Adam Goldston is the co-founder and co-CEO of APL – Athletic Propulsion Labs, one of the world’s largest, and leading independent footwear brands, based in Los Angeles. With a background as a former two-sport collegiate athlete at the University of Southern California (USC), playing both basketball and football, Adam, and his twin brother Ryan, embarked on a mission to establish APL as a category-defining company. They have focused on revolutionary designs, cutting-edge products, and innovative technologies that seamlessly merge luxury and performance in athletic footwear.

Adam’s entrepreneurial journey has been marked by numerous accolades. During the Obama administration, he was honored at the White House as part of the Empact 100, recognizing the top entrepreneurs under 35 in the U.S. He was also named to the 2015 Game Changers List by Men’s Fitness, earned a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the Retail & E-commerce category in 2016, and was recognized as one of the Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2016 Twenty in Their 20s. In July 2016, Adam and Ryan made history as the first members from an athletic brand to be inducted into the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).

In 2017, Adam was selected for the WWD 40 under 40 list, and APL was hailed as the most innovative brand by Men’s Health. Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles, even declared October 12th as APL (Athletic Propulsion Labs, LLC) Day in the City of Los Angeles. The following year, Adam received the prestigious Born Awards Global Fashion Prize for his contributions to design and performance in the industry. He was named one of the 100 most intriguing entrepreneurs of 2020 by Goldman Sachs and received USC’s Young Alumni Merit Award in April 2022. Most recently, in October 2023, Goldman Sachs recognized Adam as one of the most extraordinary entrepreneurs of 2023.