Waypoint Accelerator

Current and Past Cohorts

These promising outdoor-focused companies were selected through a competitive process for the Waypoint Accelerator program. Check out the next generation of great outdoor entrepreneurs below!

Current Cohort 7: 2026 Waypoint Resilience

Adventure Center of Asheville

Adventure Center of Asheville is a family outdoor recreation destination in Asheville with guided and self guided activities, including aerial adventures, mountain bike experiences, and off road exploration.

Cactus to Pine Goods

Cactus to Pine Goods is an upcycling studio rooted in the Blue Ridge Mountains, transforming retired outdoor gear like rock climbing rope into durable, functional goods for everyday use.

Cornerstone Therapeutic Horsemanship, LLC

Cornerstone Therapeutic Horsemanship, LLC offers equine-assisted psychotherapy and additional equine learning activities, including camps, therapeutic riding classes and more.

Earthshine Lodge

Earthshine Lodge is a retreat center that provides extraordinary experiences through curated retreats, group stays, outdoor education, and adventure programs. At its core, Earthshine exists to foster meaningful connections - connection to self, connection to others, and connection to the natural world.

Gravelo, LLC

Gravelo, LLC is a high-end bicycle and coffee shop, serving as a hub for Asheville’s cycling community.

GreenFlash Watersports

GreenFlash Watersports is a family-owned outdoor adventure company that provides a variety of fun outdoor activities. Popular trips include brewery tours by kayak or SUP in the River Arts District of Asheville on the French Broad River, wake surfing / wakeboard waterski trips on Lake James, and a party bus service.

Headwaters Outfitters

Headwaters Outfitters is a locally-owned outdoor outfitting company serving the French Broad River watershed and offering professionally guided fly fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and river-based adventures for individuals, families, and groups of all experience levels. In addition, visit their full-service outdoor retail shop in Brevard.

Lazy Tiger Hostel

Lazy Tiger Hostel is a traveler's hostel, providing short-term lodging for adventure travelers, and helping people's stay in WNC be more memorable. It’s a place where strangers become friends.

Mountain Wellness and Physical Therapy, LLC

Mountain Wellness and Physical Therapy, LLC helps outdoor enthusiasts stay active in the sports and hobbies they love by providing holistic, movement, and lifestyle-focused care through physical therapy and wellness services.

Resting Point Farms

Resting Point Farms is a small family farm focusing on outdoor educational experiences, illustrated educational materials, sustainable housing, incubation for young farmers and nature-based entrepreneurs, ecosystem stewardship, mushroom cultivation, and gardening/mushroom cultivation products.

Run2Run, LLC

Run2Run, LLC produces high-quality washable visors and accessories designed for comfort and performance. Woman-owned and locally made, Run2Run is a Bat Cave–based brand built on persistence, creativity, and community connection.

Wai Mauna WNC Paddleboarding, LLC

Wai Mauna WNC Paddleboarding, LLC leads professionally guided paddleboard tours along the French Broad River in both Asheville and Brevard, plus rentable boards for self-guided river and lake adventures, delivered directly.

Wunderland Resort, LLC

Wunderland Resort, LLC is an outdoor resort offering eco-adventure experiences & wellness amenities in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Resort focuses on people and planet in nature's playground.

Cohort 6: 2025 Waypoint Resilience

Asheville Wellness Tours

Asheville Wellness Tours is a woman-owned business offering curated wellness experiences for individuals, couples, and groups, such as yoga hikes, forest bathing, goat yoga, tarot readings, and mobile massages.

Cedar Rock Adventures

Cedar Rock Adventures is an Asheville-based outdoor adventure company specializing in guided hiking, rafting, and canoe trips, plus floating bar crawls to experience both the region’s natural beauty and craft beer scene.

Davidson River Outfitters

Davidson River Outfitters offers guided fly-fishing experiences throughout WNC and beyond. Their shop on the banks of the Davidson River in Pisgah Forest offers fly fishing gear, fly tying materials, and more.

FIND Outdoors

FIND Outdoors inspires people of all ages to connect with nature and become stewards of public land through educational programs and accessible outdoor experiences in Pisgah Forest.

Fox Mountain Guides

Fox Mountain Guides educates and guides climbers in the Southeast and beyond. For over 20 years, they’ve worked toward their mission to provide guests with expert instruction and unforgettable experiences in the mountains.

French Broad Paddle Trail

The French Broad Paddle Trail is a 146-mile recreational watercraft trail between Rosman, NC and Newport, TN. Staff and partners create, maintain, and improve public access points, campsites, & signage; remove garbage; clear blockages; and host events focused on celebrating and learning about the river.

Hiker & The Hound

Hiker & The Hound is an outdoor lifestyle shop located in Cedar Mountain at the entrance of DuPont State Forest, offering outdoor gear and all-natural wellness products.

Lucky Crow Hat Company

Lucky Crow Hat Company is a female owned and operated headwear company located in Marion,, specializing in custom patch hats for corporate customers and outdoor retailers throughout the East Coast.

