To honor Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when enslaved people were emancipated, we celebrate some of the amazing people working to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the outdoors.

We have a long way to go before the outdoors—and society at large—is truly equitable. But it’s the work of people like these (listed in alphabetical order by last name) that’s taking us in the right direction.

Rahsaan Bahati

Bahati grew up in Compton, California, amid gangs, drugs, and crime. Early exposure to cycling changed the course of his life. He created the Bahati Foundation in 2009 which runs youth cycling camps, mentorship programs, scholarships, and community outreach activities. Bahati’s goal is to engage and inspire young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and using cycling as a tool for personal growth, education, and positive life choices.

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Teresa Baker

Baker is a co-founder of the , and the founder of the African American National Park Event and the Outdoor Industry CEO Diversity Pledge, which asks C-level executives at outdoor companies to commit to creating, promoting, and enforcing policies that expand the diversity, equity, and inclusion of their employees, board members, and customers. She is a self proclaimed “good troublemaker” who works tirelessly to promote inclusion in all outdoor spaces.

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Kareemah Batts

Batts is a cancer survivor, paraclimber, and diversity, equity, and inclusion professional who founded the nonprofit which is the U.S.’s largest nonprofit climbing group for people with disabilities. For her tireless work with brands, events, and guiding companies on accessibility issues, she received the 2019 Climbing Advocate Award from Access Fund. Hear more of her story–in her own words–on The Daily Rally podcast.

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Faith Briggs

Briggs is an ultrarunner, intersectional environmentalist, former sprinter, documentary filmmaker, and co-host of . ÌęHer goal: use media as a tool to raise awareness, and ultimately to change lives. One of her recent projects includes a series called , a three-part short documentary series highlighting how communities of color can reclaim water as a healing and enjoyable experience for all through the lens of each subject.

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Patricia Cameron

Cameron is the founder of , a nonprofit that lowers the financial barrier to entry in outdoor recreation and teaches people the basics of hiking, camping, skiing, swimming, and more. Before founding Blackpackers, Cameron struggled as a single mother with the means to take her young son outdoors to enjoy nature. She saved up money working overtime as an EMT to buy her first set of backpacking gear—an experience that motivated her to help others find the means to get outside. Cameron recently achieved her Wilderness EMT certification and launched Blackpacker’s Outdoor Skills School to teach free Wilderness First Aid (WFA) and Wilderness First Responder (WFR) courses, free to her community.

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Jamicah Dawes

Dawes is the founder Slim Pickins Outfitters (SPO), the first Black-owned outdoor gear shop in the U.S. Just three years after opening, the pandemic forced the Texas store to close. It might have been for good, but a digital media company decided to create a short documentary about Dawes, his family, and his store, which launched SPO into the big time. Dawes uses his platform (which has grown to almost 32K followers on Instagram) to share family stories, product highlights, inspiration, and to uplift marginalized voices.

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Alison Desir

Desir is a co-founder of the , a nonprofit that aims to unite the running industry to provide resources, measure progress, and hold the industry accountable to equitable employment, leadership, and ownership positions and improve inclusion, visibility, and access for Black, Indigenous, and people of color. She’s also the author of Running While Black: Finding Freedom in a Sport That Wasn’t Built For Us and the host of the Out & Back podcast. In 2022, Alison was recognized with an Award for Excellence by Running USA for demonstrably driving positive change in the running industry.

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Latasha Dunston

Dunston is a trained in scientific and preparatory medicine illustration who specializes in plein air landscape painting. Through her work, she aims to challenge the underrepresentation of people of color in the outdoors. “I want to showcase myself and the people like me who spend time on trails,” she said of her art. “We are a reflection of nature, and nature is a reflection of us.” Here at șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű, Dunston is one of our favorite artists to work with. She recently created a beautiful for our Earth Month celebration.

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Latria Graham

Graham is a writer, editor, and cultural critic with bylines in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Los Angeles Times, Harvard Law Today, and șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű. Her writing examines the dynamics of race, gender, class, and popular culture. Graham says she uses her talents to write for publications that are “invested in celebrating the diversity of the human experience.”

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Rahawa Haile

Haile is a queer Eritrean-American writer from Miami who currently lives and works in Oakland. “Going It Alone,” her riveting 2017 story in șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű about hiking the Appalachian Trail during the summer before the 2016 presidential election, led to a forthcoming book called , which will present a wider examination of freedom of movement and race in modern America.

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Ron Griswell

When Ron Griswell attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCA&TSU), one of 107 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), he lamented the fact his school didn’t have the opportunities for outdoor recreation that he had grown to love. So much so that he actually thought about transferring to the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, because of its robust outdoor program and giant gear library. “That’s when it clicked,” says Griswell. “These outdoor activities won’t come to my school unless I do something about it.”

So In 2018, Griswell founded his nonprofit HBCUs șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű as a way to create more outdoor opportunities for Black studentsÌęand a more diverse pipeline of talent in the outdoor industry. Today HBCUs șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű runs outdoor clubs on seven (and counting!) different college campuses, introducing hundreds of Black students to the joy of outdoor experiences and opening pathways to outdoor careers.

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Bobby and Angel Massie

Bobby Massie is a former American football player (offensive tackle) who played for the Denver Broncos, but had grown up fishing and hunting in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Angel Massie is a former journalist and TV producer with work appearing in BET (Black Entertainment Television), Complex, Vibe, and Essence, who grew up in urban Baltimore but always felt a connection to the outdoors. “We had a yard with this huge, huge tree,” she told CBS recently. “And I used to wonder to myself, I know that there has to be a place where there are more big trees like that.” Her love of hiking arose through an annual camping trip at her school, and as a young professional in Washington, D.C., she started a hiking group with destinations such as Shenandoah National Park. Today she hikes, fishes, and camps in the Rockies with her husband and their two children. After unsatisfying experiences with other outfitters, the two launched their own business, Wanderland Outdoors, in May. A guiding outfit with a diverse team (currently 11 guides and four wranglers), it is intended to make the outdoors more accessible through outings including fly-fishing trips, trail rides, mindfulness hiking—Angel is a certified Kripalu Mindful Outdoor Guide—and gourmet “excursion meals” cooked by Chef Bobby.

Follow Bobby and Angel Massie on Instagram: @wanderlandoutdoors

Eliot Jackson

Jackson is a former World Cup downhill mountain bike racer devoted to improving diversity in cycling. During his racing career, he was almost always the only Black competitor. Following the murder of George Floyd and time to reflect on his career during the Covid pandemic, he founded the nonprofit to promote education, access, and opportunities that advance diversity and inclusion in the sport he loves. One recent project, a 30,000 square foot pumptrack in Los Angeles, California, is set to open this summer. The pumptrack, which is a circular bike park with berms and rollers, will serve more than 150,000 kids and adults in the urban area who lack access to mountain biking opportunities.

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Mercy M’Fon

M’Fon is the founder and executive director of , a Portland, Oregon-based nonprofit that leads outdoor adventures and education sessions for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. Through their programs, they hope to foster personal connections between members of these communities and the natural world. M’Fon is an outdoor guide and community leader who founded the organization after feeling the effects of the outdoor industry’s lack of diversity firsthand. You can listen to their story on The Daily Rally podcast.

