Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI)
From top left: Jose Gonzalez (photo credit: Lilita Wood), Justin Forrest Parks, Danielle Williams (photo credit: Maricela Rosales), James Edward Mills, Len Necefer, Elyse Rylander, and Mikah Meyer
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The outdoors is for everyone, though, let's face it: Most of the people we see out on the trail are white. And most of the people we see at Outdoor Retailer trade shows are white. But the tide is slowly changing: As an industry, we realize we have work to do to make the outdoors more diverse. SNEWS is committed to covering diverse outdoor stories, stories that shed light on DEI issues, and we are always seeking diverse voices to help us create content.
Industry Buzz: Fresh leadership at Patagonia, Selena Gomez to play mountaineer in upcoming film, new GOA members, plastic use during the pandemic, small business giveaway
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web New leadership at Patagonia: The company has hired Beth Thoren as its new environmental action and initiatives director. A mountaineering icon on film: Selena Gomez has signed on to play the mountaineering legend Silvia ...read more
Industry Buzz: Kind Bars acquired, hiker returns from the brink of death, the case for a new CCC, Sea to Summit expands leadership, analyzing outdoor rec spending
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web KIND acquired: Mars, the maker of Snickers, has announced plans to buy Kind North America, the company responsible for Kind Bars. [The New York Times] Back from the brink of death: A hiker rescued from Mount Rainier this ...read more
Trend report: A new study highlights diversity—and opportunity—in adventure travel
There’s a demographic shift taking place in the United States: By the year 2045, we’ll be a non-white majority country and the outdoor industrywill either follow suit or flounder. That fact alone should motivate companies to diversify both their internal hires and customer base, ...read more
Industry Buzz: Rossignol changes leadership, Trump undercuts the Great American Outdoors Act, Vista Outdoors boosts sales, Colorado reintroduces wolves
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Rossignol gets new CEO: The company will transfer its leadership from 16-year chief executive Bruno Cercley to Vincent Wauters in Q1 of 2021. GAOA threatened: The Trump administration is already undercutting the ...read more
This local gear shop invested in a full-time DEI manager to oversee the store's inclusion practices
In the last few years, full-time diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) managers have become more and more common in the outdoor industry. From big conglomerate players like VF Corporation to forward-thinking individual brands, businesses in our space are starting to recognize ...read more
Reggie Miller leaves VF Corporation for McDonald's
Reggie J. Miller, the DEI leader whose career has included executive positions at Walmart, Tyson Foods, Sam's Club, and most recently VF Corporation, has accepted a new role as vice president and global chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer at McDonald's. The news of ...read more
The North Face invests $7 million in DEI
It's been 10 years since The North Face launched its widely praised charitable giving initiative Explore Fund, which has provided millions of dollars to outdoor nonprofits over the years. With a stated mission of enabling exploration and fostering a love of wild places, Explore ...read more
"Customers are smart. They know when a brand is bullshitting them."
Naomi Blackman and Mikayla Wujec, the 31-year-old co-founders of Alder Apparel, have been friends since childhood. Before founding the Toronto-based women’s outdoor clothing company, Blackmen spent a decade working in marketing, including at the retail chain Joe Fresh. Wujec’s ...read more
Industry Buzz: REI anticipates shopping changes, preventing sexual assault outdoors, public lands funding deadline, bring back the CCC, Paddling Life gets a rebrand
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web REI braces for changes: The retailer is anticipating big shifts in how customers spend their dollars this winter and holiday season. [KHQ] The duty of the bystander: An examination of the ways men are responsible, as ...read more
Why representation matters in adventure travel and how brands can do better
Monet Hambrick of The Traveling Child journeys around the world for a living with her children. In 2019, she authored The Traveling Child Goes to Rio de Janeiro, a children's book that teaches culture through the eyes of two traveling sisters. And earlier this year, she became a ...read more
Industry Buzz: Tommy Caldwell says Trump will "ruin rock climbing," The North Face invests $7M in diversity, REI opens used gear pop-ups, virus outbreak at L.L.Bean
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Tommy Caldwell bashes Trump: The president is going to “ruin rock climbing,” the pro climber wrote in a recent op-ed. [Rock and Ice] The North Face invests in diversity: The brand has put $7 million into a new initiative ...read more
