Reflecting on Leadership Academy

2024 was a year of investing in myself both personally and professionally. One of the biggest steps I took this year was applying to, committing to, and completing The Futurist Project’s Leadership Academy.

This six-month program identifies and unites 30 emerging leaders across, and adjacent to, the outdoor industry. Every year, the program brings together diverse individuals — ranging in age, experience, places of work, and stages in their careers — to create a dynamic learning space where ideas flourish and innovative solutions are born.

Over six months, each participant is paired with a mentor. Weekly learning modules feature a comprehensive curriculum on outdoor industry challenges, leadership training, experiential learning, and communication and strategic thinking skills. Campfire discussions with industry-renowned speakers and peer-to-peer collaboration bring those topics to life.

The experience concludes with capstone projects, and presentations at Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, that support nonprofit organizations in the industry. Ultimately, the program provides personal and professional development opportunities; equips the next generation of outdoor industry leaders; and builds meaningful, supportive community — one that lasts well beyond the six-month program.

My cohort, Class 8, kicked off our experience in late May in Beaver Creek, Colorado. We came from communities across the U.S. with two of us also navigating life internationally and are comprised of folks from agencies, brands, local retailers, and nonprofit organizations as well as a few who freelance. We gathered in person again for our CAMP Retreat at TIFIE Preserve in Utah in August, and then, in November, we traveled to Kansas City for our capstone project presentations and Leadership Academy graduation.

As I flew home on November 13, I reflected on what the experience meant — and continues to mean — to me. Though Leadership Academy was a considerable financial and time commitment for me, I am so glad that I said yes to it. And that I did so this year alongside this group of people. I am so glad that I not only said yes to applying and accepting but also that I chose to fully lean into the weekly learning modules, the mentorship, my group’s capstone project for Ríos to Rivers, and, more than anything, the community. This community is a gift.

I have learned a lot about our industry, myself, and others through this experience. From my peers, to my mentor, to our campfire speakers and others, I have formed meaningful relationships and had forward-thinking and moving conversations. I am grateful for the range of vibrant perspectives I’ve encountered within this community. And I’m immensely grateful to The Futurist Project for pairing me with Amanda Smith, my mentor, and to Amanda for her authenticity, commitment, and openness. It has been nothing short of a joy and transformative experience to be in community and conversation with her, and I’m grateful that I get to continue connecting with and growing alongside her.

I feel this is only the beginning of — or perhaps the start of another chapter within — a journey that I can’t fully see the road for yet, but I’m trusting each step as I take it, always guided by some combination of knowledge, intuition, experience, and community.

Early on, during one of our weekly learning modules, I wrote down a quote from an article we read and stuck it on my computer monitor as a daily reminder, a guiding light for my work as a storyteller.

“Go deeper with your storytelling, find those places of tension and explore the social, cultural and political dynamics that shape that moment.” – Latria Graham

So what’s next? I’m excited to continue down this road as a writer, editor, and content producer with a focus on truly local stories, and human stories, of social and environmental impact. Now, more than ever, I believe in the importance and power of these stories — the stories of people or communities who may look or identify differently from me but who share a universal theme or value. Stories that build bridges and understanding. Stories that educate and inspire action. Stories that resonate in altogether big and subtle ways.