition, where he frames mental illness as the worst public health crisis of the modern era. He cites data showing 1 in 4 people are directly impacted by a mental health condition, and 4 in 4 are affected indirectly. That activism has never been a side project. It has been woven into the brand's identity for decades.