{"podcast":{"title":"KORE Outdoors Podcast","slug":"kore-outdoors-podcast-6858812","podcast_index_feed_id":6858812,"rss_url":"https://feeds.transistor.fm/kore-outdoors-podcast","website_url":"https://koreoutdoors.org/","image_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/QwJQD6fPx4o9dKUQOxHC_3jEETmI5Lq2IDCvROU1apc/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzUxNzA2LzE3MTE5/OTU2NDMtYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.jpg","author":"KORE Outdoors","episode_count":48,"summary":"Dive into insightful conversations with entrepreneurs and leaders shaping the outdoor industry. Each episode explores practical strategies and inspiring stories to help you navigate your career in the outdoor industry. Your host, Christian Rawles, brings 15 years of experience as the former owner of Ambler Mountain Works and his current role as KORE Business Advisor. This podcast is a production of KORE - the Kootenay Outdoor Recreation Enterprise. KORE is a non-profit organization based in the Kootenay region of interior British Columbia. KORE’s mission is to support the growing network of gear and apparel makers, designers and entrepreneurs within the Kootenays.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-30T02:19:51.803922+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/kore-outdoors-podcast-6858812"},"episode":{"title":"Investing in Outdoor Founders with Andrew Luter of Rio Chato Investments","slug":"investing-in-outdoor-founders-with-andrew-luter-of-rio-chato-investments","published_at":"2026-06-11T03:30:17+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/kore-outdoors-podcast-6858812/investing-in-outdoor-founders-with-andrew-luter-of-rio-chato-investments","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/kore-outdoors-podcast-6858812","url":"https://koreoutdoors.org/podcast","audio_url":"https://media.transistor.fm/ecd4b176/26381fb3.mp3","summary":"Most outdoor founders think raising money means venture capital. Andrew Luter of Rio Chato Investments spends much of his time talking founders out of taking money and, instead, helps them to see what options they have that may be a better fit. He breaks down why most outdoor businesses are the wrong shape for VC, and why using equity to solve a cash-flow problem is like taking out a splinter with a chainsaw. We cover the funding tools founders overlook, the big wholesale orders that can quietly kill small brands, why coachability beats product and pitch, and the \"danger zone\" where a brand is too big to be small and too small to be big. Topics covered in the episode: When raising equity is the wrong move The REI/big-box order as a working-capital trap Underused funding: PO financing, revenue-based financing, CDFIs, friends and family Why coachability beats product and pitch The \"danger zone\": too big to be small, too small to be big Community-first brands as the next wave in outdoor Links Andrew's Substack Rio Chato Investments Heather Kelly's Substack Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn Connect with Christian on LinkedIn Register for the KORE Summit The KORE Podcast is a production of the Kootenay Outdoor Recreation Enterprise. Learn more about KORE and the podcast: https://koreoutdoors.org/podcast #koreoutdoors #craftgearfromhere","meta_description":"Most outdoor founders think raising money means venture capital. Andrew Luter of Rio Chato Investments spends much of his time talking founders out of tak…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":4146,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/kore-outdoors-podcast-6858812/episodes/investing-in-outdoor-founders-with-andrew-luter-of-rio-chato-investments/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/kore-outdoors-podcast-6858812/investing-in-outdoor-founders-with-andrew-luter-of-rio-chato-investments.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}