From a remarkable pool of more than 60 applicants, seven finalists from across the United States have been selected. From a rigorous review process, finalists were chosen based on the strength of their applications, the ability to differentiate their business from competitors, the potential for scale and growth, involvement and/or impact on the outdoor experience and understanding of growth hurdles.
“Pitchfest is the pinnacle event that brings top-tier entrepreneurs to the forefront of the active-outdoor industries,” said Deanne Buck, executive director of Camber Outdoors. “Not only does it provide visibility to great business and leaders, but it also offers finalists access to resources and expertise that will accelerate the growth of their company and their impact on the marketplace.”
Bold Betties is a membership-based community of adult women in pursuit of a more adventurous life, with Chapters in 37 cities across North America.
Gearo – Justine Barone | Denver, CO
Gearo is an online outdoor gear marketplace that consolidates local stock into one view for comparable rentals and purchases.
Handful – Amy Compton | Portland, OR
Handful is an activewear company that “supports” grabbing life by the handful.
Heather’s Choice – Heather Kelly | Anchorage, AK
Heather’s Choice® is a line of gluten, soy and dairy-free dehydrated meals and snacks for adventuring.
Heroclip – Mina Yoo | Seattle, WA
A consumer lifestyle brand whose flagship product is a patented three-in-one clip, swivel, hook system sold via their website and retail partners.
Pace Match – Becky Jaimes | Marin Headlands, CA
Pace Match is a platform with more than 16,000 users that aggregates fitness data from third-party tools (like Strava and FitBit) and then uses a proprietary algorithm to reveal matches based on athletic performance and location.
Western Rise – Kelly Watters | Telluride, CO
Western Rise is an innovative, direct-to-consumer apparel company that combines high-performance fabrics, innovative construction techniques and well-considered design to create simple and timeless performance clothing.
- Gregg Bagni, director of White Roads Investments
- Andy Boyd, entrepreneur and angel investor (part of Bend Outdoor Worx)
- Thea Chase, director at Southwest Innovation Corridor, expert in entrepreneurship and innovation
- Ashley Nager, Telluride Venture accelerator
- Ben Rifkin, president of Royal Street Investment & Innovation Center
- Todd Stockbauer, entrepreneur, investor, startup consultant and outdoor industry expert
On July 22, finalists will pitch their business plans to a distinguished panel of active-outdoor industries executives and a live audience of investors, entrepreneurs and industry leaders.
Supporters of Pitchfest 2018 includes The REI Foundation Mary Anderson Legacy Grant and Perkins Coie LLP.
Learn more about Pitchfest, sponsorship opportunities and register for the event at: https://camberoutdoors.org/pitchfest/.
