Shop small. Adventure epically.
Outdoorec is a new kind of online marketplace that connects outdoor enthusiasts with small, local outdoor recreation experts.
The outdoor recreation industry generates $887 billion in consumer spending annually. But it’s small businesses — the economic engine of the U.S. economy – that play the largest role in propelling the outdoor recreation industry. In doing so, they pump much-needed money into rural communities.
We believe in corporate social responsibility. We’re helping rural communities by curating a list of small, local outdoor experts and promoting them in one place. In doing so, we can help shift economies to small businesses, outdoor spaces and the rural communities they serve.
Ben – Founder
Born and raised as a “military brat“, Ben spent his nomadic childhood moving and changing schools. After traveling around the world a few times, he settled down in the Pacific Northwest. He is an avid backcountry skier, trail runner, swimmer, and homeowner in the scenic Alpental valley outside of Seattle.
As a volunteer guide for the U.S. Army’s Outdoor Recreation program in Stuttgart, Germany during summer breaks from college, he learned to help people enjoy the outdoors. He fondly remembers taking military folks throughout Europe on paragliding trips and bicycle wine tours. Those excursions are the inspiration for Outdoorec.
Ben’s first computer was a TS1000 with 2kb of RAM, he learned how to write pong using a TV and an analog cassette recorder. He has beta tested Apple’s Quicktime technology, and programmed VideoWorks animation (aka Adobe’s Flash products) on top of Hypercard ‘stacks’ to create primitive interactive apps while a conceptual design student at San Francisco State Univ. His interest in good design and human interaction led him to earn his graduate degree in the department of Human Centered Design and Engineering at the University of Washington.
