2020 in the Rearview
WHAT A YEAR.
A year full of challenges. A year full of progress. And a year full of gratitude for you and your support.
We went into 2020 with big plans to grow as a business. In-store and online business was booming. We were hosting 20+ events a month. We were helping more people than ever get outside and develop a relationship with nature and outdoor recreation.
Obviously, things didn’t go as planned.
We shut our entire business down on March 17. Employees were furloughed. We were unable to run our website. The shop closed its doors for the first time since we opened in 1995 (excluding holidays of course). All events were 100% canceled to keep the community safe.
But even though we didn’t grow as initially expected, we grew in arguably more important ways as a result of the circumstances 2020 brought.
First and foremost, social justice.
It's no secret that the outdoor industry, in particular, is one of the least-inclusive industries out there. Folks playing outside are overwhelmingly white and male across every activity, from climbing to paddling to skiing.
Several feelings arise when we reflect on the events of June 2020. Guilt, shame, and anxiety about not taking more action before then. Anger at the country’s divide on issues of moral importance. But also, a good kind of stress, one that motivated us to be proactive. We have a long way to go, but here are some first steps we have taken to promote justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) both in our business and in the industry:
- The beginning of Everyone’s Wilderness Fundraisers.
- Thousands of dollars raised for local groups focused on JEDI work in the outdoors with the support of our brands, Cotopaxi and Black Diamond.
- Reevaluating the selection criteria for our Charitable Grant Fund:
- 50% of available grant funds were committed to organizations and nonprofits focused on JEDI work in the outdoors.
- We hired a Diversity Lead to help guide our inclusivity efforts as a business.
- We developed an employee resource group for BIPOC staff with the purpose to provide supportive space for staff of color to discuss any issues, concerns, or ideas they may have in reference to the organization.
- Currently, we are in the process of reviewing our policies and making adjustments to lend them to be more inclusive. This includes reimagining our mission statement to ensure it has a JEDI focus and that the language is welcoming and encompassing for all. This will inform future work on our core values and our 10-year strategic plan.
- Mandatory professional-led diversity training sessions for all employees.
- We brought in a trained diversity educator who focused on training our staff to identify our implicit biases.
- Employees in leadership positions were required to read White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo and to have a discussion about it.
- Signing the Outdoor CEO Pledge.
- Signing the WTF Cycling Industry Pledge.
- Hosting (small and safe) events for LGBTQ+ folks with a plan to host more for both LGBTQ+ and BIPOC folks in 2021.
And this is just the beginning. We are committed to being accountable for our statements and actions as a business. We owe this to our community and all historically-excluded groups to lower the barrier to enjoy the outdoors.
All this being said, we are open and receptive to feedback. If you have suggestions on how we can do better or a problem with how we did something, please let us know. Thank you to everyone who has already reached out - we appreciate you and respect your patience as we continue to learn how to be the best allies we can be.
