Open Roads Outdoors

What Open Roads Outdoors does

Open Roads Outdoors (legal name: Open Roads Academy, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2001 and headquartered at 1223 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 351, Santa Monica, California. The organization runs a portfolio of scholarship-funded programs that combine wilderness adventure experiences with reflective writing, film, and photography instruction, targeting high-character young adults from low-income and historically excluded communities. Named program modules include Outdoor Leadership, Catalyst Fellows, Changemakers (for Latina youth in New York), Pathfinders (first-generation college students), Capstone (Boys Hope Girls Hope of Northeast Ohio), River Writers, Rites of Passage, and Documentary Flow.

The underlying technology stack is non-proprietary, comprising standard video production equipment, photography tools, and digital distribution platforms (Vimeo, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, email newsletters, an annual journal, and a Wix-hosted website). No AI/ML capabilities, APIs, integrations, or proprietary platforms are disclosed. The organization produces original films and student work, some of which has been distributed through Disney's Freeform channel, Hulu, and international territories, providing third-party brand validation.

The revenue model is donation-driven, with publicly listed sponsorship tiers ranging from $500 (partial student sponsorship) to $50,000 (full 6-month cohort program), structured as multi-year commitments. Programs are delivered through direct partnerships with schools, foundations, and youth organizations. The 13-person staff supports cumulative delivery of 450+ scholarships, with a reported 98%+ high school graduation and college attendance rate among recipients. Strategic direction includes a stated goal to open a fully-endowed camp and creative center and ongoing IRB-validated research collaboration with Manhattanville University's Graduate School of Education.

Name

Open Roads Outdoors

Legal name

Open Roads Academy, Inc.

Website

https://openroads.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Open Roads Outdoors is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2001 that delivers scholarship-funded wilderness adventure programs combined with film, photography, and reflective writing for high-character young adults from low-income and historically excluded communities across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development and Outdoor Education

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

School, University & NGO Outdoor Programs (Curriculum/Program Delivery) (THAAAOAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outdoor Education & Adventure Programs (School-Run) (EDAJAJAJ), Cultural & Environmental Education Expeditions (Citizen Science, Conservation Volunteering) (THAAAOAH)

Keywords

• Outdoor education programs
• Youth leadership development
• Wilderness adventure programs
• Creative storytelling workshops
• Nonprofit youth scholarships

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Monica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Open Roads Academy, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN# 74-3022678). All donations are fully tax-deductible. Funding supports full scholarships for participants, program operations, and the organization's goal to open a fully-endowed camp and creative center.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Open Roads Outdoors delivers transformative personal growth programs that combine awe-inspiring wilderness adventures with reflective writing and the creative story arts of film and photography. Programs are designed in partnership with schools, foundations, and youth organizations and delivered as full scholarships to high-character young adults with leadership potential. The organization produces original short films, an annual photography magazine, and program content distributed via Vimeo and social media.

