Meet The Team
Will Altschwager
Co-Founder, CEO
As part of a third-generation farming family from South Australia, Will developed a deep connection to agriculture from a young age. His path from family farm to investing across the agricultural supply chain helps him to bring a unique perspective to Coast Fibers.
Will earned his B.S. in Agricultural Business from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, renowned for its “Learn by Doing” approach to education. Before co-founding Coast Fibers, he worked at Nuveen, investing in vineyards across the United States and New Zealand, and as Vice President at Sixth Street Partners, overseeing irrigated crop transactions and managing a large agricultural portfolio throughout California and the Pacific Northwest.
Angela Wartes-Kahl
Co-Founder, Head of Farming
After many years of raising sheep for wool, Angela began growing fiber flax in 2011 on their organic farm in the Oregon Coast Range.
Prior to co-founding Coast Fibers, she was co-founder and COO at Fibrevolution Inc., managed the fiber and textiles program at Oregon Tilth, and was the Vice Chair of the Organic Trade Association Fiber Council. Angela has dedicated over 20 years to promoting organic farming as a certified operator, inspector and now consultant with the Organic Integrity Cooperative Guild, which guides businesses through the USDA organic certification process.
Angela studied Agricultural Science at Oregon State University, where she focused on fiber crops in combination with textiles and merchandise management.
Shannon Welsh
Co-Founder, Head of Operations
With over 20 years of experience in the textile industry, Shannon is dedicated to revitalizing fiber systems, promoting sustainable agriculture, and supporting thoughtful design in apparel and textiles.
She has played a key role in reviving Oregon’s linen industry, previously co-founding Fibrevolution Inc. and now, Coast Fibers. Shannon is the Executive Director of the North American Linen Association (NALA) and the founder of the Pacific Northwest Fibershed, an organization focused on building regenerative, place-based fiber economies.
She holds a B.F.A. in Apparel Design from The Art Institute of Portland and a B.A. in History and Mathematics from Lewis & Clark College.
