Guest Profile

Chad Brown

Chad founded Love is King in 2020 in the midst of the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing. It was Chad’s response to the question so many people were asking him then: “What can I do in the fight against racism? How can I be part of the solution?” Love is King leads with the mission to dismantle the hate, bigotry, ignorance and racism in the outdoors for BIPOC and all marginalized groups to have the opportunity to roam further and bolder in the outdoors and create wonderful memories for themselves without having to face any aggression. The focus of Love is King is increasing the access and safety in the outdoors. Brown is also the founder and president of Soul River Inc., a nonprofit organization that focuses on connecting veterans and introducing diverse urban youth of color to the outdoors, nature conservation and growing young leaders into advocacy for our public lands, wildlife and freshwater. He is also a Navy veteran, accomplished documentary style portrait photographer where he has been commissioned to shoot for the New York Times and operates as a creative director/ head photographer for Chado Communication Design. Chad often pursues adventures in the back country overlanding, and he has been selected as part of 2022 Team Ford Bronoco athletes. He is passionate about off-roading; he is an outdoorsman, bow hunter, conservationist and leading outdoor leadership teams into the Arctic Circle. He is especially passionate about working closely with indigenous nations, as well as working for environmental justice on public lands, raising awareness through education, providing access, inclusivity, and safety for everyone but especially for people of color in the outdoors. Brown is a board member of the Alaska Wilderness League and a has been featured on BBC, CBS, and National Geographic / Natgeo Wild’s survival reality TV series “Called to the Wild”, as well as in national publications such as Outside Magazine and The Drake, and in various Pacific Northwest publications. Additionally, Brown was the first recipient of the Breaking Barriers Award presented by Orvis, as well as the Bending Toward Justice Award from Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley.