Rooting Souls: A Black Womxn's Climbing Expedition
Denver, Colorado | Film Short
Documentary, Adventure
Zivia is no stranger to traversing clouds and tackling epic feats. Although they’ve managed to overcome barriers, Zivia is striving harder to expand the current extremely limited collective of Black womxn explorers receiving the necessary resources and support to pursue alpinism
Rooting Souls: A Black Womxn's Climbing Expedition
Denver, Colorado | Film Short
Documentary, Adventure
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
83 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$9,565
Goal: $8,500 for development
Zivia is no stranger to traversing clouds and tackling epic feats. Although they’ve managed to overcome barriers, Zivia is striving harder to expand the current extremely limited collective of Black womxn explorers receiving the necessary resources and support to pursue alpinism
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
We are introducing our stretch goals! In less than two weeks into our campaign we saw immense support from folks—from educators, artists, athletes, outdoor guides, doctors, family members and friends, and more. Thank you to the collective that will make this goal a reality. Learn how your continued support through the end of this campaign will support our journey all the way to the expedition in Summer 2026.
What happens to a dream not deferred? In this afrofuturist, poetic portrait this next generation of alpinists will demystify what it takes to achieve their goals. Along the way, the story reveals the beautiful, idiosyncratic, and contradictory experience of being human.
Zivia is no stranger to traversing clouds and tackling epic feats. Despite growing up far from peaks in the suburbs of New Jersey, Zivia's buoyant energy and natural tenacity for pushing limits led them from gymnastic competition floors to the expansive world of outdoor exploration. Today, Zivia is striving harder to expand the current extremely limited collective of Black womxn explorers receiving the necessary resources and support to pursue alpinism because the skill set required for technical mountain climbing continues to be challenging to access outside of eurocentric spaces. Zivia's determination toward change solidifies as they invite a team of fellow outdoor educators and mentors turned friends to pursue a historic summit on Mt. Kenya, challenging expectations and pushing the boundaries surrounding why and who attempts expeditions of this caliber.
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The journey of the Rooting Souls team is an instrumental contribution toward the broader conversation of belonging and representation, access and support, and cross-cultural exchange. At a time when neighbors and nations are divided, and when climate catastrophe makes unity challenging to envision we need stories like Zivia's to remind us of the power in collective action and dreaming.
Finally, outdoor adventures are for everyone! Already, we've received support from mentors in the outdoor and filmmaking industries; from artists, athletes, and educators; from new collaborators and old friends. This project will come to fruition because of the support of the collective.
Zivia and the Rooting Souls vision is intertwined with why people recreate in the outdoors–to find community and belonging, to create fulfilling relationships between humans and our surroundings, and to push beyond what we perceive is possible.
This historic climb will illuminate the talent, skill, persistence and audacity it takes to achieve dreams, while also shedding light on the often overlooked barriers that Black womxn, queer people, and other people of the global majority overcome in order to explore the outdoors. By documenting this team, we are challenging the burdens of misogynoir while expanding and preserving the perspectives of Black womxn alpine climbers for the benefit of future generations.
Ultimately, Rooting Souls showcases the next generation of alpinists-Black women, queer people, educators, artists, storytellers, and activists—bringing fresh perspectives to an historically exclusive sport and renewed perspectives of the spaces that make us feel whole.
Rooting Souls is more than an outdoor adventure tale–documenting this story expands the trove of accomplishments of Black, queer womxn in the US. Your support helps us at a critical moment of gaining momentum and support for our vision.
We are in the initial stages of training and documenting as a team. Our first trip to Red Rock, NV is an opportunity for the climbing team to hone their flow on long multipitch routes in preparation for Mt. Kenya, as well as an opportunity for the creative team to capture these early moments of team development– important for painting a dynamic picture of Zivia and the Rooting Souls story.
In this early stage, you’ll be directly funding production costs such as cinematography, travel expenses toward this training trip and additional interviews, and hiring an editor–all to package a compelling pitch reel. This pitch reel will then be used to apply to larger grant and funding opportunities that will enable us to sustain our goal from now until the Rooting Souls team attempts Mt. Kenya in Summer 2026. Contributing to the project at this stage will allow us to secure the necessary resources and support to document this journey in its entirety.
