DARLINGTON — Edgar Mendez, a 2015 Darlington graduate, has been growing his designer athletic clothing brand, AMB Ambition, since its start in 2020. AMB Ambition is an empowering company that supports those who strive for excellence. 

“The idea of designing my own line of athletic clothing came to me while off-duty in a Madison hotel room,” Mendez said. 

He was deployed in the National Guard to assist with COVID-19. While in isolation, Mendez spent all of his free time dedicated toward working on his brand with various manufacturers all over the world. He strove for the best product while going over clothing samples, marketing ideas, and scheduling photo shoots. 

Mendez recalled many trial and errors, sleepless nights, and stressed-out days.

“It was all part of the process,” he said.

Mendez, along with Katie Pingel, his partner both in business and in life, have recently teamed up with Tria-GameFace, which is a top competitor in the field of sports performance for varsity, college, and professional athletes. Teaming with Tria-GameFace is in line with  AMB Ambition, and its mission statement, as AMB stands for Achieve, Motivate, Believe.

“We work hard to produce clothing that not only allows you to pursue your best in and out of the gym, but we are working hard to give back to the community,” they state on their website, AMBambition.com. 

Mendez is the son of Hector Mendez and Minerva Aguilar of South Wayne. He graduated from Southwest Tech with a degree in graphic web design. Mendez served for eight years in the National Guard, reaching the rank of Sergeant before resigning to continue to market his brand AMB Ambition. He and Pingel live in Galena, as it is close to both their hometowns of Darlington and Scales Mound. 

The manufacturing quality of the products speaks for itself, as the AMB Ambition clothing line is comparable in quality and price with top marketing brands. Manufactured with a blend of nylon, polyester, and spandex, AMB Ambition has a live-in quality that is expected to last for several years. 

To really capture the quality of the products, shoppers will soon have the ability to purchase the AMB Ambition line in stores, such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, which was one of the goals Mendez has set for his brand.  

Another goal he has is to bring his brand of athletic clothing to Darlington. 

“It would be an honor and a privilege to put the Darlington Redbird logo on my brand. I want to eventually give back to the community where I grew up,” Mendez said.

Goals, such as career opportunities while partnering with an investor, is something that Mendez hopes to achieve as well. He considers the building of jobs to be a way of building a better community.

“All of the models are from the Madison area, and are volunteers who believe in the clothing line,” said Pingel, who sees more growth coming by the new years end. 

The models are featured on their website and other social media outlets. Among the elite stands an NFL cornerback, whose name may sound familiar to those who enjoy football: Caesar Dancy-Williams, who plays for the Los Angeles Rams. A former Wisconsin Badger in his rookie season in the NFL, Dancy-Williams has been a faithful supporter of AMB Ambition since the start of the brand. Dancy-Williams, who wears No. 35 for the Rams and plays at Detroit in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs Jan. 14 at 7 p.m., met Mendez while in Madison. 

While growing strong, AMB Ambition seeks ambassadors who believe in the brand. 

There are all ages and walks of life wearing the brand. The ambassadors who support Mendez look forward to the new product drops that they have the privilege of trying before the general public gets a chance to see the new product. 

This special opportunity gives the ambassadors the chance to give feedback on the new products — some limited edition — before they reach consumers; that way if modifications are necessary, then all considerations are made before the garments go out for sale. 

As Mendez continues to seek the elite quality he strives for, both he and Pingel are inspecting each item themselves, as both partners are detail-oriented. Only the best items are marketed with the ‘AMB’ logo, they said. 

From now until mid-January, AMB Ambition is running an online sale offering products up to 70%, while supplies last. 

To learn more about the AMB Ambition brand, Mendez and Pingel, and the many items that are available, go to AMBambition.com. 

To connect with Mendez, call him directly at 608-293-4013 or email info@ambambition.com.