McHone Performance Training

McHone Performance Training provides customized training programs to enhance adventure readiness, with fitness and sports performance facilities in both Asheville and Pisgah Forest.

Mountain Top Shuttles

Mountain Top Shuttles is an Old Fort-based shuttle service that provides convenient access to top trails for local riders and visiting adventurers.

No Taste Like Home

No Taste Like Home is an Asheville-based wild food foraging company offering year-round tours where guests learn to identify edible plants and fungi, then enjoy their harvest prepared by local restaurants.

Old Fort Bike Shop

Old Fort Bike Shop is a bicycle sales and service shop in Old Fort, led by a 30-year industry veteran. The shop offers a wide range of bikes from leading brands and full-service repair support for cyclists of all kinds.

Pirani Life, Inc.

Pirani Life, Inc. creates reusable tumblers designed to eliminate single-use plastics. The sustainable drinkware company is based in Black Mountain, and their products are built for adventure.

Riverskate

Riverskate is Asheville-based and specializes in custom-made stand-up paddleboards for river surfing and freestyle maneuvers. Riverskate combines innovation, education, and community engagement to make whitewater sports more accessible.

Rockgeist

Rockgeist manufactures custom bike-packing equipment in Asheville. They’ve designed their waterproof storage solutions for rugged, multi-day cycling adventures.

Talisman, Inc.

Talisman Inc. is a summer camp based in Zirconia that serves neurodivergent campers ages 6–22, with tailored programs for youth with autism, ADHD, and other learning differences.

The Flying Bike

The Flying Bike hosts electric bike tours and rentals in Asheville. Their immersive experiences highlight the city’s history, people, and culture.

Valentine Bikes

Valentine Bikes is a custom bicycle frame builder based in Western North Carolina, offering handcrafted bikes, frame repairs, and custom paint services for cycling enthusiasts.

Wahoo's Adventures

Wahoo’s Adventures is an outdoor outfitter located in Todd, offering tubing, kayaking, tent camping, and treehouse stays along the New River for families and groups.

Wrong Way River Lodge and Cabins

Wrong Way River Lodge and Cabins is an urban cabin retreat and modern basecamp for mountain exploration in Asheville, offering A-frame lodging and direct access to the French Broad River Greenway.

Past Cohorts:

Cohort 1 - 2019

Big Weekend

Big Weekend is a recreation and leisure brand featuring the gear you need to max out your next “Big Weekend” with style and ease.

Blue Ridge Hiking Company

Blue Ridge Hiking Company is Western North Carolina’s premier guiding service for day hikes and backpacking trips, which operates a retail shop and “The Trail-er” – an Appalachian Trail bunkhouse.

Blyss Running

Blyss Running is a woman-owned small business designing flattering and functional running apparel for women that inspires their empowerment and joy.

Campa

Campa provides a searchable, filterable, comprehensive list of camps and extracurricular programs with streamlined “one form” registration and payment systems – helping you get your child into the right camp at the right time.

Fifth Element Camping

Fifth Element Camping makes a modular micro camper system for the Honda Element that can be installed or removed in minutes – turning your Element into a home on the road whenever you want it.

OGRE

Ogre builds truck organization solutions for fly fishermen, mountain bikers, kayakers, surfers, snowboarders and other outdoor enthusiasts to maximize their time outdoors instead of preparing for it.

Rent This Rod

Rent This Rod is an online fly-fishing company that rents high-end fly rods and ships them anywhere in the continental United States.

Rockgeist

Rockgeist specializes in custom bikepacking gear tailored to fit the exact shape of your bike with features that you choose.

Shira Forge

Shira Forge produces heirloom-quality axes and knives the way they have been made for generations – forged in the fire and made to be used whether on the trail, in camp or at the cabin.

The Tarpestry Co.

The Tarpestry is a soft and durable weather-resistant outdoor blanket and tarp that puts a layer between you and nature, with style.

Cohort 2 - 2020

Asheville Adventure Company

Asheville Adventure Company’s meticulously planned trips make intimidating experiences accessible to the average consumer, showcasing the most awe-inspiring places in WNC.

Asheville Picnic Company

Asheville Picnic Company provides a picnic meal with famous food products made in Asheville for you to take on your outdoor adventures in WNC.

Block by Block Industries

Block by Block trains and employs individuals with barriers to employment in manufacturing high quality sewn goods for the outdoor industry.

Lake Lure Rowing

Lake Lure Rowing is expanding rowing opportunities in Western North Carolina with an organization founded on competition and fun.

North Cove Social Club

Sited on 150+ glorious rolling acres at the base of the Linville Gorge, North Cove Social Club will be the premiere destination for disc golf in the United States.

OBX On the Fly

OBX On the Fly is the Outer Banks’ first and only full-service fly shop, offering fly fishing products, guide services, merchandise, and classes, including a custom fly rod building class.

