ISSUE N^O3

Paskho x STOKED

“In action sports culture, to be ‘stoked’ means to be motivated, inspired and energized.”
– Steve Larosiliere

Using board sports culture to close the opportunity gap, STOKED leverages the power of community to give underserved youth the skills, relationships, and experiences they need to succeed. What began as a mentorship program — teaching kids to skateboard, surf, and snowboard — is now an organization with chapters in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago that reach more than 600 kids annually, 100% of whom go on to graduate high school. And that has everything to do with the vision of founder and president Steve Larosiliere, a former marketing executive who was recognized as a Social Entrepreneur of the Year by the National Black MBA. Like Paksho’s founder Patrick Robinson, Steve experienced his lightbulb moment on top of a mountain.

“In 2004, I was at a crossroads in my life and career, so I went on a snowboarding trip to Whistler, British Columbia. On my last run of the day, while taking in that breathtaking, adrenaline-pumping view, I thought how cool it would be to go snowboarding with a 17-year-old kid I was mentoring back in New York City. He had never set foot outside of the island of Manhattan, and I thought that pulling him out of his daily environment would give him the ability to see himself in the broader context of the world. That was the beginning of STOKED.”

– Steve Larosiliere