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James Edward Mills

Mills has worked in the outdoor industry for more than 30 years as a guide, outfitter, independent sales representative, writer, and photographer. He is the founder of the Joy Trip Project, a news-gathering and reporting organization that covers outdoor recreation, environmental conservation, acts of charitable giving, and practices of sustainable living. He is the author of and the co-writer/co-producer of the documentary film . A recent project is an online book club called , an exploration of the intersection of the natural world and the cultural identities of the human beings that live within it.

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Kriste Peoples

Peoples is a guide, runner, writer, and mindfulness meditation teacher who serves on the board of the and and is the newly appointed executive director of Women’s Wilderness, which is a nonprofit in Boulder, Colorado. For years, Peoples has been on the front lines of fighting for equality and inclusion for women, girls, and non-binary people in nature. Here more of her inspiring story–in her own words–on The Daily Rally.

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Mirna Valerio

Valerio, a.k.a. The Mirnavator, is an ultrarunner, author, and educator who was named a National Geographic șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűr of the Year in 2018. Her memoir, , was a bestseller, and in 2017 she appeared on the cover of Women’s Running. A native of Brooklyn, New York, Valerio now lives in Vermont, where she has become obsessed with skiing and is working on her second book, a novel about a Black woman with Type 1 diabetes who embarks on a solo backpacking trip in the Appalachians, against the advice of her doctor and friends.

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Nailah Blades Wylie

Wylie is the founder of , a nonprofit that helps women of color harness the power of the outdoors to create joy-filled lives. A communications strategist and community builder who has worked with businesses small and large—from startups to Fortune 500 companies—Wylie founded Color șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű after moving from San Diego to Salt Lake City and feeling unmoored, without a community to support her. Color șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű leads coaching, workshops and retreats to help fellow outdoor lovers feel welcome and joyful doing what they love.

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Rue Mapp

Mapp is the founder of , a nonprofit that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. In 2022, 60,000 people across the country participated in over 1,000 Outdoor Afro events to find joy and healing in nature. Last year, Mapp published her first book, .

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November’s șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Business Journal (OBJ) Outdoor Index closed the month strong in double-digit territory, with only four of the 28 publicly traded companies we track showing a decline from October, which itself showed overallÌę marked gains from a rough summer. The Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq all finished in the black as well, although not as robustly as the OBJ Index. Adidas took a hit in October when it lost €250 million after severing ties with a , but came roaring back in November with a 32.30% climb. Yeti dominated November with a 32.30% finish over last month, perhaps showing its strength as a gift go-to as well as its efforts in foreign markets. With a solid start to the 2022 ski/winter season, the general economy faring well despite some wobbles mid-year and increased interest rates that appear to have taken some of the sting out of inflation (for now, anyway), the holiday season looks bright for the publicly traded outdoor brandsÌę we track.

Here’s a look at what happened in November.

OBJ Outdoor Index Compared to Other Indices: November 2022

Of the 28 public companies that OBJ tracks, most saw much better numbers in November. These are the companies that saw the largest leaps in November:

1. Yeti Holdings Inc. (NYSE: YETI): 39.93%
2. ANTA Sports Products Ltd. (OTC: ANPDY): 33.69%
3. Adidas AG (OTC: ADDYY): 32.30%

And here are the companies that saw the biggest declines last month:

1. Wolverine World Wide Inc. (NYSE: WWW) -34.62%
2. Clarus Corp. (Nasdaq: CLAR): -31.30%
3. Compass Diversified (NYSE: CODI): -8.08

Tracking the Monthly OBJ Outdoor Index

Below is the OBJ Outdoor Index for November 2022. The Index shows how 28 public corporations—mostly parent companies of outdoor brands, with a couple of retailers, a ski resort giant, and a trade show operator included as well—performed in the calendar month.

The chart includes the companies’ share prices at the close of the last business day of the previous month (Oct. 31), their share price at the close of the last business day of the tracked month (Nov. 30), and the percent change during that period.

The OBJ Outdoor Index, unlike other indices such as the Dow, doesn’t use a market-cap weighting system.

Foreign companies’ shares are presented here in U.S. dollars and designated as OTC (over-the-counter) securities since they aren’t listed on U.S. stock exchanges. Two exceptions are Dometic Group AB and Fenix Outdoor International Group, whose share prices can be found only on Nasdaq Stockholm and are represented as U.S. currency converted from the Swedish krona.

Underneath the stock chart are capsules on each of the 28 companies of the OBJ Outdoor Index, including headquarters location, connections to the outdoor industry (if not immediately obvious), key executives, and recent editorial coverage in OBJ, where applicable.

OBJ Outdoor Index: November 2022

*Currency converted from Swedish krona

OBJ Outdoor Index: Company Guide

Adidas AG (OTC: ADDYY)

• Headquarters: Herzogenaurach, Germany (U.S. operation is based in Portland, Oregon)
• Outdoor connection: While Adidas might be known for its athletic apparel, the company also possesses some core outdoor DNA through its Portland, Oregon-based Adidas Terrex and Five Ten
• Key executives: Kasper Rorsted, CEO; Carla Murphy, GM, Adidas Outdoor

ANTA Sports Products Ltd. (OTC: ANPDY)

• Headquarters: Xiamen, China (subsidiary Amer Sports is based in Helsinki, Finland, and its U.S. operation is based in Ogden, Utah)
• Outdoor connection: ANTA is the owner of Amer Sports and its portfolio of outdoor and snow sports brands — Salomon, ŽĄ°ùłŠâ€™t±đ°ùČâłæ, Armada Skis, and Atomic.
• Key executives: Jie Zheng, CEO, Amer Sports

Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp. (NYSE: MODG)

Headquarters: Carlsbad, California

• Outdoor connection: Though primarily a golf manufacturer and now the owner of Topgolf, the company made a big play in the outdoor space in late 2018 with the acquisition of European outdoor brand Jack Wolfskin.
• Key executives: Oliver Brewer, President and CEO, Callaway; Richard Collier, CEO, Jack Wolfskin; Diana Seung, GM, Jack Wolfskin North America

Camping World Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CWH)

• Headquarters: Lincolnshire, Illinois
• Key executives: Marcus Lemonis, CEO

Canada Goose Holdings Inc. (NYSE: GOOS)

• Headquarters: Toronto, Ontario
• Outdoor connection: In addition to its eponymous apparel brand, Canada Goose owns and operates footwear brand Baffin.
• Key executives: Dani Reiss, CEO

Canadian Tire Corp. (OTC: CDNAF)

• Headquarters: Toronto, Ontario
• Outdoor connection: CTC boasts an iconic outdoor brand, Helly Hansen, in its portfolio. (It also operates a chain of sporting goods retail stores throughout Canada.)
• Key executives: Paul Stoneham, CEO, Helly Hansen (departing)

Clarus Corp. (Nasdaq: CLAR)