Plantd Climbing

Plantd Climbing builds locally-made, quality durable goods and training tools for the climbing industry and community, and is the Southeast’s only local supplier of volumes and texture services.

Rove Cycling

Rove is a Brevard-based cycling development program delivering year-round adult and summer youth instruction showcasing the Southeast’s best riding.

WNC Outdoor Collective

WNC Outdoor Collective is a collective of local and regional makers showcasing and selling specialized well-crafted products and services in a common retail storefront that surrounds a 3,000ft2 outdoor gathering space for outdoor enthusiasts.

Cohort 3 - 2021

Adventure Nerds

Adventure Nerds is a marketplace, network, and publishing company for hyper-specific mini guidebooks about multi-day outdoor adventures.

Asheville Wellness Tours

Asheville Wellness Tours offers curated mini-retreats that support well-being and joy, connecting guests to nature, local business, and themselves.

FlyRabbit

FlyRabbit makes a useful tool for the fly fishing experience that pays for itself. When you lose flies, you lose money. We’ve solved that.

Green Moose

Green Moose is an avocado based chocolate mousse, formulated to deliver quick, clean energy on the go. All the convenience without the compromise.

Hellbender Paddleboards

Hellbender Paddleboards designs and creates paddleboards, paddling accessories, and apparel for people who are passionate about paddle boarding adventures.

KidCycle Club

KidCycle Club is a family of biking enthusiasts who want to share the love of the outdoors with your family to develop confidence and connection.

Meraki Components

Meraki Components provides mountain bikers with pedals that inspire confidence and push their riding boundaries.

Timber Ninja Outdoors

Timber Ninja is an innovative manufacturer of mobile hunting gear that specializes in carbon fiber products.

Trekroll

Trekroll is a roomy bedroll-style sleeping bag that includes a fitted air bed with a built-in foot pump and packs in a weatherproof carry duffel. Comfort on the road, in the field or at the campground. Machine washable grab & go sleeping gear manufactured in the USA.

Urban Outdoors

Urban Outdoors empowers urban dwellers to participate in local outdoor adventure activities through content, resources, and community.

Cohort 4 - 2022

The Flying Bike Tours

An electric bike tour company that creates transformative tours to positively impact our guests, employees and community.

Swamie

Swamie is a low-profile, coupling device that keeps your phone safe and secure when you don't need it and accessible when you do.

Food For Adventures

Food for Adventures provides a variety of services to the outdoor industry such as Personal Chef & Catering, outdoor education (edible & medicinal plant tours), backcountry cooking classes, nutrition consulting, and gear design.

Conscious Gear

Conscious Gear celebrates body diversity in the outdoors with outerwear and outdoor gear that is size inclusive with a focus on wearable hydration.

Stringbean Bags

Stringbean Bags is an outdoor bag brand dedicated to making lightweight, durable and versatile gear for your bike and body.

Appalachian Riverboard Company

Appalachian Riverboard Company builds riverboards and offers guided riverboarding trips so that you can experience being IN the water instead of on it.

PIVOTPoint WNC

PIVOTPoint WNC is a therapeutic outdoor adventure program, offering intentional group facilitation to those historically considered at-risk and those facing challenges around mental health, behavioral health, and substance use.

North State Overland

North State designs and builds modular truck rack systems to provide flexible support for families and friends to get outside, exploring together.

Adventure Cocoon

Adventure Cocoon is a social enterprise that inspires pride, purpose & opportunity with products that are designed for the practical & stylish explorer.

Cohort 5 - 2023

ARCA Works

ARCA Works crafts premium whitewater kayaking paddles that are lighter, stronger, and redefine performance on the water.

Blue Ridge Elder Adventures

Blue Ridge Elder Adventures provides nature-based adventures for the elders in our community by offering skilled therapeutic services and accessible transportation to community events and parks of WNC.

High Country Guide Service & Chosen River Outfitters, LLC

High Country Guide Service & Chosen River Outfitters, LLC provides professional guided fly fishing trips in the Boone area and surrounding streams, and fishing trips to Alaska, since 2011.

Lucky Crow Hat Co.

Lucky Crow Hat Co. is a female owned and operated headwear company located in Marion, North Carolina, specializing in custom patch hats for both corporate customers as well as outdoor retailers along the East Coast.

Mountain Bike Skills Factory

Mountain Bike Skills Factory delivers high quality mountain bike skills instruction through private lessons and group clinics in the mountains of North Carolina with the most experienced and highly certified instructors in the USA.

Peter Ripmaster

Peter Ripmaster is a public speaker, 50 marathons in 50 states finisher, Iditarod Trail Invitational Champion, author, and Ultra Runner ready to take his message of perseverance and mindfulness to the masses.

Riverskate

Riverskate is a next-generation whitewater stand up paddling board company custom-made in WNC for those who want to unlock new levels of performance on the river.

Silva & Soma

Silva & Soma is a backpacking guide and offers nature retreats in the backcountry, as well as wellness gatherings in the front country including naturalism walks and guided forest bathing.