tomboyx Returns Controlling Interest to the Co-Founder, Announces New CEO and Creative Leadership

With Fran Dunaway back in an active leadership role, CEO Seujan Bertram and Chief Creative Officer James Ford join her to lead the brand's next chapter of disciplined growth and elevated design.

SEATTLE, April 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- tomboyx, the largest direct-to-consumer LGBTQ+ brand in the US, a gender-inclusive underwear and apparel brand founded in Seattle, today announced that co-founder Fran Dunaway has led an ownership restructuring that returns controlling interest to the co-founder, marking a new chapter focused on sustainable growth, creative evolution, and long-term resilience. The decision comes at a moment when many small consumer brands are navigating tariff pressures, shifting retail dynamics, and heightened scrutiny around gender-inclusive products.

Dunaway returns to an active leadership role as Co-Founder & President, working alongside newly appointed CEO Seujan Bertram and Chief Creative Officer James Ford. Together, the leadership team will guide the brand through its next phase — grounded in its original mission while adapting to a rapidly changing retail and regulatory environment.

The ownership restructuring was supported by co-founder Fran Dunaway alongside a small group of mission-aligned investors, including Kahran Singh, Chief Revenue Officer of Klydo; Jess Lake of Heart Lake Committed Capital; Phil Kimmey, co-founder of Rover.com; TAU Investments; and Pradeep Singh, Chairman of Aditi Consulting. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.              

A Co-Founder-Led Recommitment to Mission and Discipline

Founded in 2013, the queer- and women-founded company was built to serve people who felt overlooked by the status quo of traditional apparel. tomboyx is a Certified B Corporation and a registered benefit corporation that balances purpose and profit, donating monthly to nonprofit organizations supporting LGBTQ+ communities.  The company has built its reputation on challenging traditional norms in underwear and basics, designing products that affirm a wide range of bodies and identities. With founder controlling interest restored, the company is simplifying its operations, tightening its focus, and rebuilding with greater clarity about what it wants to be — and what it doesn't.

After stepping back from day-to-day leadership in prior years, Dunaway said she ultimately felt compelled to return and reclaim the company's direction.

"As the co-founder, ensuring tomboyx remains true to its roots is deeply personal to me," said Fran Dunaway, Co-Founder & President. "We started this brand in a 1-car garage, and bringing it back feels like coming home. It gives us the chance to protect what made it special — and have some fun pushing it forward. We've always believed what you wear can change how you feel about yourself, and I'm excited about how we're evolving creatively while staying true to who we are."

As CEO, Seujan Bertram will lead day-to-day operations with an emphasis on sustainable growth, financial clarity, and long-term stability. She brings extensive experience scaling organizations through periods of rapid growth, strengthening operations, and building the infrastructure needed for durable success.

"tomboyx has always stood for self-expression," said Bertram. "My role is to make sure the business is as strong as the mission — staying disciplined, making smart decisions, and building in a way that lasts. We want to keep showing up for our community and make a meaningful difference in people's everyday lives."

A Creative Evolution Rooted in Community

James Ford joins as Chief Creative Officer to lead the next evolution of tomboyx. His vision is straightforward: this community doesn't want a prepackaged aesthetic handed to them, and tomboyx shouldn't offer one.

"There's so much hope in the community right now, and our responsibility is to meet it. The opportunity for tomboyx goes far beyond underwear. It's about giving the queer community tools for self-expression. That means creating the products people have been waiting for."

Under Ford's creative direction, the brand plans to refresh its core collections, expand styles, and introduce design updates rooted in that same philosophy.

Navigating a Complex Business Environment

Like many consumer brands, tomboyx is operating amid economic uncertainty, tariff pressures, and evolving regulatory scrutiny,  including a recent FDA warning that was sent to 11 other LGBTQ+ companies regarding their gender-affirming products.

"We've taken a hard look at what this brand means to our community," Dunaway added. "At a moment when many people's rights are being erased, continuing to create, endure, and succeed matters. This next chapter is about protecting that space, and making it stronger than ever."

For more information, visit www.tomboyx.com

SOURCE tomboyx