• Headquarters: Salt Lake City, Utah
• Outdoor connection: Clarus is a holding company whose flagship outdoor brand is Black Diamond Equipment. Clarus also owns Rhino-Rack, Pieps, SKINourishment plus two bullet manufacturers.
• Key executives: John Walbrecht, President

Columbia Sportswear Co. (Nasdaq: COLM)

• Headquarters: Portland, Oregon
• Outdoor connection: In addition to the Columbia brand, the Portland-based apparel and footwear giant includes Mountain Hardwear, prAna, and SOREL in its portfolio.
• Key executives: Timothy Boyle, CEO

Compass Diversified (NYSE: CODI)

• Headquarters: Westport, Connecticut
• Outdoor connection: Long known for its hook-and-bullet assets, CODI added a big outdoor name in the fall of 2020 with the acquisition of BOA Technology Inc.
• Key executives: Shawn Neville, CEO, BOA Technology

Deckers Outdoor Corp. (NYSE: DECK)

• Headquarters: Goleta, California
• Outdoor connection: Deckers is a major player in outdoor and active footwear with such brands as Hoka One One, Teva, Sanuk, and Ugg.
• Key executives: Wendy Yang, President, performance lifestyle brands

Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. (NYSE: DKS)

• Headquarters: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Outdoor connection: The sporting goods retail giant recently launched an outdoor store concept called Public Lands, led by industry veteran Todd Spaletto.
• Key executives: Lauren Hobart, President and CEO; Todd Spaletto, President, Public Lands

Dometic Group AB (STO: DOM.ST)

• Headquarters: Stockholm, Sweden
• Outdoor connection: The Swedish-based company manufactures accessories for mobile-living end markets such as campers and RVs, and it recently acquired Igloo Products Corp.
• Key executives: Juan Vargues, President and CEO

Emerald Holding Inc. (NYSE: EEX)

• Headquarters: San Juan Capistrano, California
• Outdoor connection: Emerald is the owner and operator of the twice-annual Outdoor Retailer and Surf Expo trade shows
• Key executives: HervĂ© Sedky, CEO

Fenix Outdoor International AG (OTC: FNXTF)

• Headquarters: Zug, Switzerland (U.S. headquarters in Louisville, Colorado)
• Outdoor connection: The Swiss company’s outdoor brands include Fjallraven, Royal Robbins, and Primus.
• Key executives: Martin Nordin, CEO; Nathan Dopp, CEO Americas

Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN)

• Headquarters: Schaffhausen, Switzerland (U.S. headquarters in Olathe, Kansas)
• Key executives: Clifton Pemble, President and CEO

GoPro (Nasdaq: GPRO)

• Headquarters: San Mateo, California
• Key executives: Nick Woodman, CEO

Helen of Troy Ltd. (Nasdaq: HELE)

• Headquarters: El Paso, Texas
• Outdoor connection: Among its many consumer brands is Hydro Flask, the maker of insulated and stainless steel drinkware, and Osprey.
• Key executives: Julien Mininberg, CEO

Johnson Outdoors Inc. (Nasdaq: JOUT)

• Headquarters: Racine, Wisconsin
• Outdoor connection: The company owns two outdoor brands (Eureka and Jetboil) and two watercraft brands (Old Town and Ocean Kayak).
• Key executives: Helen P. Johnson-Leipold, Chairman and CEO

On Holding AG (NYSE: ONON)

• Headquarters: Zurich, Switzerland
• Outdoor connection: The running shoe brand recently went public, pricing its IPO of 31.1 million shares at $24 a share—up from its initial expectations—for an initial raise of $746 million.
• Key executives: Martin Hoffmann, Co-CEO and CFO, Marc Maurer, Co-CEO, and Olivier Bernhard, Co-Founder and Executive Director

Newell Brands Inc. (Nasdaq: NWL)

• Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia
• Outdoor connection: The company’s core outdoor brands are Marmot and Coleman (and there is some crossover into outdoor with its other consumer brands Contigo, Ex Officio, and Stearns)
• Key executives: Ravi Saligram, CEO

Samsonite International SA (OTC: SMSEY)

• Headquarters: Hong Kong
• Outdoor connection: The luggage giant owns outdoor pack and bag brands Gregory Mountain Products and High Sierra
• Key executives: John Sears, VP, Gregory

Solo Brands, Inc. (NYSE: DTC)

• Headquarters: Southlake, TX
• Outdoor Connection: The growing specialty company owns Solo Stove, Oru Kayak, Chubbies and water sports company Isle.
• Key Executives: John Merris, CEO; Samuel Simmons, CFO

Thule Group AB (OTC: THUPY)

• Headquarters: Malmö, Sweden
• Outdoor connection: The Swedish maker of Thule car racks, luggage, and baby strollers recently got into car-top campers with its purchase of Tepui.
• Key executives: Magnus Welander, CEO; Hilary Hartley, President Americas

Vail Resorts Inc. (NYSE: MTN)

• Headquarters: Broomfield, Colorado
• Outdoor connection: In addition to being the largest ski resort operator in the world, Vail also operates massive lodging and retail operations.
• Key executives: Kirsten Lynch, CEO

VF Corp. (NYSE: VFC)

• Headquarters: Denver, Colorado
• Outdoor connection: One of the biggest, most influential corporations in the outdoor industry, VF Corporation owns and operates an “outdoor” portfolio of The North Face, Altra, Icebreaker, Smartwool, Timberland, and an “active” portfolio of Eastpak, JanSport, and Vans.
• Key executives: Steve Rendle, CEO

Vista Outdoor Inc. (NYSE: VSTO)

• Headquarters: Anoka, Minnesota
• Outdoor connection: Vista did some rightsizing of its portfolio in recent years by shedding its firearms assets and acquiring new brands in the outdoor and shooting sports spaces. Its outdoor portfolio now consists of CamelBak, Camp Chef, Bell, Giro, QuietKat, Stone Glacier, and Venor.
• Key executives: Christopher Metz, CEO
• Recent OBJ coverage:

Wolverine World Wide Inc. (NYSE: WWW)

• Headquarters: Rockford, Michigan
• Outdoor connection: Another of the big footwear players, Wolverine owns and operates such outdoor brands as Merrell and Chaco, while other brands include Wolverine, Saucony, and Cat Footwear.
• Key executives: Blake Krueger, CEO

Yeti Holdings Inc. (NYSE: YETI)

• Headquarters: Austin, Texas
• Key executives: Matthew Reintjes, President and CEO

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Park City Mountain lift mechanics and engineers have joined their ski patroller counterparts in unionizing, the first lift professionals in the United States to do so.

In a 35 to 6 vote conducted by the National Labor Relations Board, lift mechanics and electricians decided to collectively bargain with owners Vail Resorts under the newly formed Park City Lift Maintenance Professional Union. The union joins the United Professional Ski Patrols of America, Local 7781 of the Communications Workers of America (CWA

Park City Mountain ski patrollers made news last year after unionizing and negotiating for increased pay and better scheduling with the resort’s owner, Vail Resorts.

Park City Mountain lift mechanic and union organizer Liesl Jenkins said the move to unionize will result in more equitable pay and improve employee retention, resulting in better and safer service that will ultimately benefit the resort.

