Trailblazing Change: REI Backs BIPOC Entrepreneurs In Outdoor Apparel
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REI’s Path Ahead Ventures is dedicated to supporting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) founders who specialize in the outdoor apparel market. The outdoor industry has an estimated 1% of founders who identify as a person of color, despite over 30% of outdoor participants identifying as such. Path Ahead Ventures was launched in 2021 to help address that gap. “Path Ahead Ventures provides founders with a full spectrum of support spanning capital, community, resources, and programming. Since launch, we have partnered with more than 70 founders, provided nearly $700,000 in grants to 51 companies, and invested $4 million across 23 companies,” said Susan Viscon, vice president and executive director of REI’s Path Ahead Ventures. Read more at Forbes.