MEET OUR TEAM

Perry Cohen realized a lifelong dream of combining his love of the outdoors, his commitment to social justice, his own identity, and his professional life when he founded The Venture Out Project, Basecamp at Beaver Falls, and Transhealth.

Perry has extensive wilderness experience, having led multi-day hiking, skiing, and mountain biking trips in the US and Canada. He is an avid backcountry skier, biker, runner and aspiring surfer and river rafter. In addition to leading trips, Perry works with our brand partners to help educate and work towards a more inclusive outdoors for all. Prior to founding The Venture Out Project Perry was the head of talent and Development at C&S Wholesale Grocers where he still serves on the Board.

Perry has two children and makes their home in the hills and trails of Massachusetts.

Perry is an Eddie Bauer One Outside Leader. In this role, Perry works with Eddie Bauer to develop inclusive products and practices for their customers, employees and the entire outdoor community. Perry is proud to work with High 5 Adventure as a consultant around strategic planning and leadership. And, Perry is a member of the Board of Directors at C&S Wholesale Grocers, a national leader in food supply and distribution.

Devoney Erickson (she/her/hers) resides in beautiful New Hampshire where she loves being active in the outdoors. Some of her favorite things to do are running (especially on the trails), skiing & snowboarding, mountain biking, and cooling off in New England lakes and oceans.  

Prior to joining The Venture Out Project, Devoney was the Head of Talent for a large grocery distribution company.  In her role, she served as both a coach and mentor and was responsible for training and development across the company. Prior to that, Devoney enjoyed the slopes of Colorado while working for Vail Resorts as a part of the Vail Ski and Snowboard School’s management team. She graduated from Hartwick College where she was a member of the women’s soccer and lacrosse teams.  

She is a current board member or her local town’s Family YMCA. She is a certified Professional Ski and Snowboard Instructor of America- Level 1.  

Devoney and her husband have three children who also share a love for the outdoors.

SJ (she/her/hers) has over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Prior to joining Basecamp and The Venture Out Project, SJ spent close to a decade at the American Camp Association as their Executive Director. Before that, she was an Executive Vice President at Housing Works, one of the nation’s largest AIDS service providers where she worked to create social enterprises. She was a lifelong New Yorker who now lives in Massachusetts with her partner, two kids, and dog Bowie.

Ana (she/her/hers) currently calls the valley and hilltowns of Massachusetts home. Originally from Maine, she discovered her love for getting lost in the forested areas around New England while in college. After graduating, Ana WWOOFed and worked on local organic farms, learning the importance of native pollinators and knowing your farmer. If you were looking, you might find her in a garden with her hands in the dirt, or plotting her next farm-to-table dinner party. Ana is a Wilderness First Responder, certified in Mental Health Wilderness First Aid, and as a Mental Health First Aid instructor.

You can learn more about Ana by listening here and here. Podcasts not your thing? You can also read about her here.

Adrianne (she/her/hers) grew up in a variety of places but now lives in Northampton, Massachusetts. She always has had a passion for the wilderness and medicine, and grew up exploring the national parks, backpacking, and enjoying summer camp in Maine. She eventually went to medical school after fostering an interest in public health and science, and a desire to help people especially in the setting of the emergency department. She completed medical school at the University of New England in Maine and did her Emergency Medicine residency at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA. After residency, she did a Wilderness Medicine Fellowship, during which she learned about and practiced medicine in austere environments. She specifically focused on expedition medicine and mountain medicine, and worked on acquiring her Diploma in Mountain Medicine through the Wilderness Medical Society. In her free time, she still enjoys being in the wilderness, mostly backpacking, skiing, day hiking in the White Mountains, and planning trips to higher altitudes. She has one cat, Millie, with whom she spends a lot of time. She is very excited to be joining the Venture Out team as the medical director!

Oliver (he/him/his) lives in Massachusetts with his partner and their two dogs. He is originally from Indiana, where he spent his youth climbing trees and swimming with catfish. As an adult, Oliver spent years leading queer organizations and promoting LGBTQ+ education and advocacy all over Southern Indiana. After moving to Massachusetts in 2014, he got involved with The Venture Out Project from its start and rediscovered his love of the outdoors. He has since become passionate about hiking, backpacking, and map-reading. Oliver is a Wilderness First Responder and has a degree in Health Education and Promotion from the University of Massachusetts. He spends his free time hiking his favorite trails, rock climbing, and searching for swimming holes.

Elena (she/her) grew up car camping, hiking, and going on float trips. Her love for the outdoors grew when she went to college and graduate school and got to explore the forests and waterways in and around Maine and Massachusetts. In Spring 2023 Elena joined the TVOP family as a volunteer during the revamp of the volunteer program. While she still leads day events in the Washington, DC area, she also supports TVOP volunteers across the country. A lifelong learner and former high school math teacher, Elena holds a BA and MS in Math and is currently completing her PhD in Math Education. When not working at her computer, you'll probably find her playing soccer, hiking, sampling the local ice cream offerings, or visiting the Smithsonian Museums and other DC highlights with her family.