“We joke that Park City is the best lift maintenance training school in the country,” Jenkins said. “People would get excellent training here, but then move on to other ski resorts that pay better or have better schedules. This is a way to ensure that pay here is commensurate with other resorts and have people wanting to stay here, which results in better scheduling and safer conditions for everyone.”

Jenkins, who said she has been with Park City for a year and a half, said that individual attempts to negotiate with resort leadership were largely unsatisfactory.

“We do have some newer people who didn’t want to rock the boat and said they’d prefer to negotiate pay on their own, and the old-timers basically said ‘we can tell you how that goes,’ which wasn’t great,” she said. “It’s easy to ignore one person, but not an organized group.”

Jenkins said there are 17 electricians and mechanics on the Park City side of Park City Mountain and 24 on the Canyons side responsible for keeping all 43 lifts safely operating, adding that many lifts operate in the summer as well. She said these numbers are too low and that more help is needed to avoid employee burnout from long hours and covering shifts of those who call in.

Park City Mountain leadership said they would respect the decision to unionize.

“We believe a direct relationship with our team works best rather than through a third party, but we respect the decision of our teammates to choose,” Park City Mountain Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Deirdra Walsh said in a statement. “We’re committed to constant improvement of our employee experience, which includes our significant investment in employee wages and affordable housing for this season, among other steps.”

Negotiations are expected to begin in the next few weeks, Jenkins said.

Jenkins said that life operators from other ski resorts have contacted her about unionizing at their properties as well.

“We’re proud of our work and safety record, and believe that by unionizing we can further strengthen that,” she said. “We’re happy to help improve safety and professionalism throughout the industry.”

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As I stood atop a hill surrounded by gorgeous Vermont foliage with my friend and fellow plus-size adventurer , we found ourselves chatting with a guy who asked how we met.

Turner shared that she found my book at REI. The story inspired her to return to hiking, something she had fallen out of love with as a plus-size person, because she didn’t feel like she belonged in the outdoors.

The guy turned to me, looked at my size-26 hips, and asked, “So, you hiked Kilimanjaro metaphorically?”

“No, in real life,” I said. “Three times.” Here we were again, showing up in nature and having to prove we deserved to be there.

As a consultant who helps brands connect with the plus-size market ( in the next decade, growing from $601.7 billion in 2022, according to ), I find getting people to believe in the business potential of extended sizes is also an uphill climb, loaded with stereotypes and stigma.

There are cautionary tales of . There are the timeworn protests that making bigger sizes is too hard and too expensive. There’s even a moral judgment about weight, the perception that someone’s size is their own “fault,” and the resulting questions: Why should we, as business owners, accommodate folks in larger bodies? Why can’t they be responsible for themselves? (Even when diet culture again and again has disproved itself.)

You can’t tell someone’s story from looking at their body. Take me for example: I’ve weighed 300 pounds or more for most of my adult life. I carry most of it between my navel and my knees because of a condition called lipedema and I struggled with and recovered from binge eating disorder. And yet, I’ve also climbed Kilimanjaro three times. I’m always looking for my next adventure (Mont Blanc Summer 2023 or bust).

My own social media channels () are magnets for the “promoting obesity” cries of righteousness over BMIs and muscle tone. If these naysayers and trolls were so concerned about weight, wouldn’t they want to encourage people to get moving and to seek the physical and mental health benefits of the outdoors?

Body size isn’t a reflection of someone’s desire to be outdoorsy. Plus-size people aren’t in many (if any) marketing materials. We are omitted from the in-person retail experience and told to find our sizes online. We are the butt of jokes when it comes to falling out of chairs or making the catastrophic splash when jumping in a pool.

Kelly Davis, Outdoor Industry Association’s Director of Research, said skiers, particularly plus-size women skiers, have been excluded because they can’t find winter apparel or gear that fits. The International Journal of Fashion Design found that the average American woman is size 16-18 which often corresponds to Women’s Plus size 2X. Many outdoor apparel brands including Columbia, Eddie Bauer, Athleta are working to make plus size apparel available, but it’s still a challenge for plus size women to find technical outerwear that fits.

“It takes this from a sizing issue to an access issue,” said Davis. “All Americans should have access to the tools, including technical apparel and hard goods, to enjoy the outdoors comfortably and safely.”

The problem goes way beyond apparel. It extends into the travel, hardgoods, vehicles and personal care markets, and the fact that many business owners aren’t addressing it is, frankly, an oversight. The fact is, 40 percent of the adult U.S. population is obese. Sixty-seven percent of American women wear a size 14 or higher. If your brand sells its products and services only to standard-size people, you’re missing two-thirds of the total addressable market—and jockeying with your competitors over the same 33 percent.

And some folks in larger bodies have had some pretty traumatic shopping experiences: being ushered out of stores and told to shop online, being judged and shamed with things such as unsolicited diet advice.

Bad experiences aren’t just something to shrug off. They can be humiliating events that make guests swear off travel or trying new things. And when it comes to the plus-size market, our pockets are deep (more than $40 billion in buying power in apparel alone) and our memories are long. There is much work to be done to rebuild trust and connect in a way that not only leads to profit but also deep brand loyalty and appreciation for the fact your company is welcoming us to the outdoors.

The good news is, there’s plenty of room for authentic growth in this segment of the outdoor industry. Below are three brands already serving the plus-size market, and boosting their bottom lines because of it.

Alder Apparel

Mikayla Wujeck, co-founder of the plus-size gear brand Alder Apparel, has taken her company from zero to $5 million in annual revenue in three years, all by designing products exclusively for this underserved market. In 2022, Alder also received an investment from Path Ahead Ventures, REI’s newly formed venture arm that supports diversity in the outdoor industry.

“The outdoor industry has a really narrow depiction of what it means to be outdoorsy,” said Wujec. “The white, ripped guy hanging off a glacier. I felt really isolated from that narrative.”

Along with her co-founder, Naomi Blackman, Wujec designed a line of clothing with a size range of XS to 6X. They created a brand identity that is colorful, playful, and expresses joy, to spread the message that plus-size people are allowed to have fun outside, just like everyone else.

Wujec said a non-negotiable in Alder’s agreement with REI was that, for every piece displayed in stores, every size has to be carried, up to 6X. The brand also has a return policy that allows a 45-day window to try things on and if they don’t work, Alder provides a postage-paid return label.

There have been other considerations when connecting with the extended-size customers,Ìę Wujec noticed it takes extended size shoppers far longer to decide to make a purchase – and to make subsequent purchases. This is true because the customer journey for people in extended sizes has been littered with trauma and disappointment.

When a company says they “can’t make larger sizes,” Wujec said it’s usually “hogwash”—a moral stance masquerading as a business argument. “It’s more of a statement of who they want wearing their clothes,” she said.

REI and Smartwool

A few seasons before the pandemic, REI approached Smartwool saying there is a need for base layers in the plus-size space. Denise Anderson, head of global marketing at Smartwool said they were glad to take on the challenge and were grateful for a larger partner such as REI to make it happen.