Product overview

Open Roads Outdoors is a national academy delivering transformative personal growth programs that combine awe-inspiring wilderness adventures with reflective writing and creative story arts (film and photography). The organization offers multiple program modules including Outdoor Leadership, Catalyst Fellows, Changemakers, Pathfinders, River Writers, Rites of Passage, Documentary Flow, and the Capstone Adventure with Boys Hope Girls Hope. These programs serve high-character young adults with leadership potential, many receiving full scholarships. The portfolio also includes film production services and an annual photography magazine to extend reach and document program outcomes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Outdoor Leadership Program A leadership development program that combines wilderness adventure experiences with outdoor skill building, designed to train the next generation of outdoor educators and guides.
• Catalyst Fellows Program A journey of story and flow for emerging leaders navigating college and early-career years, combining creative story arts with guided wilderness expeditions to help young leaders define ambitions and set intentions to realize their goals.
• Boys Hope Girls Hope Capstone Adventure A six-month program providing BHGH scholars with a weeklong travel adventure in the summer between junior and senior years of high school, designed to expand belief systems, instill global citizenship, and utilize documentary storytelling for college essay preparation.
• Changemakers Program A year-long bilingual, all-woman led leadership development, outdoor education and civic engagement program for Latina young women from New York school districts, featuring wilderness adventures and social action planning.
• Pathfinders Program A collaboration with Campbell Scholars Program serving first-generation college students, combining reflective time in nature with story arts and overnight river trips to strengthen bonds among scholars and build confidence about life ambitions.
• River Writers An all-women adventure for rising high school seniors focused on unplugging and reflecting on life goals while receiving an introduction to documentary storytelling for college application personal statements.
• Rites of Passage An all-mens adventure for rising high school seniors focused on time in nature and introduction to documentary storytelling for college application personal statements.
• Documentary Flow A co-ed adventure for rising high school seniors from low-income communities, combining time in nature with learning the story arts of film, photography, and reflective writing.
• Film Production Production of original short films, student films, and documentary content showcasing the value of time in nature and the power of shared human stories, distributed via Vimeo and social media platforms.
• Annual Photography Magazine An annual photography magazine showcasing the value of time in nature and expanding reach to encourage others to experience positive mental and physical benefits of outdoor experiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 98% of scholarship recipients graduated high school and went on to college (compared to below 70% among socio-economic peers)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Manhattanville UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Changemakers program research partnership with Manhattanville University's Graduate School of Education. Doctoral researchers conducting IRB-approved independent study of the Changemakers Program for Latina young women. Students attend Young Women's Leadership Summit on Manhattanville campus.
• Boys Hope Girls Hope of Northeast OhiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCapstone Adventure partnership providing a six-month program for BHGH scholars including a weeklong travel adventure in the summer between junior and senior years of high school. Goal is to reward hard work with awe-inspiring experience, instill global citizenship, and use documentary storytelling to prepare students for college essays.
• Campbell Scholars ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPathfinders Program partnership serving a cohort of 18 high-character and high-academic achievers who are first-generation college students. Includes spring seminars, weeklong summer adventure, and fall seminars to strengthen the cohort bond and support college readiness.
• Ossining, Tarrytown, and Peekskill School DistrictscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChangemakers year-long program providing bilingual, all-woman led leadership development, outdoor education and civic engagement for rising senior Latina women. Includes spring orientation, summer wilderness adventure, school-year leadership summit, and community exhibitions.
• A Thousand SummerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutdoor Leaders Program partnership creating transformational experience combining leadership training and wilderness skill building for a new, more diverse generation of outdoor educators. Participants had camp scholarship experiences in their youth and are becoming leaders, counselors, and guides.
• telos instituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal partner for Catalyst Fellows Program, recognizing emerging leaders who are high-potential young adults navigating college and/or early-career years. Program uses Greek concept of 'Telos' (with the end in mind) to help individuals reach their aspired destinations.
• Kennedy Human RightsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the Ethel Kennedy Young Women's Leadership Summit Exhibition alongside Manhattanville University doctoral program, where Changemakers students share their social change projects.
• Disney's Freeform ChannelminorOthersPurchased a 6-part short film series about Open Roads. Also produced short film titled 'Beyond Beliefs' about a young woman swimming for the first time that reached tens of thousands through festivals and public screenings.
• HuluminorOthersCo-produced documentary feature film SOUFRA profiling the launch of an all-women led food truck business inside a Lebanese refugee camp. Film was sold to Hulu and numerous international territories.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS): Premier nonprofit outdoor education provider offering wilderness expeditions and leadership training. Comparable in combining adventure-based personal development with skill-building curriculum, though NOLS skews older and tuition-based.
• NatureBridge: National nonprofit providing residential environmental science and outdoor education programs in national parks, with explicit focus on youth from underserved communities. Comparable in outdoor-immersive education targeting K-12 students and scholarship-based delivery.
• Outward Bound USA: National nonprofit delivering wilderness-based experiential education programs for youth and adults, including scholarships for underserved populations. Directly comparable as a competitor for foundation funding, school district partnerships, and underrepresented-youth outdoor programming.
• Big City Mountaineers: Nonprofit combining outdoor wilderness mentoring with youth development specifically for under-resourced urban teens. Closely aligned mission to Open Roads in providing transformative outdoor experiences for low-income youth who lack nature access.
• Summer Search: Nonprofit providing outdoor wilderness experiences combined with college access coaching for low-income high school students. Highly comparable in targeting the same demographic, scholarship-funded outdoor expeditions, and longitudinal college matriculation outcomes.
• Student Conservation Association: National nonprofit offering conservation service and outdoor career pathways for youth and young adults. Comparable in combining environmental stewardship with youth leadership development and scholarship-supported participation.
• A Thousand Summers: Nonprofit creating transformational outdoor leadership experiences and building a more diverse generation of outdoor educators. Direct peer that Open Roads already partners with on the Outdoor Leaders program.

Broad incumbents

• City Year: Youth service nonprofit providing leadership development and mentorship for young adults, with documented college and career outcomes. Comparable in mission-driven youth leadership outcomes measurement, though delivering service-based rather than outdoor programming.
• Appalachian Mountain Club: Established outdoor education and recreation nonprofit with youth programming and wilderness skill-building. Comparable in outdoor education delivery but with broader recreation and conservation focus rather than narrowly targeted youth-development mission.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Largest youth development nonprofit in the US offering broad programming including outdoor recreation, leadership, and college readiness. Comparable as a partner channel and competitor for foundation funding, though offering a much wider portfolio beyond outdoor education.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theopenroads
• YouTubevimeo.com/openroads
• Facebookfacebook.com/theopenroads
• Instagraminstagram.com/openroadsoutdoors
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/open-roads-outdoors

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Open Roads Outdoors