THE ELEVATION FUND
The Elevation Fund is The Outsiders’ long-term commitment to supporting the next generation of outdoor talent across action sport and the creatives who tell their stories.
We reinvest 1% of our annual revenue directly back into emerging talent — providing project funding, mentorship, gear, grants, industry opportunities and targeted funding.
The Fund will be providing support across the United States, Canada, Japan, and New Zealand, guided by a clear funding mandate focused on:
Athlete film funding and industry connections
Creative development and mentorship
Grassroots event funding
Alongside direct funding, The Elevation Fund also supports talent through curated development programs. To date, this includes two talent development programs delivered in New Zealand in partnership with Nikon and Film Otago & Film Queenstown Lakes (August 2025 and February 2026), designed to provide hands-on experience, mentorship, and industry access for emerging talent in the places our work takes us.
2026 is a foundational year, dedicated to building alignment, establishing trusted partnerships, and formalising a Board of Advisors drawn from elite sport, events, and creative leadership to guide funding decisions. This period will also be used to raise an additional partner-backed fund for deployment from 2027.
Funding allocations will be reviewed annually in Q3 and deployed progressively across the financial year, allowing flexibility while maintaining transparency, governance and accountability.
The Elevation Fund is designed to grow alongside The Outsiders — ensuring that as the business scales, funding opportunity and impact scale with it.
Launch Press Release - July 10 2025
Talent Development Weekend pilot
As part of the Elevation Fund, we run dedicated Talent Development Weekends, giving early to mid-career creatives the chance to step into real-world commercial briefs, workshops, and commercial mentorship.
Our 2025 pilot launch program in Wānaka, New Zealand - in partnership with Nikon and supported by Film Queenstown Lakes - brought together emerging photographers, filmmakers, and storytellers. Over three days, participants received hands-on mentorship from leading creatives including Justin Mayers (WestBank Media), Sam Levings, and The Outsiders founder Michelle Bates.
The weekend included:
Workshops and industry mentorship
A team-based content challenge built around brand briefs
The chance to win $3,000 cash for their submission into the content challenge and extended commercial support through FY25/26
New program announcements will be shared via our Instagram.
“Supporting projects like this aligns with Film Queenstown Lakes’ mission to strengthen the local screen industry, particularly in the outdoor/adventure filmmaking niche that is distinctive to our region,” said Kahli Scott, Manager, Film Queenstown Lakes.. “It was inspiring to see such a strong turnout of local talent, and we’re proud to have supported an initiative that will have lasting benefits for the region’s creative economy and community.”
Program Success Press Release - August 28 2025
Pictured below: Talent Development Weekend Pilot - Participants and Crew at the Content Residency property in Wānaka (Lake Hawea)
