Ori is Empowering Storytellers and Bringing Cultural Exchange to Your Actual Mailbox

Kade Krichko loves a good story. He’s a journalist, editor and teacher who pursues stories all over the world, sharing his adventures along the way. Among his pursuits: Spending three years in Spain chasing stories for ESPN and other publications—all while enrolled in a master’s program taught completely in Spanish. He has published work in The New York Times, VICE and Outside, among others. He’s fluent in two languages and teaches in the Journalism Department at Northeastern University (his alma mater). And not only is he an avid skier—he also tells us that he’s the son of a Nordic skier who competed in the 1980 and 1988 Winter Games, proudly stating that “my mom is cooler than I am.” Though we would argue that he’s pretty cool, too. 

Kade’s latest project, Ori Magazine, is building a supportive community for creatives and is near and dear to his heart. Printed bi-annually, Ori is a travel culture magazine that works with local writers, photographers and creators from all over the world to tell local stories straight from the source. The first issue is out now and you can subscribe here.

Supporting Fellow Creatives

The path to Ori came with challenges—work comes at a cost to creatives who often have to fund their own projects upfront. Kade admits he’s gone to great lengths to fund his projects, from writing gear reviews for $25 a pop to camping in a friend's yard for an entire summer to save enough money to cover story expenses. 

Even still, there were times when he had to let great ideas go. “I was frustrated by having all these great ideas, and editors telling me they were great ideas, but having to let them go because the publication didn’t believe in me enough to let me pursue it.” It made him think about the many other stories that are lost each day because of freelancers who experience the same barriers.

The Ori Creative Grant was launched to address the challenge creatives face in finding support for longform projects. A portion of revenue from Ori subscribers is set aside to form the grant, and subscribers have the opportunity to award the grant to their favorite contributors. Shortly after each issue is released, subscribers vote for their favorite story and contributor. The winner receives the grant for their next independent project, affording them the space and funds they need to bring local, authentic stories from around the world to your coffee table. 

Global stories straight from the source

Ori cuts through the noise of the digital world. It encourages us to slow down and soak up cultural exchanges from all over the world—to savor beautiful imagery and words. It inspires us to connect with parts of the world we may not have access to through unique stories and photography told by locals who actually live there. 

Ori is born out of Kade's frustration with the industry, but also his passion for sharing experiences. “So many times I’ve been traveling and thought ‘I cannot wait to show my buddy this, my mom that, or my dad this…’ We now have the opportunity to do that with Ori.” 

And while nowadays he opts to sleep in a hotel room over a tent in his friend’s yard, he still has the urge to see the world and pursue adventure—and he hopes Ori serves as a source of inspiration for others. “With Ori, we want to show that you can have a $10 meal that's phenomenal one day, and a $200 meal that's also phenomenal the next day… to enjoy life without feeling guilty about it.” 

We’re huge fans of what Ori is doing to uplift creatives and tell local stories on a global scale—and we know you’ll be too. Subscribe now to get their first issue.