Learn about our timeline for both the expedition and the film below:
If you’d like to support us and want to offer something different than a monetary contribution—great! Here’s what you can do:
- "Follow" the campaign on Seed&Spark! Once we hit 250 "followers," regardless of how many people pledge, we'll start unlocking creator discounts for this and future projects.
- Share the following on your social media:
"Support the Rooting Souls Team and a group of diverse independent filmmakers by sharing this sentimental outdoor adventure project #RootingSouls on @seedandspark! Join them here": seedandspark.com/fund/rooting-souls
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Travel Expenses
Costs $1,500
You're supporting the crew with our accommodations for our first training trip in Red Rock, NV.
Cinematography & Photography
Costs $5,000
We're teaming up with a talented crew that will help capture our team's story, whether we're 200m up on the rock or gathered round a fire.
Editor
Costs $2,000
Our talented editor is shaping our story into a pitch reel. A packaged reel will then be used to apply to grants for additional film funds.
Share this update!
About This Team
.jpg)
Effectively documenting this journey takes a uniquely talented team both in front of and behind the camera--learn about why this passionate team is the best fit to share this story.
JASMINE SZYMPRUCH, CO-DIRECTOR & PRODUCER
Jasmine is a queer artist-activist & communal storyteller based in Brooklyn, NY on unceded Lenape land, devoted to unearthing varied perspectives of what it is to be human and strives to center joy, liberation, healing, and a reclamation of our relationship to the land in their pursuits.
Documentaries Jasmine helped produce have been distributed by Netflix, Apple TV, HBO, Disney+, and PBS; and featured at Toronto International Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, DocNYC, and others. They have guest lectured at Pratt and contributed to numerous panels organizing around social and environmental justice work, and they are a founding member of the independent media group, The Irregulars Collective. Jasmine is currently pursuing their Single Pitch Instructor Certification and was a 2024 recipient of AMGA & Black Diamond’s SPI Affinity Scholarship.
ZIVIA BERKOWITZ, CO-DIRECTOR & EXPEDITION LEADER
Zivia Berkowitz is a rock climbing, hiking, and mountaineering instructor for NOLS as well as an AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide. Currently based in Colorado, Zivia has been traveling, working, climbing in the western part of the US for the past three years. Zivia comes from a multiracial and multicultural background, Zivia’s mother immigrated from Kenya to the U.S. and Zivia’s father is Jewish American. For their undergraduate degree at Colorado College, Zivia studied Feminist and Gender Studies, drawn to the critiques of power, nuanced discussions of identity, and feminist thinker’s calls for collective liberation. Zivia is passionate about building community and storytelling amongst folks who hold identities that are underrepresented in outdoor and rock climbing spaces.
CHEYENNE SMITH, PRODUCER
Cheyenne Smith is an emerging producer and industry creative, as well as an outdoor educator and AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide. Born, raised, and living in Colorado, Cheyenne found a deep connection to the outdoors and has spent the past several years working in outdoor education and guiding.
Now, she is returning to her roots in art, film, and design, blending her passion for storytelling, creativity, and the outdoors. With a degree in Strategic Design, Cheyenne brings years of experience in graphic and web design, branding, and communication. She’s worked with outdoor industry brands to offer creative direction, media production, and design services that bring bold ideas to life. Recently, her focus has shifted toward film production, where she uses her skills in project management, storytelling, and creative
problem-solving to craft work that feels both authentic and impactful.
ROSEMARY SAAL, ALPINIST
Currently based in Northern California, Rosemary Saal is an outdoor educator, adventure enthusiast, and speaker passionate about sharing the empowering nature of wild spaces with folks of all backgrounds. This passion has taken Rosemary around the world on expeditions to mountains big and small, including Denali, Kilimanjaro, and Mount Everest. Rosemary values the power of creating opportunity for all folks, particularly women of color, to build a personal relationship with recreating outdoors via the support of a strong team, the joy of connection, and of course some dancing on the trail.
SOF PETROS, ALPINIST
Sof’s ancestors connect her to the lands of Ayiti-Kiskeya-Bohio (Haiti), Chile, and the Mediterranean. Sof climbs to connect more deeply with the landscape and to have a testing ground for exploring their relationship with their body, fear, and joy. She is an experienced and capable environmental educator and organizer, with a background in fossil fuel divestment campaigns and passion for building community and youth power towards liberation and a world beyond extraction.