Smartwool’s fit patterns and colors were thought out and tested carefully because a base layer fits so close to the skin and is the cornerstone to comfort in the outdoors.

Making it wasn’t the only challenge. Smartwool had to bring in a whole new set of customers, who weren’t used to finding their sizes on REI shelves (or in other outdoor retailers). Anderson said they needed to take a grassroots approach to rewrite that narrative.

Smartwool enlisted Fat Girls Hiking (a body positive hiking community), sent product kits to 200 plus-size influencers, and hosted a leadership retreat with members to engage in conversation and get feedback.

Smartwool now has 11 styles (64 colors/sizes) in extended sizes and has sold more than 15,000 units to 140 accounts including Eastern Mountain Sports, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Scheels for Fall of 2022. REI is carrying the extended sizes products in all stores and on their drop ship/digital platform.

Smartwool and Alder aren’t the only brands that come in plus-sizes at REI Co-op. REI recently launched a collaboration with Outdoor Afro where pants range from men’s 28 to 50 and women’s 0 to 26, and tops and jackets run up to 3XL.

L.L.Bean

L.L.Bean has offered inclusive sizing for more than 20 years but in Spring2022, it upped the ante. (Full disclosure: I work as an influencer for L.L.Bean).

“A lot of it came from listening to our customers,” said Alex Intraversato, L.L.Bean’s VP of Merchandising, Men’s & Women’s Apparel, Equipment. “They wanted the same colors and sizes as everyone else.”

Intraversato said the mix of middle sizes and extended sizes is highly complex. “We didn’t want to add this and take away from the middle sizes. We had to be additive in a smart way.”

Bean nowÌę offers approximately 300 styles in Women’s Petite and Plus and more than 300 Men’s styles in up to XXXL.

The company instituted a one-price policy, meaning that folks pay the same whether XS or 3XL. (Increased pricing for plus sizes is common. According to a 2021 report from Statistica, the average selling price for plus size jeans in the U.S. was three U.S. dollars more than jeans in standardÌę sizes. ) And Bean regularly shows diverse body types across all of its channels, from e-commerce to catalogs to social media.

The result: Its extended size assortment is on target to sell 20 percent more in 2022 versus 2021, and Bean isÌę just getting started. In 2023, it will add size-inclusive hardgoods– camping chairs, sleeping bags, and backpacks.

“Offering inclusive sizes not only makes good business sense, it’s the right thing to do. Our purpose is to inspire and enable people to experience the restorative power of being outside, and that is true for all people and all body types,’ Intraversato said.

Kara Richardson Whitely is the CEO of The GORGEous Agency, helping clients attain growth and connection with the plus-size market. The name is a nod to her book , which is being made into a movie with This Is Us actress Chrissy Metz producing and starring as her. Learn more at .

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On November 9, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis released its annual for 2021, which calculates exactly how much of our nation’s gross domestic product comes from outdoor recreation. (For clarity, “outdoor recreation” is defined rather broadly in the report, including “conventional activities” such as bicycling, boating, and hiking; “other activities” such as gardening and outdoor concerts; and “supporting activities” like travel and tourism.) The findings paint an optimistic picture for the future of our industry—with a few caveats.

The good news: last year, outdoor recreation and related businesses contributed a staggering $862 billion to the U.S. economy. To put it in context, that’s more than the dollar amount generated by the entire American mining industry, and more than double the economic contribution of the nation’s agriculture sector. Outdoor recreation also created 4.5 million jobs in the process.

But perhaps the most encouraging takeaway from the study is the growth those numbers represent. The report showed an industry worth $173 billion more than it was in 2020. That’s an 18.9 percent increase year over year. Compare that to the nation’s overall economic growth—just 5.9 percent in the same period—and you’ve got a picture of an economic powerhouse that has completely bounced back from its 2020 dip.

Breaking Down the Numbers

The report showed growth across all 50 states, though outdoor recreation has taken off in some more than others. The West and Southwest were bright spots, with Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, Alaska, and Arizona all seeing 17 to 18 percent growth. Hawaii topped the rest of the country with 23 percent growth, likely due to the rebound of tourismÌęafter pandemic travel restrictions were lifted. As for the East, strong gains showed up in South Carolina, Illinois, Indiana, Vermont, and Rhode Island.

The biggest caveat: while participation has been growing across most categories of recreation, not all traditional outdoor brands saw cash raining from the sky. Human-powered recreation, after all, is relatively inexpensive to pursue. Motorized recreation, with its far pricier toys, is where the real money remains.

Among core outdoor recreation categories, the boating and fishing sector was the largest economic contributor in 2021, followed by RVing, then hunting and trapping. “Climbing, hiking, and camping” came in fourth, adding about $4.4 billion to the economy. Snow sports were close behind. This order has been roughly the same since 2017.

All of this rosy economic data mirrors trends in participation. According to the Outdoor Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting outdoor access in the U.S.,Ìęthe number of outdoor participants has since the onset of the pandemic in March of 2020. Recreationists over the age of 65, LatinoÌęparticipants, women, and casual participants who spend fewer than 51 days outdoors per year were among the fastest-growing demographics in 2021. The result is a wider and more diverse user base, though also a slightly less engaged one. According to the Outdoor Foundation, the industry’s overall share of serious users—or those who notch more than 51 outings per year—is shrinking.

All of this indicates that the outdoor economy only continues to gain strength, though rising inflation and the looming potential of a recession might change the picture dramatically in the coming years. For now, though, the data indicate things are headed in a good direction.

The post The Outdoor Industry’s Annual Report Card Is Out. Things Are Looking Good. appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Thinking about entering the booming outdoor-recreation industry? If you’re a student (or working on a career switch), there’s no better time to jump in. A growing number of colleges across the U.S. are now offering programs for future adventure-industry workers, with the aim of better equipping tomorrow’s gear makers, retailers, and business owners for success. The latest school to join the list: the University of Denver.

DU’s new program offers two post-grad certificates—one in Outdoor Recreation Industry Business (ORIB) and another in Outdoor Recreation Industry Leadership (ORIL). The ORIB certificate focuses on core business skills like accounting, finance, and marketing, and is geared toward recent grads with no or limited business experience. The more advanced ORIL is designed for middle managers who already have some business savvy (in outdoor rec or elsewhere). Coursework for the ORIL involves more advanced subjects, like financial models, supply chain challenges, human resources, and growth management.

Both programs begin in the spring, and virtual attendance is an option for those who don’t live in the Mile High City.

“We’re creating specialized, easy-to-access programming that will prepare students for outdoor industry jobs that are available now, and future careers that will change the field,” said DU chancellor Jeremy Haefner.

The new program is funded in part through a $3 million grant from the VF Foundation, the charitable arm of Denver-based , parent company of The North Face and Smartwool.

“Denver is an important center for the outdoor industry, making DU the perfect home for such a program,” said Steve Rendle, CEO of VF Corporation and board chairman of The VF Foundation. “Through the Foundation’s targeted support of scholarships for underrepresented individuals, combined with DU’s expansive offering of business and industry-relevant coursework, we hope to spark the next generation of diverse leadership in the outdoor industry.”

