Peak Design, the worldwide leader in carry solutions, and The Roam Collective, a leading organization that celebrates and elevates representation in mountain biking, are proud to partner on a brand new scholarship program designed to equip up-and-coming female photographers and videographers with the skills, guidance, and relationships needed to launch or level-up their careers in the outdoor industry.
Many people have the skill, talent, and drive to be a visual storyteller. Opportunities to do it professionally—particularly in the giant, marketing-focused outdoor industry—certainly exist. But if you’re not already a full-time pro with a deep network of relationships, breaking into the outdoor creative scene can seem nearly impossible. The Roam Media Core seeks to break down these barriers by pairing up-and-coming creatives with seasoned professional mentors. The mentors will serve as ongoing professional guides and will also host a series of virtual workshops and in-person coaching at Roam Fest 2024 (9/20-22, Fruita, CO).
Peak Design will not only provide $50,000 in monetary support for the scholarship, but the brand will also help facilitate connections, build portfolios, and reveal ‘unwritten rules’ that can only be learned through experience and networking.
According to one study, just 37% of sports photographers were women as of 2021, and that number hasn’t changed significantly in the past 10 years. It can be assumed that those in the outdoor sports photography industry—a niche within sports photography—are even smaller. Plus, women earn 96 cents for every $1 earned by men. The scholarship that The Roam Collective and Peak Design are launching together aims to improve these statistics.
“Peak Design has long advocated for equity in the outdoor and creative industries, and we’re proud to be putting our money where our mouth is,” said Peak Design Head of Marketing Adam Saraceno. “Roam Collective has a track record of creating profoundly impactful experiences, so to enable them to lead the charge on the Roam Media Core initiative is a dream come true for us and the entire creative community.”
“We are stoked to be launching the long-awaited Roam Media Core Scholarship. Particularly exciting is the opportunity this program will provide for networking, mentorship, and collaboration, both amongst the creatives, as well as with our brand partners,” shares Sami Ryan, Director of Partnerships of Roam Events. “By bringing together femme creatives through this scholarship program, the intention is to build an ongoing supportive community where they can learn from each other, share experiences, and build valuable connections that can benefit them throughout their careers.”
Those qualified to apply are Femme photographers, filmmakers, and writers who aspire to be full-time creative professionals in the outdoor or action sports industries. People with strong technical skill sets and creative talent looking to finally “break into” the industry should apply. Applicants must reside in the U.S., and travel to/from the Roam Fest is required. Scholarship applications are open from April 29, 2024, to May 15, 2024. Finalist interviews will take place from May 20 to May 24. Winners will be notified and announced on May 28. Applications for the scholarship can be submitted through https://www.theroamcollective.org/media-core starting on April 29, 2024.
About The Roam Collective
The Roam Collective was created by our community, for our community, in an effort to make genuine + welcoming spaces – like Roam Fest + GRIT Fest, two of our first organizational collaborators – a mountain bike industry standard. We want everyone to feel a sense of belonging in the outdoors, especially while riding their bike. To achieve this, we will focus on programming and partnerships designed to increase representation and decrease barriers to entrance within the sport for Black, Indigenous + person of color (BIPOC), femme, trans, women + non-binary (FTWN-B), para + adaptive, and other non-traditional riders. Learn more at theroamcollective.org.
About Peak Design
Since 2010, Peak Design has been building innovative carry solutions with a simple overarching design directive: make the best things. The idea for our first product was born on a motorcycle trip through Southeast Asia and has since expanded to include a cross-functional ecosystem of bags, pouches, slings, straps, and clips. We’ve won applause along the way, but we’re most proud of the fact that we’re 100% crowdfunded and 100% employee-owned. We’ve raised $36 Million through 11 Kickstarter campaigns to become the world’s most successfully crowdfunded company. This allows Peak Design to stay investor-free and focused on the things that matter most: designing great products, fostering happy employees, and taking care of our customers and the natural environment. Learn more at peakdesign.com.
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