Industry Buzz: Shop owners take a stand against hate, a lawsuit that might change Everest travel, man stalked by mountain lion, the value of reps, Zappos/L.L.Bean partnership
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Taking a stand: Sunlight Sports in Cody, Wyoming, posted an admirable and unequivocal message on Facebook this week. Customers who exhibit intolerant, hateful behavior will no longer be welcome in the store, the owners ...read more
Industry Buzz: “Reparations” for Black customers, an obit for Powder magazine, girl suffers burns at Yellowstone, BIPOC bicycle grants, a new mother-daughter gear shop
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web “Reparations” for Black customers: Rivendell Bicycle Works in California has implemented a program to offer Black consumers a 45 percent discount on bikes and frames, an effort the brand is calling its “Black Reparations ...read more
It’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Here are 4 designers you should know
In honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day this year, SNEWS talked to four Native and Indigenous designers who bring their wisdom and talents to the outdoor industry. Dewayne Dale Jr., Diné, freelancer and former innovation designer at KEEN and Chrome Industries Before becoming a ...read more
A New Tool for Local Governments to Diversify Outdoor Spaces and Programs Released at Outdoor Economy Conference
Asheville, NC – October 8, 2020 – Local communities across the United States have a new resource available to help them diversify their outdoor spaces and programs, thanks to a model resolution released today at the Outdoor Economy Conference by a coalition of partners including ...read more
Editor's note | Introducing Outdoor Media 4 Inclusion
It’s that time of year: In almost every business conversation I’ve had over the last month, I hear about the strategic planning, the sales meetings, the budget meetings that we’re all involved in. In many ways, they’re exhausting, but they’re also exciting. At least for me. I ...read more
Outdoor editors and publishers form Outdoor Media 4 Inclusion
October 12, 2020 - A group of publishers and editors who oversee consumer and B2B outdoor media titles have formed the working group Outdoor Media 4 Inclusion (OM4I) to provide more opportunities for journalists and contributors who are Black, Indigenous, people of color, and ...read more
Industry Buzz: New Warren Miller film, helping outdoor employees vote, a paid residency for outdoor writers, Latria Graham speaks, the first dog to reach 7,000 feet in the Himalayas
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Warren Miller’s new flick: Check out the preview for “Future Retro,” the latest film from Warren Miller. Helping employees vote: Outdoor leaders describe why and how they’re helping their teams get to the polls next month. ...read more
A new coalition is working to end racism in the running industry
This week, a new group called the Running Industry Diversity Coalition (RIDC) announced its formation—a step forward in ending systemic racism in the running industry and running community. Funded by grants from Brooks and HOKA ONE ONE, the coalition is led by by co-chairs ...read more
Industry Buzz: MEC ignores protesters, Dick's to eliminate single-use plastic, new climbing rules in Nepal, race and the ski industry, rising demand for outdoor education
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web MEC forges ahead with sale: Defying the pleas of co-op members who oppose the company’s sale to an American investment firm, MEC leaders pushed ahead with the acquisition this week, saying the deal must close. [Coast ...read more
Advice from a boundary-pushing influencer on how to run a social media campaign with integrity
The outdoor content creator known as Dr. Kiona (she prefers not to use her last name publicly) is not your typical influencer. Founder of the blog How Not To Travel Like A Basic Bitch, the Texas-based entrepreneur with a PhD in nutritional science uses her brand to ...read more
Industry Buzz: Racist vandalism in national park, BOA acquired for $454M, back up your DEI pledge, sustainability in the industry, adventure grants
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Hateful vandalism in Tennessee: Officials are searching for suspects after someone vandalized the Great Smoky Mountains National Park entrance sign with a message that read “black lives don’t matter.” [CNN] BOA Technology ...read more
Industry Buzz: Latria Graham speaks out, get paid $50K to explore parks, outdoor subscription for women, outdoor education jobs
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Latria Graham responds: After publishing a groundbreaking essay in Outside two years ago, the writer and activist has responded to the flood of readers who encountered her original piece and asked for advice about ...read more
Industry Buzz: REI launches new bike line, climbers using crags to protest, how oil companies lie about recycling, Mitsu Iwasaki, Burton's anti-racism
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web REI bets on itself: The retailer is expanding its house-branded line to include bikes and potentially footwear. [StoreBrands] Using crags as demonstration tools: Do climbers have a right to hang Pride and Black Lives Matter ...read more