About
Jake Rich and Anna Chahuneau are a creative and entrepreneurial partnership operating at the intersection of adventure travel and digital education. While their YouTube channel, with its 199,000 subscribers, showcases stunning cinematic journeys from the sands of the Sahara to the peaks of Italy, the true architecture of their business lies beyond the view counts. They have built an "Authority Funnel," a multi-pillar business model that uses high-production free content to establish expertise, which is then carefully monetized through a direct-to-consumer education platform, high-value brand sponsorships, and a comprehensive affiliate marketing network. A technical filmmaker and an environmental biologist, they fused their distinct skill sets to build not just a travel channel, but a resilient and diversified digital enterprise.
Jake Rich and Anna Chah: History and Growth
The channel's foundation was laid on December 16, 2012, when Jake Rich, a 32-year-old filmmaker with dual Australian and British nationality, launched his solo brand, "JakeRichTravels." A graduate of the SAE Institute in Music and Design, Rich used his technical background and a previous role as a social media manager for Gelato Messina to build an early presence. Collaborations with the travel company Contiki helped establish him in the adventure vlogging space, a reputation solidified when he won a $5,000 GoPro Award at the 2018 GoPro Creator Summit in Alberta, Canada.
The brand's evolution began in 2019 when Rich met Anna Chahuneau in Australia. Chahuneau, a French national born in Paris, brought a completely different but complementary expertise. Her academic credentials include a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Bachelor of Arts in Mandarin from the College of William & Mary (2014–2018), and a Master of Science in Environment, Culture, and Society from the University of Edinburgh. An award-winning filmmaker in her own right, her 2018 documentary Pursuing the Monarchs earned her the Student Filmmaker Award at the 2019 Wild & Scenic Film Festival.
Their professional collaboration led to a strategic rebranding of Rich's channel to "Jake Rich and Anna Chah." This change signaled a shift from a solo creator to a dual-identity brand. In 2020, they formalized their business partnership by co-founding their educational platform, "Not Just Colour." Their joint influence was further recognized when Chahuneau was named a winner of the GoPro Million Dollar Challenge in 2021.
Jake Rich and Anna Chah's Content and Style
The channel's content is a deliberate mix of inspiration and instruction. The cinematic travel films serve as the top of the marketing funnel, showcasing destinations like K'gari (Fraser Island) and Nguthungulli (Julian Rocks) in Australia with a signature high-production visual style. These films demonstrate what is creatively possible with the gear they feature.
This aspirational content is balanced by a robust slate of educational tutorials. These videos are the workhorses of their business model, breaking down complex filmmaking techniques for their audience. Topics range from GoPro color grading and creative masking shots in Adobe Premiere Pro to detailed reviews and user guides for the latest action cameras.
Separately, Anna Chahuneau maintains her own YouTube channel, @AnnaChah, a platform dedicated to her work as an environmental filmmaker. This is where she hosts documentaries like Seeds of Sovereignty and delves into topics of minimalism and sustainable tourism, reflecting her identity as a biologist and climate activist.
How Jake Rich and Anna Chah Make Money
The duo's financial success is built on a diversified strategy that minimizes reliance on fluctuating YouTube ad revenue. Their primary commercial engine is "Not Just Colour," the online education company they founded in 2020. Its flagship product is the "Zero to Hero Action Camera Course," a comprehensive course priced at $249. The package includes 43 lessons totaling over four hours of video content, access to a private student Facebook community, personalized feedback, and a 30-minute one-on-one video call with the creators. The platform also directly monetizes their visual brand by selling digital assets like Lightroom presets and video LUTs (Look-Up Tables).
Their status as authorities in the action camera niche has attracted recurring sponsorships from the industry's core technology companies, including GoPro, Insta360, and DJI. Their videos often function as sponsored showcases for new product launches, such as the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 and DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro. Partnerships extend to key creative tools and lifestyle brands, including Adobe, Musicbed, Epidemic Sound, and even the automotive company BYD, which sponsored a video featuring its BYD Seal electric car.
A third pillar is a carefully managed affiliate marketing network. Using the geni.us link management service, nearly every piece of equipment, software, or service mentioned in their content is linked, generating commissions. Their video descriptions carry a clear disclosure for their participation in the Amazon Associates program, transforming every tutorial into a potential revenue stream.
Jake Rich and Anna Chah's Collaborations
Rich and Chahuneau have cemented their position within the creator community not just as influencers, but as trusted industry partners. Their recurring collaborations with GoPro, Insta360, and DJI position them as key opinion leaders whose content often serves as the first real-world test for new flagship cameras. This access to pre-release hardware fuels their educational content, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of authority. Beyond hardware, Rich has curated official music playlists for Epidemic Sound, a recognition of his influence on the aesthetic trends within the travel filmmaking community. His early work with Contiki demonstrates a long-standing ability to integrate with established brands.
Jake Rich and Anna Chah: Public Reception
An extensive review of public records and media coverage found no verifiable controversies, legal disputes, or negative press associated with either Jake Rich or Anna Chahuneau. Their digital footprint appears to be professionally managed and free of significant public incidents.
Jake Rich and Anna Chah: Philanthropy
The duo's philanthropic and advocacy efforts are directly integrated into their professional work rather than existing as separate initiatives. Chahuneau's academic background in biology and her focus as an environmental filmmaker are central to the brand's purpose-driven content. Her documentaries and work with organizations like the School for Field Studies serve as educational tools to raise awareness about biodiversity, conservation, and sustainable tourism. Demonstrating cultural respect, their content filmed in Australia includes acknowledgments of the Traditional Owners of the land upon which they film.
Jake Rich and Anna Chah Today
Jake Rich and Anna Chahuneau have successfully transitioned from the crowded field of travel vlogging into the more defensible and lucrative space of expert instruction. The fusion of Rich's technical filmmaking mastery and Chahuneau's scientific, purpose-driven storytelling has created a brand that is both aspirational and deeply practical.