Why We Built Oak
Built by the community, for the community. How a tool for finding ski partners became a global movement connecting mountain adventurers everywhere.
Oak began with a simple problem in the mountains of Chamonix.
Oak began with a simple problem in the mountains of Chamonix. In 2023, Emil spent a season ski-bumming in one of the world's most iconic alpine towns. Surrounded by incredible terrain and endless opportunities for adventure, he quickly discovered that finding people to share those experiences with was surprisingly difficult. Every day meant jumping between WhatsApp groups, Facebook communities, and scattered chats, hoping to find the right partners for a ski tour, a climb, or a day in the mountains. Plans were often buried in endless message threads, and connecting with like-minded people took far more time than actually getting outside. What started as a personal frustration soon revealed a much bigger problem. Communities are built around shared experiences, yet organizing those experiences was fragmented, time-consuming, and often inaccessible to newcomers. Oak was born from the idea that bringing people together should be simple.
The Community Takes Shape
The winter of 2024 was the first season Oak existed beyond an idea. What began as a simple tool for finding ski touring partners quickly became something much bigger. As more people joined, Oak started bringing together a community of adventurers, runners, climbers, and skiers from all over the world who had chosen Chamonix as their home for the season. Every week, people met through Oak for ski tours, social events, trail runs, and mountain adventures. There was something special about those early days. It felt grassroots, organic, and deeply human. People weren't joining because of marketing campaigns or growth hacks. They joined because they wanted to meet like-minded people and spend more time outdoors together. Many of the relationships formed during that first winter continue to shape Oak today. Some of the people who joined those early runs and events went on to become Oak's first hires, investors, and even co-founders. What started as a way to connect strangers in the mountains became the foundation for a company built by the very community it was created to serve. That first winter proved something we had always believed: the best communities are built through shared experiences, and the strongest companies are built alongside the people they serve.
As the community grew, so did the vision.
What started as a local movement in Chamonix was proving that people everywhere were looking for the same thing: meaningful connections, shared adventures, and an easier way to find their community. Among the people brought together through Oak were Dave Searle and René Brask. Dave, an IFMGA mountain guide based in Chamonix, had spent years helping people explore the mountains safely and build confidence outdoors. He saw firsthand how much stronger experiences became when people found the right partners and community around them. René brought over 15 years of experience building technology products, alongside years spent running adventure travel businesses and communities around the world. He understood both the technical challenge and the opportunity to create something that could scale far beyond a single valley. What united all three founders was a shared belief that adventure is ultimately about people. The friendships, partnerships, and communities formed through shared experiences are often more meaningful than the activities themselves.
This Is Just the Beginning
Today, more than 100,000 mountain enthusiasts use Oak to find adventure partners, join communities, and create meaningful experiences outdoors. But in many ways, we're still just getting started. What truly sets Oak apart isn't the technology—it's the people. From day one, our mission has been to make the outdoors more welcoming, more connected, and more accessible. We believe that every great adventure starts with a simple connection, and that strong communities are built when people feel welcomed, included, and inspired to participate. That belief shapes everything we do. From the design of our app to the culture of our brand, we're committed to creating a space where everyone—from seasoned mountain guides to first-time adventurers—can find their place. To us, Oak is more than an app. It's a modern gateway to real mountain adventures, real friendships, and real communities. None of this would have been possible without the incredible support, trust, and enthusiasm of the community that has grown alongside us. Every event organized, every friendship formed, every summit reached together, and every piece of feedback shared has helped shape Oak into what it is today. We're incredibly grateful for the journey so far—and even more excited for what's ahead. See you in the mountains.