Stavros Zarokostas, Founder of Derma
Stavros is a professional footballer born in Greece and raised in Rhode Island. Since being drafted by the New York Red Bulls in 2020, he has made over 100 professional appearances across five seasons, playing for Charleston Battery, FC Haka in Finland's top division, Egaleo FC in Athens, and currently One Knox SC in Knoxville.
Derma was born during a period of transition. Between seasons in Greece, uncertain about what came next, Stavros began to reflect on what sport truly meant to him. What emerged wasn't a business plan. It was a belief.
Athletics, he realized, is built on dichotomy. Discipline and creativity. Intensity and calm. Performance and recovery. These opposing forces don't contradict; they complete. When they align, the game slows. Movement becomes instinct. Competition becomes art. That concept inspired everything Derma would become.
What began as personal insight grew into a brand dedicated to creating uniforms, performance wear, and recovery systems that help athletes find balance within those contradictions.
Today, Stavros continues his professional career while building Derma with the same mindset he brings to the field: intention, humility, and craft. His goal is straightforward: to create products that serve athletes at every level, from grassroots to professional, and to honor the moments when sport transcends competition and becomes art.