When it comes to performance products, we have the inside line. We size up the best of what’s out there, making bets on small businesses run by women who are not only raising the roof, but their voices too. We’re building a community of women who personally know what it takes to run hard, stand tall, climb high and go deep - and craft accordingly.
About T9 Movers & Makers
Movers & Maker Spotlight: Jen Loofbourrow
Valentina Lorek & Madison Hilson
Valentina Lorek & Madison Hilson
Founders, SENIQ
2024 Pitchfest Outdoor Winner
Madi & Tina understand the mental health benefits of outdoor adventures. With a passion for both work & play, they founded SENIQ to create stylish, adventure-ready gear that empowers women to tackle the great outdoors with confidence and flair. In their first ever pitch, we were blown away by their confidence and commitment to their brand, their mission, and to themselves.
Jennifer Hinton & Thayer Sylvester
Jennifer Hinton & Thayer Sylvester
Co-Founders, CARVE DESIGNS
It all started with a need for a great board short and a rash guard that fit. Surfers and friends turned business partners, Jennifer Hinton and Thayer Sylvester took a conversation from a surf trip and built a brand around it. The perfect balance of fashion and function, Carve Designs delivers gear that keeps up with “real women with real bodies and a real passion for adventure.”
Jennifer Ferguson
Jennifer Ferguson
Founder & CEO, HANDFUL
One encounter with Jennifer Ferguson is all it takes to understand her fiery passion for life. A group fitness instructor and busy mom of two young kids, Jennifer couldn't find a bra that could keep up. Named because she is quite the "handful" herself, Handful aims to help women prioritize themselves and their "happy-active" life. Their sports bras are designed by women who have thought of all the details. And, they offer extra support to breast cancer survivors through their Breast Friends Forever program. They've got our backs–and most definitely, our fronts.
Abby Ahlgrim
Abby Ahlgrim
Founder, SURFGEMS
2024 Pitchfest Outdoor Winner
A passionate artist and surfer, Abby channels her love for the ocean into creating truly one-of-a-kind jewelry. Throughout her pitch she showcased her innovative approach to transform excess surfboard resin into vibrant earrings and necklaces. WIth a commitment to sustainability and an understanding of the vital role of movement for mental health, Abby’s enthusiasm for both her craft and the planet is infectious. Her pieces are a testament to how style and mindfulness can intersect, proving that you can wear your values with pride.
Cassie Abel
Cassie Abel
Founder, WILD RYE
2019 Pitchfest Outdoor Winner
Born to provide women with the options they deserve, Wild Rye was built on the belief that better gear for women is both possible and essential. With their collection of mountain-mastering apparel, Cassie takes on the task of building confidence, protecting our play places, and empowering women from the back country to the boardroom - starting with feeling comfortable in our clothes.
Emma Wilson
Emma Wilson
Founder, HERZOG
2024 Pitchfest Outdoor Winner
Pup mamas rejoice! After searching with no success for durable, non-toxic pet gear, Emma (& her mom, hi Mo!) decided to make their own. The secret? Waterproof silicone that truly withstands outdoor adventures without harboring odors, stains, or mildew. Kicking off her pitch with a walk-up song, Emma wowed our judges with her deep knowledge of business and her quick-witted humor. Paw-sitively perfect!
Brittany Coleman
Founder, TOUGH CUTIE
2021 Pitchfest Outdoor Winner
After years in the women's hiking socks division for another outdoor brand, Brittany Coleman was offended by the lack of interest and shrink-it-and-pink-it attitude toward making socks for women. So she took her design knowledge and set out on her own to make socks meant specifically to fit and support women's feet, adventure after adventure.
Erika Togashi
Founder, SEPTEMBER
2020 Pitchfest Outdoor Winner
With over fifteen years of design experience in the outdoor and apparel industries, passionate surfer Erika quickly noticed what was lacking. Timeless, elegant, sustainable surf and swimwear is what SEPTEMBER delivers. Independent and self-funded, focusing on modern simplicity, form, and function, the streamlined silhouettes always put performance first.
Bronwen Lodato
Founder, BRONWEN JEWELRY
An Outward Bound instructor turned hand-crafted jeweler. Bronwen began making jewelry out of gortex thread and other materials scavenged from the repair room. Her jewelry, like the women who wear it, is feminine, fierce and made for adventure. And when she’s not riding roughshod over the demands of running a small business, she’s on her favorite ride: a cargo bike (with her 6 year old daughter as the cargo).
