Skis for Change Fellowship

The Skis for Change MarketPlace is distinct from other online ski reselling enterprises because it has environmental stewardship and other charitable purposes at the core of its design. Increasing the lifespan of ski related products reduces waste at every stop on the production chain and also increases access to outdoor recreation by increasing affordability. By charging a small fee for administering the marketplace and managing the repurposing aspects of the program, the Skis for Change Marketplace will also generate income for Pennywise, a 501(c)(3) public charity that among many other things, is dedicated to uplifting ski related charities like Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports and the High Fives Foundation. 
 

The Skis for Change Social Enterprise Fellowship will help take the Marketplace from the design phase to full implementation. The Fellow will also lead planning aimed at realizing the long term vision for Skis for Change- to become a profitable social enterprise working in partnership with the Pennywise nonprofit to ensure the ongoing sustainability and productivity of both organizations.

Fellowship activities will likely include:

• Creating a 3-5 year business plan for Skis for Change 
• Cultivating partnerships with ski industry businesses and soliciting merchandise, services and monetary donations to the Marketplace
• Creating additional marketing and branding materials for Skis for Change
• Conducting social media and related campaigns to generate activity on the Marketplace
• Conducting research on online gear marketplaces and making recommendations to improve the design and profitability of Skis for Change
• Conducting market analytics to improve and promote the Skis for Change business model and encourage investment
• Designing analytic tools to assess the profitability of Skis for Change as well as its ability to reduce waste by reselling and repurposing ski gear.
• Developing additional partnerships with artisans and furniture makers to help entrepreneurs create sustainable businesses with upcycled ski gear
• Developing partnerships with schools and other entities that might support social entrepreneurial projects focused on making products out of unwanted skis.