With the outdoor economy generating a whopping of annual consumer spending in the U.S., it’s no surprise that academic offerings like this one are popping up at colleges and universities nationwide. Below is a list of other notable programs catering to the business of getting people outside.

Arkansas

Want to start your own business in the outdoor industry? The University of Arkansas’ (GORP) helps would-be entrepreneurs understand the nuances of starting a business through workshops, mentorships, classes, and trainings in the university’s new Ìęin Bentonville, a destination with a growing outdoor reputation. Content is crafted for the unique challenges of operating outdoor businesses and bringing gear concepts to life—and much of the consulting and networking services are free. Already have an outdoor company? GORP’s 12-week Cohort Program also helps owners expand their concepts through year-round workshops, networking, and funding.

Arizona

Prescott College has two degree programs for those who want to making a living teaching—but who want to do it outside. The offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in outdoor ed with coursework in program administration and leadership, wilderness therapy, and more.

Colorado

Dream of becoming a mountaineering guide or ski-area operator? The major at Fort Lewis College helps undergradsÌębecome wilderness therapists, guides, experiential educators, and public-lands employees. After completing 33 credit hours in math, history, and science, students finish out the 57-credit-hour degree with courses like Wilderness Expedition, Foundations of șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Education, Wilderness First Responder, and Teaching Methods for șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Education. Electives include climbing Fundamentals, Swiftwater Rescue, and Advanced Winter Backcountry Travel. For those studentsÌęfocused on the ski industry, the teaches the ins and outs of on-mountain and corporate ski resort management.

Earn your MBA with an outdoor emphasis at Western Colorado University in Gunnison. The Ìęis a two-year program that includes an MBA core as well as specialized tracks for either the product or service side of the outdoor industry. The product concentration has specialized courses in sustainable gear development and material sourcing; supply chain and logistics; and sustainable finance. The service concentration has specialized courses in resort and hospitality management, natural resource regulation, and sales. (Plus, you can explore the Black Canyon of the Gunnison when you’re not studying.)

In Fort Collins, Colorado State University offers a pair of graduate certificates specifically tailored to the outdoor industry—one in , the other in . The six-course, 12-credit programs require a bachelor’s degree to apply, but they’re open to established professionals and recent grads alike. At less than $1,000 each, the certificates are an affordable way to dip your toe into the industry and come out with marketable knowledge and skills in less than a year.

Not to be outdone, the University of Colorado Boulder’s includes an MS in Outdoor Recreation Economy, with supplemental graduate-levelÌęcertificates in topics like natural-resource policy and economic development. The program is completely online, so you can take it from anywhere, although Boulder offers awesome access to the outdoors.

Massachusetts

For those who want to lead outdoor-adventure programs, like those offered through the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and Outward Bound, Greenfield Community College’s might provide the perfect training. The program focuses on the development of critical, philosophical, and technical skills in adventure education. Backcountry travel, rock climbing, paddle sports, and Nordic skiing are all areas of focus, and the program’s certification competencies comply with national standards in the adventure industry.

Michigan

Go pro in the snow sports industry at Gogebic Community College’s , where classwork and practical experience at the school’s own Mt. Zion ski area prepare students for technical and administrative positions. Local training is followed by internships at ski resorts across the country. Courses include Ski Area Layout, Fundamentals of Ski Instruction, and Ski Area Operation/Cost Analysis.

If you’re interested in working in public land management—whether at the municipal, state, or federal level—the at Northern Michigan University in Marquette is worth a look. The baccalaureate degree program teaches students professional skills in a variety of outdoor-recreation specialties. The program also makes sure students meet the entry-level requirements of the (NRPA).

Montana

Want to become a professional snow goat? Montana State University’s in the school’s acclaimed Department of Earth Sciences teaches all things snow safety for undergradsÌęseeking careers in the ski industry, search and rescue, guiding, and other fields. The intensive coursework involves several disciplines, including physics, engineering, hydrology, and statistics, calculus, chemistry, and geomorphology. For graduate students, the combines study and research to help learners better understand and predict snow events.

North Carolina

The ÌęČčłÙ Brevard College is a bachelor of arts degree concentrating on marketable skills in professional guiding, rock-climbing instruction, and other adventure careers. From keeping customers happy to balancing company budgets, courses prepare students for both the business and adventure aspects of making a living in the outdoor industry.

The at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina, is designed for students who want to work as teachersÌęČčłÙ expeditionary learning schools, charter schools, community colleges, camps, and beyond. The two-year program involves both online classwork during the week and in-person weekend classes, making it easier for working students to earn their degree.

Oregon

In Corvallis, Oregon State University’s has a range of certificate and degree programs focused on all aspects of the industry, from learning how to operate a ski lift to designing environmentally responsible products. For those curious about entering the outdoor space, the is a $400 single course, open to anyone,Ìęthat gives an overview of the economic, environmental, and societal impacts of outdoor business. Check out the school’s free for an overview of what to expect.

For those already working in outdoor rec, theÌę at the University of OregonÌęLundquist College of Business teaches students how to bring gear to market, from concept to promotion. Onsite and online programs are available to accommodate full-time and working students.

Utah

For many, the ultimate outdoor career dream is bringing product ideas to life and getting paid for it. The at Utah State University in Logan is a bachelor of science degree that prepares students for entering the world of gear design and manufacturing. Students can choose to specialize in design, development, or product-line management after two years of foundational courses.

Washington

Want to work with the public in the outdoors? Bellingham’s Western Washington University offers aÌę—a bachelor of arts degree applicable to careers in sustainable tourism and community recreation. Guiding, camp counseling, wilderness therapy, and park management are just a few of the paths students pursue after graduating.

West Virginia

West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley undergraduate prepares students for careers in outdoor enterprises. Guide and instructor certifications in at least one discipline such as rock climbing or paddlesports are included, and coursework centers on the fundamentals of operating a business. Internships and a final project ensure students get plenty of real-world experience under their belts before they graduate.

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Memphis Rox is one of the best climbing gyms in America.Ìę

Sure, it has state-of-the-art bouldering and rope climbing, and enough free weights to build a 5.15 climber. It has a youth team and climbing coaches and yoga classes and fantastic setting.Ìę

But Memphis Rox, more than any other gym we’ve seen, is making real, measurable impacts in the lives of its community. They cater not just to the ĂŒber-psyched gym members who pull down from open till close but to the non-climbing members of the wider South Memphis community. That’s why Reel Rock made a feature film about the gym, and that’s why the Honnold Foundation is right now: to help them keep their lights on despite an expensive and regressive local energy policy.

“Memphis has some of the highest utility rates in the country,” said Pearl Walker, civic engagement coordinator at the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, in the film Keep the Lights On. “A lot of people feel like Memphis Light, Gas, and Water (MLGW) is collecting all this money
and they’re not taking into consideration what’s in the best interests of the people and the planet.”

South Memphis residents spend up to 25 percent of their income on utility bills—a shocking figure, especially when you consider that most Americans spend around 5 percent.

“MLGW is playing the back game,” said Jarmond Johnson, Memphis Rox’s outreach coordinator and gang activist. “They know the people in our community can’t afford solar [if there are no equitable incentives]—it’s too expensive.”