Now living in Seattle, Sof is a Wilderness First Responder, AMGA Certified Single Pitch Instructor, and Apprentice Rock Guide. During the winter season, they are an alpine ski instructor at Stevens Pass, PSIA
Certified Level 1, where they also lead for EDGE Outdoors.
ALISA SELMAN, EDITOR
Alisa is an editor with over ten years of professional experience in documentary, weekly news and promotional content. These productions have aired on HBO, Hulu, Netflix, Prime and PBS, as well as screened at a variety of film festivals including Sundance, Venice International, HotDocs, SXSW and Doc NYC. Alisa strives to craft stories that dig deep into the human experience and illuminate the ways in which we can collectively embody a more equitable and empowered existence. She is currently living in upstate New York with her partner and pup, exploring nature and learning how to create a permaculture food forest in her backyard.
MIYA TSUDOME, CINEMATOGRAPHER
Miya is a photographer and filmmaker with a creative focus on stories and images of adventure, lifestyle, and conservation. Whether it’s dangling off the side of El Cap to capture meaningful ascents, or running around the Eastern Sierra to help tell the story of climate change, not a moment goes by in the day when she’s not scheming up a new story she wants to tell.
IRENE YEE, PHOTOGRAPHER
Irene is a rock climbing and adventure photographer based on the west coast and is best known as @ladylockoff on Instagram. Her focus is to uplift women, BIPOC, and the LGBTQIA2+ communities; finding inspiration in those with passion over muscle.
She is a @natgeoadventure contributor, is internationally published (Climbing Magazine, Alpinist, Outside Magazine), and has worked with companies such as The North Face, Marmot, Outdoor Research, Mountain Hardware, and the Honnold Foundation. She is an enthusiastic speaker and educator meeting people where they’re at, and making all feel welcome and engaged.
Mentors & Support
(list not exhaustive)
Rafaelle Abramovitz: Founder of Naretoi, a nonprofit empowering Maasai women in Kenya through education and cultural exchange
Peter Naituli: Outfitter(AfroVertical Wild Tours)& climbing guide on Mt. Kenya
Eddie Taylor: Pro climber, member of expedition Full Circle Everest, previous ascent of Batian Peak
Thomas Bukowski: Professional alpine climber
Scarpa Athletics: Brand contributor
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
We are introducing our stretch goals! In less than two weeks into our campaign we saw immense support from folks—from educators, artists, athletes, outdoor guides, doctors, family members and friends, and more. Thank you to the collective that will make this goal a reality. Learn how your continued support through the end of this campaign will support our journey all the way to the expedition in Summer 2026.
What happens to a dream not deferred? In this afrofuturist, poetic portrait this next generation of alpinists will demystify what it takes to achieve their goals. Along the way, the story reveals the beautiful, idiosyncratic, and contradictory experience of being human.
Zivia is no stranger to traversing clouds and tackling epic feats. Despite growing up far from peaks in the suburbs of New Jersey, Zivia's buoyant energy and natural tenacity for pushing limits led them from gymnastic competition floors to the expansive world of outdoor exploration. Today, Zivia is striving harder to expand the current extremely limited collective of Black womxn explorers receiving the necessary resources and support to pursue alpinism because the skill set required for technical mountain climbing continues to be challenging to access outside of eurocentric spaces. Zivia's determination toward change solidifies as they invite a team of fellow outdoor educators and mentors turned friends to pursue a historic summit on Mt. Kenya, challenging expectations and pushing the boundaries surrounding why and who attempts expeditions of this caliber.
The journey of the Rooting Souls team is an instrumental contribution toward the broader conversation of belonging and representation, access and support, and cross-cultural exchange. At a time when neighbors and nations are divided, and when climate catastrophe makes unity challenging to envision we need stories like Zivia's to remind us of the power in collective action and dreaming.
Finally, outdoor adventures are for everyone! Already, we've received support from mentors in the outdoor and filmmaking industries; from artists, athletes, and educators; from new collaborators and old friends. This project will come to fruition because of the support of the collective.
