Eddie Bauer expands One Outside program, provides new funds to DEI organizations

Ten months after launching its activist-focused One Outside program (formerly called All Outside), Eddie Bauer announced this week that it has hired four new community leaders to join the initiative, doubling the size of the program.

Ron Griswell, the founder of HBCUs Outside, Tyrhee Moore, founder of Soul Trak Outdoors, Syren Nagakyrie, founder of Disabled Hikers, and Roy Tuscany, founder and CEO of High Fives Foundation, have joined the One Outside roster to “advise [Eddie Bauer] on inclusive product design, marketing strategies, and responsible corporate policy, as well as to join athletes on expeditions and advise the brand on what it can do to make the outdoors more accessible for more people.”

“For this program, we look for people who are actively breaking down barriers, people providing opportunities for underrepresented groups, and leaders who can have a deep relationship with our brand,” said Eddie Bauer VP of marketing Kristen Elliott when the program first launched in February 2020.

A representative for Eddie Bauer confirmed that, similar to the brand’s athletes and ambassadors, the new program members will receive financial compensation for their participation in the program. Eddie Bauer is also earmarking an undisclosed amount of new grant money to be used between all eight members of One Outside for community projects and administrative needs. Funds have already been allocated to build a new website for Disabled Hikers, facilitate the giveaway of a sit ski for High Fives Foundation, and sponsor a series of environmental leadership cohorts for Soul Trak Outdoors.

“I’ve been running High Fives for 11 years, and in that time we’ve gotten to work with some big brands, but a brand of the size of Eddie Bauer coming to support us like this fully validates who we are as an organization,” said Tuscany.

“We’re so excited about it,” said Nagakyrie. “It hasn’t totally set in that it’s real. It’s a huge opportunity to partner with a brand like Eddie Bauer and others doing similar work in the outdoors.”

The new One Outside members are united by a shared mission: to make the outdoors more welcoming to everyone. Each of the four leaders runs an organization that aims to improve safety and access for individuals from underrepresented communities.

Griswell’s organization, HBCUs Outside, helps students and alumni of Historically Black Colleges and Universities experience the outdoors and prepare for leadership roles in the outdoor industry. Moore’s group, Soul Trak Outdoors, is a D.C.-based nonprofit that connects communities of color to outdoor spaces and builds coalitions of diverse outdoor leaders. Disabled Hikers, led by Nagakyrie, works to make the outdoors more inclusive and accessible to the disabled community by organizing group hikes, celebrating disabled people’s experiences, and publishing trail information. Tuscany’s High Fives Foundation focuses on helping athletes recover from life-changing injuries and return to the sports they love.

“Having the support of Eddie Bauer will allow us to amplify the impactful work we’re doing on the ground everyday,” said Moore. “To have a large stakeholder in the industry behind us will allow us to increase our reach and get more people involved. We’re a Black-led organization and we’re only three years young—there’s a tendency for people to overlook us. To partner with a brand like Eddie Bauer is an incredible step forward in the work that we’re doing.”

At press time, Griswell could not be reached for comment.