Johnson said the South Memphis community has received many empty promises in the 22 years he’s lived in the area, mostly from “big [social] organizations saying they were going to do a lot for us but never did.” That’s why working with the Honnold Foundation, he said, was such a positive experience: the organization stepped in to provide financial support by installing solar panels to offset the maximum 20 percent of the gym’s energy use. This allowed Memphis Rox to focus on connecting with the community.

“The goal of the Honnold Foundation is that we’re just helping community organizations do what they do, but a little better,” said Honnold himself. “They already have good ideas, they already know how to execute it, all we’re doing is helping them save a little money so they can do their work at an even higher level.”

Honnold added that working with Memphis Rox was especially meaningful because of how stifling MLGW is. “That’s what makes it even more satisfying to do work there, because sometimes you just want to say “FÌę you”Ìęto the man. Utilities that don’t want to get on board and do what’s right for the community
it makes it even more satisfying to [provide solar energy.]”

From providing free-lunch and after-school programs to contributing to a steady decline in the area’s crime rate since its opening, Memphis Rox’s efforts continue to positively impact the Soulsville community. “Memphis Rox grabbed me out of the place I was in,” Johnson said. “You know, without the gym I’d probably be in jail or dead.”

That’s what makes the area’s energy policy all the more frustrating [for Johnson]: money has trumped community impact. Memphis Rox has big goals for the future, including building a wood shop to teach trade skills to its members, a grocery store, and a medical clinic—if it can keep its lights on.

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Last week, founder and CEO Andrew Gibbs-Dabney posted to LinkedIn. It wasn’t about quarterly sales or supply-chain struggles.

It was about robbing a liquor store.

In his , Gibbs-Dabney told a deeply personal story: about his oxycontin addiction in college and, in 2011, his decision to hold up an Arkansas liquor shop in a drug-induced haze.

“There was no violence,” he wrote. “There were no threats. I think I even said please and sorry. I was in there for over 15 minutes, presumably working up the courage to do the act. You see, I don’t really remember doing it.”

Facing 40 years to life, he entered rehab and was given a second chance, serving about six months in correctional facilities in Arkansas. After getting his addiction under control through treatment, Gibbs-Dabney returned to college to study organizational management. He landed a job at the apparel brand , where he learned the ins and outs of the outdoor industry. It was the break he needed.

In 2018, Gibbs-Dabney launched his own apparel brand, the Bentonville-based Livsn, whose name is derived from the Swedish word livsnjutare, meaning “one who lives life fully.”

“I knew I wanted to be in the outdoor industry,” he said. “I want to spend my time outside, and I want to spend my time around people who want to be outside.”

Today, Gibbs-Dabney runs Livsn—which specializes in adventure pants—alongside five full-time staffers. The brand’s products can be found at Packrat Outdoor Centers in Arkansas and online at Backcountry.com, Moosejaw.com, and the Livsn website. The current lineup includes seven styles of men’s and women’s pants, shorts, and overalls, and Gibbs-Dabney said Livsn plans to release more women’s clothing and tops next year.

Successful crowdfunding campaigns have helped Livsn grow (there’s one ongoing now that has raised more than $400,000 for business expansion), but despite the company’s proven track record, it was Gibbs-Dabney’s criminal record that tanked a deal with a high-profile investor and prompted him to post his story on LinkedIn.

We chatted with Gibbs-Dabney this week to ask about the reaction to his post and the challenges of running an outdoor business with a criminal record. The below conversation has been edited for clarity.

Your LinkedIn post has been getting a lot of attention. What prompted you to share something so personal—especially on a business platform?

You mean why now, after 11 years? I guess the catalyst was being passed up for an investment opportunity.

There was a TV host from a well-known show and we were supposed to do an interview. We came close to shooting before I learned that [my spot] had been canceled. I pushed a little bit and said, ‘Hey, if it’s a scheduling conflict or something, I’m here to work with you. Let’s make this happen. I’m super excited.’ They said, ‘No, it’s actually that your criminal background check came back and we can no longer move forward.’ It felt like a punch in the gut.

That was the first time something like that had been explicitly stated, but I have a suspicion that’s happened more than once with other opportunities.

What kind of response have you gotten to the post so far?

I didn’t have high aspirations for it—it was just something I wanted to get off my chest. But since then, I’ve realized it’s been very helpful to people with backgrounds of alcoholism, drug addiction, and conviction who are now doing great things with their lives.

Since the post, lots of people with that history have admitted to me that they don’t talk about those things, but they want to. There are a lot of people who have something in their past that they’re not proud—but that has shaped them into who they are. Most of them just want to have it out there without being ashamed. The post seems to have encouraged people to share their struggles and what they’ve overcome. It’s been really cool to see.

Were you afraid of any negative repercussions?

I was very nervous when I wrote it. I spent several days on it and didn’t click “publish” for a whole week. I was afraid of losing investors, but I thought it was more important to get this out there. Instead of investors dropping me, they’ve only shown support, and some have even increased their investment. Now that it’s public and I’ve seen the positive effect it’s had, I want to share it further. This is the first time I’ve spoken to the press about it. It was worth the risk to start this discussion.

How do you usually tell people about your record when you’re chasing new business relationships?

I tell people about my background, but it’s not something I lead with. Like I wrote in my post, it’s a third-date conversation. It doesn’t define me or the company, but it’s something I want people to know if we’re starting to get serious. It’s important for me to be transparent with people I’m going to be in a business relationship with, but it’s difficult to know when to bring something like that up. I want people to focus on Livsn and what we’re doing, but I don’t want to look like I’m hiding my past.

What’s been the hardest part of starting a business with a criminal record?

Having to explain your past when other startups don’t. As a founder, you want the story to be about your business—how incredible it can be—not about your past.

I had to petition to get my first apartment upon release from prison, to be readmitted to university, to transfer universities, and to get loans. I was successful in those appeals, but it’s a challenge most entrepreneurs don’t have to face and can certainly make a hard task even harder, maybe even impossible for some.

That said, I actually think there were fewer barriers in starting my own business than there would have been on a corporate-job track. I’m also very fortunate. I have family and friends who believed in me and made the initial investments. Not everyone has that type of privileged opportunity.

Finally, I was able to show our products and explain our company’s philosophy directly to the public on Kickstarter—something that wasn’t available in the past. I was able to get my products and ideas out there and not hit the roadblock of my criminal record right off the bat. Angel investors and Kickstarter backers are understanding, but background checks are not. When raising capital from institutional offices, your past will come up on a background search during due diligence. I know for a fact it caused me a missed opportunity once, and I suspect it has happened on other occasions.

Were there any surprise advantages, as a founder, of having gone through what you went through?

The biggest advantage is perspective and experience overcoming challenging situations. When you’ve seen how bad life can be, it’s easier to deal with the never-ending challenges of starting your own business. A bad day working on your startup is nothing compared to a bad day in a prison cell.

A lot of convicted people have great business sense and experience. How they gained it might not have been exactly legal, but the basic mechanics of demand, procurement, margin structure, supply chain, and sales are the same if you’re selling something legal or illegal. I think there’s untapped potential among the convicted population; many could be excellent businesspeople if given the chance they deserve.

