Sisters of Shred

Co-Founder, Not-for-Profit
2020-2023

Sisters of Shred is a skateboarding initiative for beginners that connects sport, art, education and community outreach.

It started as a simple desire. Learn to skateboard and get a friend onboard for companionship, safety and accountability. First, there were two of us, then four and when our small crew of friends had to cancel for various reasons, as life gets in the way, I decided to reach out to the internet to find more folks to skateboard with.

Since my first Instagram post in the summer of 2020, Sisters of Shred has grown exponentially. To date, we have expanded our skateboarding community online and in-person through our various social media channels, clinics and workshops, bi-monthly meet-ups, strategic partnerships with skateboarding companies and collaborations with local artists.

At the heart of Sisters of Shred is a commitment to creating a fun and relaxed atmosphere where members can enjoy the sport without feeling pressured to be too serious. We strive to create a non-threatening atmosphere that fosters skill-building and encourages casual participation - we believe that skateboarding should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their level of experience.

At its core, Sisters of Shred is a skateboarding community for beginners to feel safe and supported in learning new things.

FACTS & FIGURES

  • Founded a community that supports a diverse group of women, LGBTQIA+ and allies looking to learn how to skateboard.

  • In 2023, we became a registered Not-for-Profit and became Champion Advisors for The City of Toronto Skateboard initiatives and new skatepark builds.

  • We built a team of 10 volunteer Ambassadors to help run events and maintain our skateparks. Our bi-monthly meet-ups average 25 participants per session and our yearly end-of-season party hosts 50+ attendees.

  • We have facilitated 50+ meet-ups, learning clinics and workshops and run programming 8 months of the year

  • We achieved organic growth through social media and in-person outreach. We have an average of 80 active participants in our Discord and 1197 followers on Instagram.

  • We have designed, branded and sold merchandise in all of the major skateboarding stores across Toronto and nationally through our website. We have established yearly artistic collaborations with female visual artists and musicians and curated a skateboarding-theme art exhibition in 2022.

  • We have been sponsored by a beer company, a protective gear company, skateboarding publications, local shops and skateboarding distribution companies.

  • We support local charities through our mission-based initiatives and events