Question 1

Is this site accessible and how?

Accepted Answer

www.thebgcmarketplace.com strives to ensure that its services are accessible to people with disabilities. Brown Girls Climb, LLC has invested in consultation to help ensure that its website is made easier to use and more accessible for people with disabilities, with the strong belief that every person has the right to live with dignity, equality, comfort and independence.
 
To learn more about the accessibility of this website, please visit our Accessibilty page.

Question 2

What is the BGC Marketplace?

Accepted Answer

The BGC Marketplace is a values based shopping experience for the outdoor lover. To learn more about how it works, continue reading below or visit the About BGC Marketplace page.

Question 3

Does the BGC Marketplace hold inventory? How does it work?

Accepted Answer

No, currently the BGC marketplace acts as an online directory for consumers to make more informed decisions about their outdoor related purchases. 
 
Shoppers can visit our site to find and compare brands making products they are searching for; read about the ownership, social and environmental efforts; and check if they are making inclusive gear & apparel. A link to each company’s site is provided on their brand page where shoppers can purchase directly from brands they love!
 
If you are a BGC Premium Member, you also can receive discounts from our partners!

Question 4

How do I become a BGC member?

Accepted Answer

Memberships are offered directly on www.browngirlsclimb.com. Currently, we offer four memberships. You can read more about them here. 
 
We hope to create a BGC Marketplace specific membership in the future but would love to initially receive feedback from users of the site! So please spread the word!

Question 5

I’m already a member! How do I access my discounts?

Accepted Answer

Members can access their discounts by logging into their BGC Member Account and clicking on the Links to Monthly or Annual Members under Membership Navigation.
 
Currently, discounts are only available to BGC Premium Members.

Question 6

Is Brown Girls Climb a non-profit?

Accepted Answer

No, Brown Girls Climb is NOT a non-profit. BGC is legally filed as a Limited Liability Company. Our intention is to create a company that is primarily accountable to the community and not corporations with opposing interests. We aim to create a business and opportunities that has built inclusion and equity into its core from the beginning with the goal of redistributing wealth to communities who need it most.

Question 7

How does the site generate income?

Accepted Answer

Our primary streams of revenue come from our memberships and corporate partnerships. We crowdfunded in August of 2021 to support through 2021-2022 but our goal is for the BGC Marketplace to create sustainable revenue for our operations and outreach.

Question 8

How do corporate partners get involved?

Accepted Answer

We want to highlight companies investing in causes that matter. We seek companies who fit the any or all the following criteria:
 
-  Company is BIPOC, Queer, Women, Non-Binary, Disabled, and/or Plus Size
-  Company is producing gender inclusive/neutral, adaptive friendly, or Plus Size gear or apparel
-  Company has shown demonstrable efforts in environmental and/or social initiatives 
 
Specifically, we are currently seeking companies making outdoor-related products in the following sub-industries:
 
-  Technical Gear
-  Apparel 
-  Food & Beverage (travel & camping friendly)
-  Health, Wellness, & Fitness (travel & camping friendly)
-  Art & Accessories (nature inspired)

If you are interested in becoming an annual corporate partner, please email bgcmarketplace@browngirlsclimb.com for more information on rates. All corporate partners must fill out a partnership form to be considered for the site.

Question 9

I identify as a BIPOC, Queer, Women, Non-binary, Disabled, and/or Plus Size business owner, what are the requirements for being listed on the site?"

Accepted Answer

Please read more about these terms on our Values, Terms & Definitions page. If you are a product based business and would like to be featured, we offer free to scaled rates to be featured annually. Please email bgcmarketplace@browngirlsclimb.com for more information.

Question 10

How are corporate partners held accountable for the work they are doing?

Accepted Answer

We approach accountability with our partners through a few different methods. We know that there’s not a perfect company out there and we believe that the values of a company come from the people who work for a company, not the company itself.
 
For this reason, we focus on providing transparency around how companies are investing your money. This is done by sharing any environmental and social initiatives along with any inclusive products they are making. In the process of building the site, we hired outside consultants from various communities to review our partnership form and our site to ensure that we are acquiring appropriate and relevant information from our partners. 
 
Additionally, we have created an option to review each company in each company profile. We hope this provides an opportunity for direct feedback from the communities we are reaching.

Question 11

How does BGC Marketplace support historically marginalized communities?

Accepted Answer

We support historically marginalized communities as many ways as we can! Brown Girls Climb, LLC is a Black and Brown owned and operated business that primarily serves Black, Indigenous, and other Women and Non-Binary folks of Color. So all of the support we receive from our services goes back to employing and uplifting people within our community.
The BGC Marketplace also provides an easy to use tool to find and support ‘minority’ (minority here means entrepreneurs that are underrepresented in the industry,not just by race or ethnicity) owned businesses. The business owners are typically more likely to give back and support the communities they represent or come from. So by supporting these businesses, we are able to engage in economic justice through intentional micro investments.
 
The BGC Marketplace also wouldn’t be possible without some amazing consultants, the folks from Disabled Hikers and @ritaajanee, and community leaders. We hope that by making our site more inclusive and accessible and hiring consultants from these communities, we can create an easier way for folks to find products that fit their needs. Learn more about how our revenue is distributed here.
 
Aspirationally, with the profit we generate for Marketplace, our goal is to include an aspect of a LandBack initiative. While being able to support community needs when needed. We are still looking for a consultant who has a background in this. If you are interested, please reach out to brittany@browngirlsclimb.com
 
Lastly, we know not everyone has the means or desires to shop new products. That’s why we also created our Resources page, for  you to find new and used gear and apparel elsewhere because sharing is caring!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS