This episode tells the full story behind the transformation of Team & Trail and Mushing Magazine into a nonprofit foundation. Michele talks honestly about the financial strain, the collapse of the ad model, and how a once-beloved passion project began to feel like a failing business. She explains why the solution wasn’t scaling back, but rebuilding everything from the ground up.

Why a Nonprofit

Outdoor media, especially niche print storytelling, can’t survive on advertising alone. The Team & Trail Foundation was created to protect the legacy of mushing culture while expanding leadership education, experiential learning, and access for youth across Alaska.

What Lives Inside the New Foundation

• Print issues of Mushing Magazine (4 times per year for members)
• Leadership and experiential learning courses
• Corporate team-building weekends
• University partnerships
• Micro-grants for kids in rural Alaska
• Training and mentorship through sled dogs
• A thriving members-only feed with trip reports, training runs, and full lectures

Membership

A $50 membership (or $45 for Alaskans) keeps the mission alive. Members support sled-dog education, print storytelling, and new opportunities for young mushers. They also receive bonus content, additional podcast feeds, and behind-the-scenes stories.

Why This Matters

This shift isn’t the end of anything. It’s the beginning of the next chapter in preserving wild-place leadership, mushing history, and the stories that have shaped this community for 16 years.