Woodman Nicholas

About Woodman Nicholas

Nicholas Woodman is the founder of GoPro and serves as the company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman. GoPro’s corporate governance materials state that he has been Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors since 2004, served as President from 2004 until June 2014, and has been Chairman since January 2014. His entrepreneurial path began in 1998 when he founded Funbug.com, an online gaming company. After that venture failed in 2001, Woodman planned an international surfing trip in search of inspiration. While preparing for that trip, he conceived the idea for a 35mm film-based wrist camera that could be worn during sports such as surfing, allowing the user to capture images while participating in the activity. That concept became GoPro’s first product, the HERO Camera. Over time, Woodman and early collaborators expanded the idea into a broader product platform, adding mounting systems and related accessories designed for helmets, surfboards, vehicles, and other use cases. Public GoPro materials present him as a founder-operator whose product knowledge, customer insight, and company-building experience have been central to the business. In November 2025, GoPro announced that Woodman had made a direct investment in the company, saying it reflected his confidence in GoPro’s product diversification strategy and future outlook. Woodman holds a B.A. in Visual Arts from the University of California, San Diego.