Graduate Story: Chelsea Parke Goles '19, Founder of Parke
Photo courtesy of Chelsea Parke '19.
Graduate Story: Chelsea Parke Goles '19, Founder of Parke
By Alex Sonfield '25
Chelsea Parke Goles ’19 is the founder and CEO of Parke, a contemporary essentials brand she launched in 2022. What began as a one-person operation has grown into a thriving business built through community, word of mouth and a commitment to creating timeless wardrobe staples. Today, she leads the company’s creative vision and long-term strategy while continuing to put customers at the center of every decision.
"Dickinson taught me skills that extend far beyond any one career path. It taught me how to solve problems, adapt quickly, collaborate with others and communicate ideas clearly. A liberal-arts education encourages curiosity, and I think curiosity is one of the most valuable qualities an entrepreneur can have."
Tell us about launching Parke.
I launched Parke in July 2022 with a simple goal: to create timeless, elevated basics that people would genuinely live in. At the beginning, it was just me wearing every hat—from designing and packing orders to answering customer emails and posting on social media. We grew without paid advertising, largely through community and word of mouth, by listening to our customers and building products they wanted to come back for again and again.
Today, Parke has grown into a much larger business, but our philosophy hasn’t changed. Every decision still starts with our customer and how we can continue building products—and a brand—that earn their trust over time.
What does your day-to-day work at Parke look like?
No two days are ever the same, which is one of the things I love most. I spend a lot of my time focused on product development, creative direction, reviewing upcoming collections and collaborating with our creative and marketing teams on brand storytelling. I also work closely with our leadership team on long-term strategy, partnerships and company growth.
Some days I’m in design reviews. Some days I’m focused on operations or financial planning. Other days I’m creating content and connecting directly with our community. As the company has grown, my role has shifted from doing everything myself to building and supporting an incredible team that can do it even better.
What was your Dickinson experience like?
Dickinson was where I really learned how to think critically and became comfortable being uncomfortable. I studied art history, which taught me to analyze, communicate and approach problems from different perspectives. I also played field hockey, and balancing academics with athletics taught me discipline, resilience and how to manage my time.
More than anything, Dickinson taught me how to learn, and that’s something I’ve carried with me every day as an entrepreneur.
How did Dickinson help prepare you for where you are today?
Dickinson taught me skills that extend far beyond any one career path. It taught me how to solve problems, adapt quickly, collaborate with others and communicate ideas clearly. A liberal-arts education encourages curiosity, and I think curiosity is one of the most valuable qualities an entrepreneur can have. You’re constantly learning, asking questions and figuring things out as you go.
Looking back, Dickinson gave me the confidence to embrace uncertainty, trust my instincts and believe that I could learn whatever I needed to build something meaningful.
When did it hit you that Parke was really taking off?
I don’t think there was one single moment because growth happened so gradually but, at the same time, in the blink of an eye. Every milestone felt exciting, but then we’d immediately focus on the next thing.
If I had to pick one, it was less about a sales milestone and more about seeing Parke become part of people’s everyday lives. The first time I was walking through the city and saw someone wearing one of our mocknecks, without any event or launch happening, it completely stopped me. Then it started happening more and more, and I’d see people styling Parke in ways I never imagined.
Of course, there were business milestones that made us realize we were building something much bigger than we ever expected, but seeing complete strangers choose to wear Parke, travel in it, work in it and make it part of their lives was the moment it really became real to me. That’s when I realized we weren’t just selling clothes anymore. We were building a brand and a community people genuinely wanted to be part of.
TAKE THE NEXT STEPS
Published July 10, 2026