Mentoring Youth Using Action Sports Culture
 

Mission:

STOKED creates a community of fearless leaders through mentoring, opportunity, and action. Through mentorship and action sports culture, STOKED empowers underserved youth to reach their fullest potential, instilling passion, resilience and determination.

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Who We Are:

STOKED celebrates individuals that live big lives, take risks and seize opportunities. We are a community of doers, making change and leading the charge throughout our respective industries. Everyday is a reason to do better, achieve more and make the next generation stronger. We pragmatically address fear and crush it with courage. Through mentorship, STOKED empowers youth and inspires leaders.

 

“I HAVE NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE THE GREAT EXPERIENCE I HAD IN STOKED THIS YEAR.
I FEEL PART OF A FAMILY HERE.”

STOKED history

It was in 2004 when Steve Larosiliere
found himself at a crossroads in his life and career,

...on the top of a mountain in Whistler, British Columbia wanting to make an impact on the world. He had been running a boutique marketing firm and had always carried a passion for mentoring outside of his regular business hours. So, he did what any thrill-seeking entrepreneur would do and jetset on an inspirational trip to snowboard. It was there, on his last run of his last day, while taking in that breathtaking, adrenaline-pumping view, he thought of his 17-year-old mentee. 

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"Wouldn't it be great to go snowboarding with my mentee?"

The thought, coupled with the fact that Steve’s mentee had never left the island of Manhattan, experienced the view and feeling of being on top of a mountain, nor had he ever put his feet on a snowboard, that initiated the idea for STOKED.

With that in mind, STOKED was created to pull kids out of their daily environment and offer the ability to think of themselves in a broader context of the world.

But why stop at snowboarding? 

Steve pursued a relationship with TV host Sal Masekela and the two founded the organization with the sole purpose to empower disadvantaged youth living in challenged communities through mentoring and action sports. Sharing a passion for giving back, snowboarding and a cultural identity of being Haitian, they set out on a philanthropic quest that has resulted in a presence in 3 cities, partnerships with 21 schools and over 4,000 kids being served since day 1. 

Today, STOKED has an ever-expanding community of doers, making change and leading the charge throughout their respective industries.