Margaux Elliott
Founder, LUME SIX
2022 Pitchfest Outdoor Winner
Margaux Elliot is an eternal optimist and avid athlete. She’s game for anything, but hopping on her mountain bike and hitting the trails might just be her favorite thing. In 2020 she became the first woman to climb one million feet in a single year – hello quad burn! And what did she think about for those many hours with boobs over bars? Sports bras. After many years of R & D, she created Lume Six — ultra supportive sports bras made for comfort in premium materials and thoughtful features.
Corina Biton
Founder, BLOQUV
A brush with skin cancer couldn't keep SUPer and runner, Corina Biton, inside. When she realized the average long-sleeve shirt wasn't blocking out harmful rays, she ditched corporate America to pursue her own mode of sun-protection. BloqUV apparel is quick-dry, chemical-free, and wash-and-wear.
Katherine Homes
Founder, KATHERINE HOMES
Conservationist, musician and protector of the wild. This wild woman merged her love of animals, the environment and art to create a business that donates up to 10% of sales to organizations that protect the Earth. We love her mission so much, it was a no brainer to carry her hats. Oldest piece of gear? Her 15 year old sleeping bag.
Laura Davey
Founder, AERONAUT OUTDOORS
2024 Pitchfest Outdoor Finalist
Meet Laura, the fearless co-founder of Aeronaut Outdoor. With four kids at home, she knows the importance of catching some quality Zs, so she crafted the Hoverquilt & Booster Sheet to be super warm and totally packable—without the mummification vibe of a typical sleeping bag. This writer may or may not have already tested it on a recent camping trip, and can 10/10 confirm it’s THE coziest!
Rachael Leinaʻala Soares and Heather Aiu
Founders, Aloha Collection
Founded in 2014, Heather and Rachael's journey is a true match made in paradise. Their diverse backgrounds and shared passions for travel, adventure, and the ocean fueled their mission to build an international 'ohana-one bag, one smile, one person at a time.
Monica DeVreese & Jill Deering
Founders, Rabbit
Co-founders, BFFs, and former industry execs Jill and Monica wanted to build perfect-fit shorts that function as well as they feel. Ten years later they’ve grown Rabbit into one of the largest independent running specialty brands in the world with help from their community of pace-pushers, goal-setters, and bold dreamers.
Kate Day & Kylie Marie Summers
Founders, Dovetail Workwear
Portland-based, women-led Dovetail knows how to get the job done. Its gear is fit for crouching, digging, hauling and keeping up with all of life’s demands. Because our work goes beyond 9 to 5.
Janna Barlow, Marissa Barlow, & Amy Rasmussen
Founders, Nani Swimwear
Meet Amy, Riss & Janna — the mother-daughter trio behind Nani Swim, designing fashion-forward suits. No frump, no strings — just real swim for real adventures.
Rebecca Garske
Founder, KALEIDOSCOPE YOGA TOWELS
2024 Pitchfest Outdoor Finalist
Frustrated by yoga towels that slipped, bunched, or just didn’t measure up, Rebecca set out to create something better. Armed with a love for movement and a deep belief in the power of positive change, she designed the first Kaleidoscope Yoga Towel—equal parts luxe, durable, and performance-driven. Today, Kaleidoscope offers a full line of high-quality, high-vibe yoga towels made to support your practice and inspire your evolution, on and off the mat.
Merrit Geary
Founder, Alpen
2023 Pitchfest Outdoor Winner
Runner, skier, fisherwoman Merrit Geary was tired of feeling like a second thought to gear companies when she was looking for clothing to outfit her outdoors lifestyle. She started Bozeman-based Alpen to build technical clothing that is women-first and planet-first, thoughtfully designed to keep out the elements and keep up with our most ambitious adventures.
Sissi Kewenter
Founder, Skhoop
Tired of freezing her butt off on sub-zero morning walks with her dog, Sissi Kewenter ripped up her parka and pieced together the first bun-warming, insulated skirt. Her company Skhoop now makes a full line of functional and feminine technical apparel geared toward women who love to get out in the cold.
Rhonda Swenson
Founder, KRIMSON KLOVER
Colorado transplant, adventurer and sweater savant, Rhonda Swenson is a former flight attendant and former pro mountain biker who parlayed her love of travel into a mastery of knits and knitting rooms all over the world.
Corinne Prevot
Founder, Skida
While she was still in college, Corinne Prevot picked up some patterned stretch fabrics at a small shop in Vermont and made hats for her cross-country ski teammates. The first-run of gear was stretchy and playful, and kept heads warm all winter. More than 14 years after Skida was born, Corinne's collection of technical gear is still wicking, warm, and colorful, and it's all still made in Vermont.
