Off the back of our new limited edition Mitchells x PARGO Sports Bottles, we wanted to shine a light on the passionate people behind the brand.
Project PARGO was born on the road.
After spending years living in some of the world’s most remote and underserved communities, founders Dylan & Ellie witnessed firsthand the harsh reality: clean water is life, and not everyone has access to it. In this interview, they share the story of how adventure led to action—and how a single fish, a surf trip, and a shared meal sparked a mission to bring clean water to those who need it most.
Can you share the story behind the creation of PARGO? What inspired the brand and its name?
Dylan: We travelled for almost three years through many remote and poverty-stricken parts of the world. We were surfing and chasing swells, so we often found ourselves in places only surfers usually seek out. It quickly became clear: clean water isn’t as easy to come by as you might think.
The name PARGO is the Spanish word for the fish Snapper. One of the many times we encountered the issue of clean water (where locals couldn’t drink their own supply), I had been invited to go spearfishing with some locals in a very small village in El Salvador. I caught a big PARGO, and we cooked it up and had a feast with everyone around.
Once again, we noticed nobody was drinking any water. When we asked our local friend why, he said, “The water here is too contaminated and makes you sick, and bottled water is far too expensive. Sometimes we boil it, or drink a coconut instead.”
PARGO has a strong focus on providing clean water to communities in need. Can you tell us more about the initiatives you've put in place to make an impact?
Dylan: Giving is at the top of our list! We dedicate 5% of all sales directly to our Water Projects. We travel, teach, and implement the Sawyer 0.1 Micron gravity-fed water filtration systems in communities that need improved water sources. These incredible devices can be installed anywhere and can last a family for 15 years or more.
We partner with organisations like Waves 4 Water, Give Clean Water, Love Mercy, and others on the ground across the globe. We don’t just donate money and hope for the best—we treat each as its own project. We document our efforts and share raw videos and data to show the tangible impact we're making.
Sustainability seems to be a core value at PARGO. How do you ensure that your products are eco-friendly while maintaining their premium quality?
All of our drinkware is built using premium-quality materials and is reusable, making it eco-friendly by nature. In fact, maintaining such a high standard of quality makes our products even more sustainable—they’re built to last. That means they can be used and reused for years, if not decades, reducing unnecessary single-use waste and the health risks associated with plastic cups and bottles.
From your experience living in remote villages, what is the most important lesson you've learned about water scarcity and its impact on local communities?
Dylan: The most important lesson we learned is that, in most places, water is available—it’s just contaminated and unsafe to drink. When water quality is poor, the quality of life tends to suffer too. Kids miss school, adults miss work. That means lower education rates and lower earning potential. Illnesses from dirty water range from stomach aches and diarrhoea to skin rashes, scratchy throats, dehydration, and even severe kidney stones in children. In the worst cases, it can lead to death.
Your designs are not only functional but also stylish. How do you balance aesthetics with practicality in creating your products?
Dylan: We design everything to be tough enough to support our own lifestyle and those of our friends and community—people who push boundaries whether at work or travelling the globe.
At the same time, we want PARGO products to look great on a boardroom table and not feel out of place. We use only the most premium materials and design every detail—down to the size of the sip hole—to be a pleasure to use. No lingering smells, no awkward sipping. You’ll never want to leave your PARGO cup at home.
PARGO’s collaboration with Mitchells Nutrition is a wonderful way to connect with like-minded brands. How did the idea of co-branding come about, and what makes this partnership special?
Dylan: Our NZ Sales Manager mentioned the amazing, premium products Mitchells Nutrition makes and floated the idea. As soon as we saw their products and read about the company, we were keen to connect! We’ve got total confidence in Mitchells Nutrition’s brand and quality, which made it super easy for us to want to partner up.
Your bottles are known for their ability to keep drinks at the perfect temperature for hours. Can you tell us a bit about the technology behind the double wall insulation?
Dylan: With double wall insulation, there’s a tiny gap between the two stainless steel walls. We create negative pressure between them by vacuum sealing and welding them shut. This removes the “matter” (air) that would normally allow heat or cold to transfer. When there’s no matter in between, the temperature doesn’t transfer as easily. That’s the science behind it. I can’t give away all the secrets, but I can say our double-walled, vacuum-sealed tech is superior to many other brands out there. We vacuum-seal them for longer, which results in exceptional insulation. We tested one of our 950ml bottles with just ice—and over 75 hours later, it still had chunky icy water inside!
Giving back is at the heart of PARGO's mission. How do you see the brand's impact evolving as you continue to grow and expand your initiatives?
Dylan: There are an estimated 2 billion people globally without access to clean water and sanitation—and around 750 million who don’t have access to safe drinking water at all. So the mission is clear: help as many people as we can. The more PARGO bottles out in the world, the more people we can support. It’s a win-win, and we’re incredibly excited about the future!!
As a brand built on adventure and exploration, how do you see the future of PARGO in terms of product development and your continued efforts to help communities in need?
Dylan: We design and build products that people need every day. We infuse adventure into every design, because we want our gear to elevate both our lifestyle and that of our customers. We’re always working on exciting new products, and we can’t wait to share them later this year!
Helping communities in need is the most rewarding thing we get to do. Clean water has no language barrier, and knowing that we can help people who don’t have it as easy as we do keeps us driven. When helping people is the top priority, selling products becomes easier—and more meaningful.
Thanks so much for your time guys. Looking forward to this collaboration!