Zivia and the Rooting Souls vision is intertwined with why people recreate in the outdoors–to find community and belonging, to create fulfilling relationships between humans and our surroundings, and to push beyond what we perceive is possible.
This historic climb will illuminate the talent, skill, persistence and audacity it takes to achieve dreams, while also shedding light on the often overlooked barriers that Black womxn, queer people, and other people of the global majority overcome in order to explore the outdoors. By documenting this team, we are challenging the burdens of misogynoir while expanding and preserving the perspectives of Black womxn alpine climbers for the benefit of future generations.
Ultimately, Rooting Souls showcases the next generation of alpinists-Black women, queer people, educators, artists, storytellers, and activists—bringing fresh perspectives to an historically exclusive sport and renewed perspectives of the spaces that make us feel whole.
Rooting Souls is more than an outdoor adventure tale–documenting this story expands the trove of accomplishments of Black, queer womxn in the US. Your support helps us at a critical moment of gaining momentum and support for our vision.
We are in the initial stages of training and documenting as a team. Our first trip to Red Rock, NV is an opportunity for the climbing team to hone their flow on long multipitch routes in preparation for Mt. Kenya, as well as an opportunity for the creative team to capture these early moments of team development– important for painting a dynamic picture of Zivia and the Rooting Souls story.
In this early stage, you’ll be directly funding production costs such as cinematography, travel expenses toward this training trip and additional interviews, and hiring an editor–all to package a compelling pitch reel. This pitch reel will then be used to apply to larger grant and funding opportunities that will enable us to sustain our goal from now until the Rooting Souls team attempts Mt. Kenya in Summer 2026. Contributing to the project at this stage will allow us to secure the necessary resources and support to document this journey in its entirety.
Learn about our timeline for both the expedition and the film below:
If you’d like to support us and want to offer something different than a monetary contribution—great! Here’s what you can do:
- "Follow" the campaign on Seed&Spark! Once we hit 250 "followers," regardless of how many people pledge, we'll start unlocking creator discounts for this and future projects.
- Share the following on your social media:
"Support the Rooting Souls Team and a group of diverse independent filmmakers by sharing this sentimental outdoor adventure project #RootingSouls on @seedandspark! Join them here": seedandspark.com/fund/rooting-souls
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Travel Expenses
Costs $1,500
You're supporting the crew with our accommodations for our first training trip in Red Rock, NV.
Cinematography & Photography
Costs $5,000
We're teaming up with a talented crew that will help capture our team's story, whether we're 200m up on the rock or gathered round a fire.
Editor
Costs $2,000
Our talented editor is shaping our story into a pitch reel. A packaged reel will then be used to apply to grants for additional film funds.
Share this update!
About This Team
Effectively documenting this journey takes a uniquely talented team both in front of and behind the camera--learn about why this passionate team is the best fit to share this story.
JASMINE SZYMPRUCH, CO-DIRECTOR & PRODUCER
Jasmine is a queer artist-activist & communal storyteller based in Brooklyn, NY on unceded Lenape land, devoted to unearthing varied perspectives of what it is to be human and strives to center joy, liberation, healing, and a reclamation of our relationship to the land in their pursuits.
Documentaries Jasmine helped produce have been distributed by Netflix, Apple TV, HBO, Disney+, and PBS; and featured at Toronto International Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, DocNYC, and others. They have guest lectured at Pratt and contributed to numerous panels organizing around social and environmental justice work, and they are a founding member of the independent media group, The Irregulars Collective. Jasmine is currently pursuing their Single Pitch Instructor Certification and was a 2024 recipient of AMGA & Black Diamond’s SPI Affinity Scholarship.
ZIVIA BERKOWITZ, CO-DIRECTOR & EXPEDITION LEADER
Zivia Berkowitz is a rock climbing, hiking, and mountaineering instructor for NOLS as well as an AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide. Currently based in Colorado, Zivia has been traveling, working, climbing in the western part of the US for the past three years. Zivia comes from a multiracial and multicultural background, Zivia’s mother immigrated from Kenya to the U.S. and Zivia’s father is Jewish American. For their undergraduate degree at Colorado College, Zivia studied Feminist and Gender Studies, drawn to the critiques of power, nuanced discussions of identity, and feminist thinker’s calls for collective liberation. Zivia is passionate about building community and storytelling amongst folks who hold identities that are underrepresented in outdoor and rock climbing spaces.
