R E I Co-op Path Ahead Ventures Embark

Please email general@foundedoutdoors.com.

We are working with founders from Black, Indigenous, Latina/o/x, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. US citizenship is not required, but founders must be currently living in the United States. We are only accepting applicants 18 years or older.

No, you must have an idea to apply for this program. If you do not yet have a business idea, try this brainstorm exercise from Founded Outdoors, work on your idea, and apply next year!

Not at this time. The Embark program is only for founders who are building for-profit companies.

If your company is still in the early stages (pre large-scale manufacturing, doesn’t have more than $10k revenue, and/or has not raised funding in exchange for equity and if you are excited about group learning and supporting your peers, we think you will find value in the curriculum and welcome you to apply.

Yes, Path Ahead Ventures supports founders who identify as a person of color. If how you identify is not listed, we ask that you select “My identity is not listed above” and provide how you identify in the open field. We ask this question to ensure we are selecting a cohort that has diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. 

Please e-mail general@foundedoutdoors.com to discuss your specific situation and the accommodations that are needed.

Unfortunately, the application, programming and materials are in English, and at this time we can't provide translation services. If you have any questions, please e-mail general@foundedoutdoors.com.

Yes, if both you and your co-Founder can make the time commitment, you both can apply.  Please only submit one application and note that only one $10,000 grant will be awarded to the team. It is okay if your co-founder is not a member of one of the underrepresented communities listed above.

We’re looking for founders or leaders who are from a historically underrepresented group and have relevant experience and expertise. We’re looking for a compelling product or clearly articulated solution in a category related to the outdoor sector. For more information on what to include in your application, check out this resource page.

The Embark program is entirely virtual. Workshops, office hours and fireside chats will be hosted on Zoom.

You can expect to commit 10 hours a week to attending program sessions and working on your company. The program includes mandatory weekly workshops (2 hours a week), mandatory alternating fireside chats and peer groups (1 hour a week), and optional weekly office hours (1-2 hours a week), in addition to time spent working on your company outside of scheduled sessions.

We understand that unexpected things come up or you may have prior commitments. You are allowed to miss 1 of each type of weekly session (workshop, fireside chat, and peer group). We do expect you to watch the recordings of the workshops and fireside chats and to catch up on the work so that you can get the most benefit from the three month program.

Founders selected to participate in Embark will receive grants (equity-free and interest-free cash infusions) to kickstart their growth in a targeted manner. Participating founders will receive $5,000 at the start of the program and $5,000 the week after the final demo day, based upon their completion of the program. For companies who have two or more Co-Founders participating, only one $10,000 grant (in total) will be awarded to the team.

We totally understand that life events happen, so we encourage you to let us know if you need to take some time out. If you can’t complete the program, there will be no charge back to the participant, however we stress that this will be a last resort situation. We expect you to do everything reasonably possible to complete the course. If you do have to drop out, you will not be eligible to receive the second $5,000 installment.

We bring in industry, startup, and functional mentors for fireside chats, panels, and office hours.

No, there is no cost to participate in the program.

After completing Embark, participants will transition to the alumni network, where they will have access to further engagement and growth opportunities. This includes six months of ongoing peer groups and office hours with the Founded Outdoors team. Alumni will also be invited to the Founded Outdoors Slack Community which has a membership of 260+ outdoor entrepreneurs from across the US.

We do not take equity or ownership in your company.

Through Embark participants will get to connect with and learn from REI team members across the Co-op. However, the Path Ahead Ventures team is separate from the merchandising teams who manage current vendor relationships and make purchasing decisions on behalf of REI.