Alongside the ICELab at Western, Moosejaw Continues to Drive Innovation in the Outdoors
GUNNISON, COLO (December 5, 2022) – Building off of three successful years, the Moosejaw Outdoor Accelerator (MOA) returns for a fourth year to continue helping founders in the outdoor industry grow their companies and turn their visions into reality. More than 150 companies have applied over the last two years for the opportunity to work with Moosejaw and the ICELab, the leading outdoor-focused accelerator on the campus of Western Colorado University in Gunnison, Colorado. The 2023 accelerator program builds on the success of years prior and aims to support more leaders and innovators within the outdoor industry. Applications for the 2023 accelerator program will be accepted from January 2, 2023 through February 2, 2023 at moosejaw.com/accelerator
“We are excited to continue working with the talented team at the ICELab to help outdoor entrepreneurs launch and grow their businesses,” said Eoin Comerford, CEO, Moosejaw. “This program has been extremely rewarding and is an amazing opportunity for these companies to find success. We are looking forward to connecting with these founders and continuing to look for ways to drive inclusivity in our industry.”
In what has already been a wildly successful program boosting companies such as SheFly Apparel, Lume Six, Spruce Pup, Pact Outdoors and Outdoor Element, the outdoor accelerator will continue to target founders from under-represented groups in the outdoor industry or businesses that would help improve inclusivity of outdoor participation.
“The MOA program was magical; sharing stories from founder-to-founder allowed us to glean so much insight from each other in an organic and natural way,” said Mike Mojica of Outdoor Element.
Four early-stage outdoor startups will be selected to participate in a comprehensive program to accelerate their growth:
● An 8-week intensive mentoring program guided by ICELab and based on its established curriculum, including 5 weeks on location at Western Colorado University in Gunnison, Colorado, and a week in Salt Lake City, Utah.
● Work sessions with Moosejaw experts on strategy, marketing, eCommerce and retail.
● Potential product launch on Moosejaw.com and in Moosejaw stores with a complete marketing and social media package.
● Legal resources provided by the law firm of Holland & Hart LLP for everything from company formation and investment agreements to intellectual property.
Holland & Hart LLP and Blister, a leading outdoor media company that produces honest & in-depth gear reviews, podcasts, and more are supporting Moosejaw and the ICELab at Western to sponsor the Outdoor Accelerator. “The relationships built with industry experts in the program is an intangible benefit that is difficult to quantify but extremely valuable to the participants in the program. Holland & Hart and Blister are a big part of that network,” said David Assad, ICELab Director.
About Moosejaw
Founded in 1992, Moosejaw is a leading online active outdoor retailer with a large web presence as well as 13 physical stores. It carries more than 500 brands, including The North Face, Marmot and Fjallraven, and includes an extensive assortment of apparel and gear for climbing, hiking, camping, snow sports, yoga, swimming and biking. Acquired by Walmart in 2017, Moosejaw is headquartered in Madison Heights, Michigan.
For more information, please visit Moosejaw.com.
About ICELab at Western
The ICELab enables you to live where you want to play and is Gunnison’s all-in-one business resource center. The facility includes coworking space, private office space, fully equipped conference rooms and even a coffee-shop. Our location on the Western Colorado University campus makes the ICELab an ideal fusion point for the business community and the University.
For more information, please visit ICELab.co.
About Western Colorado University
Situated in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, Western Colorado University offers a vast outdoor research laboratory with unparalleled opportunities for students to learn and gain hands-on experience. The highly ranked university has 3,000+ undergraduates and offers 100+ areas of study. For more information, please visit Western.edu.
About Holland & Hart LLP
Founded in 1947, Holland & Hart is a full-service Am Law 200 firm with offices in eight states and in Washington, D.C. We deliver integrated legal solutions to regional, national, and international clients of all sizes in a diverse range of industries. For more information, visit hollandhart.com.
About Blister
Born from a passion for playing in the mountains and a frustration with the lack of honest information about the expensive gear we use to do what we love — the mission of BLISTER is to produce the world’s most honest, in-depth, and useful reviews of outdoor sports equipment. Through our Blister Podcast Network, Blister Speaker Series at Western Colorado University, and Blister Summit panel sessions, we are also working to elevate the conversation in the outdoor industry by diving deep into the most interesting stories and relevant issues in the space.
Media Contact: Julia Wholey, Account Executive [email protected]