CHEYENNE SMITH, PRODUCER
Cheyenne Smith is an emerging producer and industry creative, as well as an outdoor educator and AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide. Born, raised, and living in Colorado, Cheyenne found a deep connection to the outdoors and has spent the past several years working in outdoor education and guiding.
Now, she is returning to her roots in art, film, and design, blending her passion for storytelling, creativity, and the outdoors. With a degree in Strategic Design, Cheyenne brings years of experience in graphic and web design, branding, and communication. She’s worked with outdoor industry brands to offer creative direction, media production, and design services that bring bold ideas to life. Recently, her focus has shifted toward film production, where she uses her skills in project management, storytelling, and creative
problem-solving to craft work that feels both authentic and impactful.
ROSEMARY SAAL, ALPINIST
Currently based in Northern California, Rosemary Saal is an outdoor educator, adventure enthusiast, and speaker passionate about sharing the empowering nature of wild spaces with folks of all backgrounds. This passion has taken Rosemary around the world on expeditions to mountains big and small, including Denali, Kilimanjaro, and Mount Everest. Rosemary values the power of creating opportunity for all folks, particularly women of color, to build a personal relationship with recreating outdoors via the support of a strong team, the joy of connection, and of course some dancing on the trail.
SOF PETROS, ALPINIST
Sof’s ancestors connect her to the lands of Ayiti-Kiskeya-Bohio (Haiti), Chile, and the Mediterranean. Sof climbs to connect more deeply with the landscape and to have a testing ground for exploring their relationship with their body, fear, and joy. She is an experienced and capable environmental educator and organizer, with a background in fossil fuel divestment campaigns and passion for building community and youth power towards liberation and a world beyond extraction.
Now living in Seattle, Sof is a Wilderness First Responder, AMGA Certified Single Pitch Instructor, and Apprentice Rock Guide. During the winter season, they are an alpine ski instructor at Stevens Pass, PSIA
Certified Level 1, where they also lead for EDGE Outdoors.
ALISA SELMAN, EDITOR
Alisa is an editor with over ten years of professional experience in documentary, weekly news and promotional content. These productions have aired on HBO, Hulu, Netflix, Prime and PBS, as well as screened at a variety of film festivals including Sundance, Venice International, HotDocs, SXSW and Doc NYC. Alisa strives to craft stories that dig deep into the human experience and illuminate the ways in which we can collectively embody a more equitable and empowered existence. She is currently living in upstate New York with her partner and pup, exploring nature and learning how to create a permaculture food forest in her backyard.
MIYA TSUDOME, CINEMATOGRAPHER
Miya is a photographer and filmmaker with a creative focus on stories and images of adventure, lifestyle, and conservation. Whether it’s dangling off the side of El Cap to capture meaningful ascents, or running around the Eastern Sierra to help tell the story of climate change, not a moment goes by in the day when she’s not scheming up a new story she wants to tell.
IRENE YEE, PHOTOGRAPHER
Irene is a rock climbing and adventure photographer based on the west coast and is best known as @ladylockoff on Instagram. Her focus is to uplift women, BIPOC, and the LGBTQIA2+ communities; finding inspiration in those with passion over muscle.
She is a @natgeoadventure contributor, is internationally published (Climbing Magazine, Alpinist, Outside Magazine), and has worked with companies such as The North Face, Marmot, Outdoor Research, Mountain Hardware, and the Honnold Foundation. She is an enthusiastic speaker and educator meeting people where they’re at, and making all feel welcome and engaged.
Mentors & Support
(list not exhaustive)
Rafaelle Abramovitz: Founder of Naretoi, a nonprofit empowering Maasai women in Kenya through education and cultural exchange
Peter Naituli: Outfitter(AfroVertical Wild Tours)& climbing guide on Mt. Kenya
Eddie Taylor: Pro climber, member of expedition Full Circle Everest, previous ascent of Batian Peak
Thomas Bukowski: Professional alpine climber
Scarpa Athletics: Brand contributor