Moosejaw, a retailer specializing in outdoor gear and apparel, announced finalists of its fourth-annual Outdoor Accelerator Program (MOA). Aimed at boosting startup companies and increasing diversity within the outdoor industry, the company received more than 40 submissions, narrowing it down to 10 finalists. Voting for the final companies runs through March 6. Winners will be announced on March 16. Beginning March 6, winners will attend the Accelerator through remote sessions and on-site education at the ICELab in Gunnison, Colo. To vote visit here.
MOA’s mission is to help founders from diverse backgrounds achieve their dreams of growing a successful outdoor company. This year’s finalists include founders from historically underrepresented groups within the industry. The program provides access to educational and network resources, strategic mentorships, legal advice, and potential investors.
Finalists include:
- Fernweh Food Co. – Oregon – Fernweh Food Co. makes great tasting, plant-based and gluten-free dehydrated meals – all in sustainable packaging. This woman-led team by founder Ashley Lance aims to reduce waste in the adventure food industry by eliminating single-use plastics that end up in landfills. Fernweh’s packaging is entirely omni-degradable and will break down into biomass and CO2 no matter where it ends up. On top of sustainable packaging, the meals are delicious and entirely vegan and free of preservatives.
- Symbiosis Gear – Colorado – Symbiosis Gear founder Sarah Berkeleya leads a woman-owned company that creates women-specific backpacking gear. Each piece is created specifically for women’s needs, as opposed to the “shrink it and pink it” approach common in mass-market women’s backpacking gear. Symbiosis Gear takes women’s body proportions into consideration when addressing common issues with sternum straps, padding, overall fit, pack-to-torso length match, and hip belts.
- Near Zero – Arizona – Near Zero specializes in bundled lightweight backpacking gear designed to give everyone the confidence to get out and go. Its patent-pending backpack design delivers quick and easy access to all gear using a labeled and compartmentalized storage system that is designed to maximize comfort and optimize weight distribution. Near Zero even builds standard ultralight bundles, making it convenient to get out there for newcomers and old pros alike. Founded by Scott Jensen.
- B&Me NYC – New Jersey – B&Me is adaptive, patented outerwear that tailors to a woman’s body from pre-pregnancy to beyond. B&Me creates outerwear pieces that are expandable to accommodate a baby bump while you’re carrying and snuggles your baby right inside the garment with you once they’re born, giving you hands-free flexibility around town or on the trail. The goal is to eventually partner with other outerwear companies to bring this patented utility to your other favorite brands.
- WNDR Outdoors – Colorado & Vermont – Created by plus-size adventurers Arwen Turner & Kara Hardman for plus-size adventurers, WNDR Outdoors strives to increase the representation of larger-bodied folks outdoors by creating technical outdoor apparel in true plus sizes. Sixty-eight percent of women in the United States are a size 14 and above, yet the outdoor industry has excluded this population. Finding plus-size technical hiking pants that are high quality, fit comfortably and have useful tech specs is difficult. Brands that do include plus sizes most commonly only go up to size 22 and these extended sizes of the straight size (non-plus size) fits are not made with plus-size bodies in mind. WNDR Outdoors aims to change that.
- Coastal Range Equipment – California – Coastal Range Equipment engineers lightweight, high-quality, and easy-to-use outdoor cooking gear designed to fuel human-powered outdoor activities. These stoves are designed by an award-winning designer John Peretti who set out on his own to further innovate in the camp stove space. Coastal Range Equipment produces affordable, simple solutions to backcountry cooking that are accessible to all.
- Aspect Avy – Colorado – Aspect Avy combines technology and avalanche safety for backcountry skiers and snowboarders. Created by internationally certified mountain guides Jeff Banks & JB Leach, Aspect Avy puts avalanche prediction and forecasting on your mobile device and right in your pocket. With more than 150 million people living, visiting, and recreating in avalanche terrain each year, avalanche safety is extremely important. Aspect Avy helps users avoid avalanches while traditional equipment helps users survive them.
- CarToCamp – Pennsylvania – CarToCamp can help you turn the vehicle you already have into the ultimate car camping experience. CarToCamp is a custom sleeping platform for your vehicle that helps you make the most of the space you have through clever storage and thoughtful design. The platform is adjustable to be compatible with over 1,000 different vehicles. Think of it as a more affordable and flexible alternative to rooftop tents and converted vans.
- Dirt Series – Canada & United States – Dirt Series provides mountain bike instructional camps and clinics catering to women. Its network includes more than 150 coaches who offer programming across North America. Dirt Series provides women with extras like demo equipment, professional programming and a multitude of programming types to support riders at all levels. It also offers all-gender camps to support the entire mountain bike community. Dirt Series already has catered to more than 20,000 participants.
- PurTrek – Utah – PurTrek is a water filtration system built into your trekking poles. PurTrek helps reduce the need to carry a separate filtration system and bottle while navigating terrain, helping you save weight. You can filter into a bottle or reservoir, or drink directly from PurTrek without having to bend down to the water source making it great for folks with difficulty crouching or kneeling. PurTrek filter delivers two liters per minute, making it great for a single hiker or a whole family.
To vote visit here.