“Founder culture” is such a thing. Do you think it demands an unrealistic level of personal perfection among business owners?

The pressure of founder culture is real, especially when you choose, like I did, to build a company based on personal passions and values. On one hand, it makes things easier because the more authentic I am, the more it reflects the brand. But on the other hand, a brand is aspirational by definition and I don’t always live up to those aspirations. The truth is that I’m not perfect and never will be. I think founder culture is coming around to this reality and is starting to embrace vulnerability and realness alongside strong leadership.

Any advice for others with a similar history interested in starting their own business?

My advice would be to work on something you’re passionate about. It will take more of your time and energy than you think, and the difference between success and failure is often just sticking with it. If you can overcome addiction and conviction, you can do anything.

Listening to what you’ve accomplished, you must be proud of how far you’ve come.

I am proud of it. It’s been a hard journey, but I’m proud of where I am now. When I tell the story to people I know, it’s never a negative thing. It ends up with a sense of understanding and respect. Being able to have that, in a public sense, and see the outpouring of support is very cathartic and has encouraged me to share the story more.

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The state of Utah and two of its counties filed a lawsuit seeking to block President Biden’s restoration of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments on Wednesday, five years after former President Trump drastically reduced the size of each monument in 2017.Ìę

In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Utah, the state argued that Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama’s creation of the monuments in 1996 and 2016 respectively, as well as Biden’s restoration of them in 2021, were “an abuse of the President’s authority under the Monuments and Antiquities Act,” and that the text of the Act only authorizes the President to create small, narrowly-drawn monuments to protect specific historic structures and artifacts.

In a joint , Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, and Utah’s congressional delegation argued that far from protecting delicate landscapes, the monuments’ designations had put them in danger.Ìę

“The vast size of the expanded Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments draws unmanageable visitation levels to these lands without providing any of the tools necessary to adequately conserve and protect these resources,” stated the letter’s signatories, who included U.S. Senators Mitt Romney and Mike Lee.Ìę

The lawsuit is the latest move in a decades-long fight over two of America’s most controversial monuments. President Clinton designated Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in 1996, establishing significant protections for 1.7 million acres of land, later expanded to 1.87 million. Besides protecting Ancestral Puebloan dwellings and backpacking trails, the monument is home to several endangered species, including the California condor. Paleontologists working in the area have discovered 21 new species of dinosaurs, as well as an 81-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus, believed to be the oldest ever uncovered. Joe Sertich, of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science that Escalante is “the Shangri-La of dinosaurs.”Ìę

Bears Ears’s designation came near the end of President Obama’s second term in December 2016, when he established the monument in consultation with five Native nations with ancestral links to the area. The monument contains an estimated 100,000 sites of significance to the nations, including dwellings, pottery, and burial sites; under an agreement formalized earlier this year, the five tribes—the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, and the Pueblo of Zuni—co-manage the monument along with the Department of the Interior.Ìę

The monuments quickly became targets for the state government and congressional Republicans, who portrayed them as a federal land grab enacted over the objections of Utahns. In response, President Donald Trump slashed the size of Bears Ears by 85 percent and Escalante by about half, marking the largest reduction of public land protections in history and opening the territories’ doors to activities such as mining and oil and gas exploration. Later reporting by the New York Times suggested that the administration’s Department of the Interior had been in contact with mining industry representatives while redrawing the boundaries, and may have changed them to exclude potential uranium deposits; this week’s lawsuit seeks a return to those post-Trump boundaries.

But while Utah officials have claimed locals are almost universally opposed to the monuments, subsequent events have suggested they enjoy more support than the state is willing to admit. While Kane and Garfield Counties, which contain Grand Staircase-Escalante, signed on to this week’s lawsuit, San Juan, the home of Bears Ears, did not. San Juan County’s government has supported maintaining or expanding the monument since 2018, when the county elected its first majority-Navajo council after a federal court determined it had gerrymandered its electoral districts to disenfranchise Native voters, who are more than 50 percent of San Juan’s residents.

In addition to suing President Biden, the lawsuit names as defendants Bureau of Land Management Director Tracy Stone-Manning, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and Forest Service Chief Randy Moore.

The reaction from wilderness and conservation groups has been swift. In a statement, Director Scott Groene called Utah’s political establishment “the most hostile to America’s public lands, of any state,” and suggested that the state had ignored locals’ wishes in battling against Bears Ears.

“Once again, Utah’s political leaders are running roughshod over those who live closest to Utah’s national monuments—especially the Tribes that have lived here since time immemorial,” wrote Groene. “This lawsuit further ignores the local elected officials in Grand and San Juan Counties, where Bears Ears is located, and community leaders in the towns closest to the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, who have registered their support for President Biden’s lawful restoration of the original monument boundaries.”

The Biden administration has not publicly responded to the lawsuit.

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For decades, the mountainous 7,000 acres of Castner Range has been part of Fort Bliss, located between city neighborhoods and Franklin Mountains State Park in the majority-Latino community of El Paso, Texas. Today, the area is renowned for its annual display of blooming Mexican poppies. Castner Range is remarkable in that it remains undeveloped despite decades of population growth and land urbanization around El Paso.

Just outside of Castner Ranger, however, is a community—one of the most disadvantaged urban areas in the country in terms of per-capita household income—that has been historically excluded from conversations regarding the land surrounding their homes. We believe it’s time their voices were heard.

For many years, the people of El Paso have sought to conserve the Castner Range for recreation—to no avail. It’s an effort worthy of attention: preserving Castner Range will provide real opportunities for more El Paso residents to enjoy the outdoors, and serve as a blueprint for expanding outdoor access to underserved communities across the nation.

In our visit to Castner Range, we were overwhelmed by the people we encountered and the passion we heard in their stories. We met volunteers of all ages fighting for the area’s conservation—from people in their late seventies to community activists in their early twenties. We met folks with deep ties to the region who came from multi-generational El Paso families and local Pueblos. All of them have joined together to advocate for protection of the Castner Range and for what the space symbolizes to their culture and community.

This is an effort that already has sweeping community support: a letter calling for federal protection of the land has received 116,000 signatures and counting. (You can add your name too, if you wish, .)

We—along with our partner groups Monumental SHIFT, Frontera Land Alliance, and Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project—urge President Biden to designate Castner Range as a national monument, which would be the first of his administration. [In 2021, Biden restored safeguards to Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Monuments, which he did not create, but whose protections were slashed by the Trump Administration.] The people and organizations working to protect Castner have mobilized a passionate, inclusive, and community-led effort that deserves recognition at the highest levels of government. We at The Conservation Alliance and The North Face support it, and it’s time others did as well.

Shoren Brown is the interim executive director of The Conservation Alliance. Brown was the architect of the federal campaign to protect Bristol Bay, Alaska, and ran the national field program for the campaign that protected the Arctic Refuge.

Carol Shu is the senior global sustainability manager at The North Face where her work spans all aspects of TNF’s environmental footprint, from retail waste to regeneratively-grown raw materials.

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