A WORD FROM OUR CEO
Posted On June 12, 2023For the remainder of 2023, I am cautiously optimistic. The Outdoor Recreation Economy (ORE) has been experiencing a unique disruption, and our Camber Survey System data tell us that corporations in the sector contain a workforce that remains 81% white. This singular perspective has shaped workplace systems that feel exclusive, do not visibly deliver on the promise of equity, and struggle to compete in a national landscape of workers who increasingly identify with currently underrepresented groups in the Outdoor Recreation Economy.
Over the past few years, we’ve seen an uptick in women and BIPOC participation and increased diversity within the Outdoor industry consumer base which yield a great opportunity for retailers, vendors, and organizers to intentionally engage in DEI efforts within the workplace and spaces. However, there remain barriers to workforce participation and engagement, and a lack of measures and tools for progress as common threads or points of opportunity. Camber strategically aligns our programming to meet these challenges.
The Outdoor Recreation Economy will require a shift of attracting and retaining diverse talent into nearly 1 million jobs if it is to match the breadth of consumers already here – that reflects the nearly 40% of consumers who identify as BIPOC. The industry has a unique opportunity to focus not only on access to the outdoors, but also on access to the indoors of the outdoors – in the form of board representation, decision-making, new product development, and other activities that make the outdoor industry an economic engine to create jobs, fuel economic and social mobility, and create diverse industry leadership.
Camber Outdoors is focused on collaboration, workplace culture, and building community within the DEI space. We aspire to collaborate with brands, individuals, and organizations committed to inclusive culture – workplaces, and spaces that promote a sense of community where everyone is included, valued, and poised to be a part of the changing landscape of workplaces and spaces in the outdoor industry.
Below you will find ways to support and engage with Camber as we continue to break down barriers and provide access to all underrepresented groups in the outdoor industry! I hope to see you soon at a trade show or in your city!
Tiffany Smith, Camber CEO
