A LETTER FROM OUR FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
To The Venture Out Project Community,
As we roll into 2024 and prepare to launch Venture Out’s 10th full season, I am awestruck as I reflect on all we have accomplished since our founding in 2014. What began as a one-person project and an idea to bring queer people backpacking, flourished into a thriving non-profit with full-time employees, seasonal trip staff and instructors, a fantastic volunteer leader program, thousands of participants, and incredible brand partners. We went from leading two backpacking trips to guiding participants on canoe, rafting, backcountry skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, climbing, ice climbing, fly fishing, forest bathing, foraging and even more adventures. We have learned from and taught so many people about what it means to be queer in the outdoors and how to make that sacred space safer.
Just as nature has cycles, so too do careers. I founded Venture Out full of ideas and dreams. I have been fortunate enough to accomplish many of those dreams and more. And now I believe I am at a time in my life and my career where I know it’s time to hand the Executive Director role off to a new person, with new ideas, new energy, and a desire to make an established and great organization even better. It is with bittersweet emotions that I share that we are beginning a search for the next Executive Director of The Venture Out Project. We are excited to bring in a new person to lead our team, to unite them behind a vision of what comes next, and to continue to provide excellent wilderness adventures for the queer community.
We have partnered with Koya Associates to undertake this search. I will stay in my role until a new Executive Director is hired. I will help onboard them and then will transition from ED to a member of the Board of Directors. I will continue to help guide the strategic vision and mission of Venture Out from this role, but will no longer be directing day-to-day operations.
I have the utmost faith in our team. They are tremendous and I know will continue to steward our staff, volunteers, adventures, and brand relationships.
I look forward to this next journey for me personally and for Venture Out. Happy New Year and here’s to many more great adventures,