Path Ahead Ventures

We are seeking U.S. based companies that inspire and equip people in their outdoor lives through products, services, and experiences. We focus on supporting founders of color across Black, Indigenous, Latina/o/x, and AAPI communities.

In 2020, REI accelerated and broadened its work and commitment to racial equity by embarking on a learning journey to understand the barriers, biases, and inequities that exist within the co-op and broader outdoor industry. Path Ahead Ventures was born out of this work, and developed with input from founders, community leaders, and Racial, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) Advisors through over 100 hours of listening and discussion.  

Our commitment to this work includes the following:

• Dedicate $30M to empower founders to cultivate, grow and scale their businesses faster
• Invest and partner with 300 current and aspiring founders of color
• Build a dedicated network of partners and 1,000 domain experts for founders to call on
• Establish an industry-wide resource for fueling entrepreneurship, innovation, and job growth among under-represented groups

Path Ahead Ventures provides various funding options intended to meet entrepreneurs where they are in their journeys. We actively make direct, equity investments through our $30M fund. Our Embark and Navigate program participants receive equity-free grants to kickstart growth. Navigate participants also have the opportunity to receive optional, flexible equity investments.

Path Ahead Ventures is part of REI’s Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion initiative, dedicated to building a more inclusive, affirming and welcoming co-op and outdoors. The effort includes the organization’s commitment to diversify its workforce, its product offering and its supplier base.

Path Ahead Ventures specifically focuses on accelerating the success of founders of color in the outdoor industry. This involves dismantling barriers and biases that have historically prohibited entrepreneurs, limited customers and held back the industry. Together, we want to create an outdoor industry where economic opportunity and success reflects the true diversity of people who love, protect and share life outside.

Learn more about REI’s other Racial Equity, Diversity, Inclusion efforts.

Path Ahead Ventures is a founder-forward organization and venture capital fund providing a full spectrum of support to founders of color in the outdoor industry. Being founder-forward- means we are seeking feedback and input regularly, continually evolving our support to ensure we are making a positive impact on founders and their businesses. Our goal is to support founders at every stage of their growth with capital, resources, programming, and community.

• Capital – Path Ahead Ventures makes direct equity investments and provides eligible companies with grant funding through our programs. 
• Community – We connect founders with a community of peers and the broader outdoor industry through access to industry events, networking engagements, and the opportunity to build relationships with each other.
• Resources – From opportunities to meet with industry and subject matter experts 1:1 to self-service documents and videos, we provide founders in our network with the resources they need to grow.
• Programming – We lead a variety of programs for founders at various stages of their entrepreneurial journeys. Ideation workshops to cohort-based programs, to specific topic series. As our founder community grows, and we hear more about their needs, we will continue to explore how else we can offer programmatic support.