30 Young Adventure Leaders You Need To Know

21) Tim Miller, Age 25 (Product Designer Sea to Summit)

Tim combines 3-D design with a love of travel and adventure to help develop and manufacture outdoor, travel and water sports products sold worldwide.

Why you should know him: Miller’s work creates some of the industries lightest and most travel-friendly products on the market, pushing the boundaries of next-generation gear.

22) Becca Skinner, Age 25 (Photographer)

Becca is an independent photographer and writer passionate about creating images that encourage the protection and exploration of wild places.

Why you should know her: Born into a family of adventurers and raised on the high plains of Wyoming and in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, Skinner studied Social Work and Technical Writing at the University of Wyoming and won a National Geographic Young Explorer Grant to photograph post-tsunami Sumatra, Indonesia.

23) Matt Gillespie, Age 26 (Social Impact Designer GoSun Stove)

An industrial designer by training, Matt is a founding member of GoSun Stove, a company that creates solar-powered cooking solutions.

Why you should know him: Gillespie’s work drives GoSun Stove’s mission to combat global warming by significantly cutting back on the use of fossil fuels and its commitment to plant 20 trees for every unit sold.

24) Grace Anderson, Age 26 (Inspiring Connections Outdoors Representative Sierra Club)

Grace coordinates the 52-group nationwide volunteer-led program that connects marginalized communities to the outdoors – especially youth.

Why you should know her: As a young person herself, Anderson is on the leading edge of the push to foster younger stewards and future generations of a global community connected to the outdoors.

25) Andrew Siess, Age 26 (Adventurer)

His title about sums it up: Andrew walks, bikes, sails, and canoes inspiring journeys, which he shares on his blog.

Why you should know him: In 2012, Siess began a journey to become the youngest person to circumnavigate the planet on foot, a trip he finished in 2015. He also biked from Minnesota to the southern tip of South America. His adventures continue today.

26) William Watters, Age 29 (Founder and CEO Western Rise)

Working with his wife in Telluride, Colo., William creates simple, functional, and versatile apparel for mountain life that inspires people to reconnect and preserve the natural world.

Why you should know him: For every item sold, Western Rise donates a portion of profits to the Western River Conservancy to help protect and maintain Colorado’s waterways.

27) Jessica Wahl, Age 29 (Government Affairs Manager Outdoor Industry Association)

Jessica focuses on securing increased funding, access, and infrastructure for outdoor recreation, and promoting the outdoor industry agenda in Washington, D.C. on Capitol Hill and within the Presidential Administration.

Why you should know her: Wahl’s efforts connect the policy dots between OIA’s Made in America, Trade, Conservation, and Recreation issue areas, developing and analyzing legislation, and organizing political engagement from outdoor businesses across the country – in short, she hustles every day to effect change and progress to benefit the outdoors.

28) Mike Mueller, Age 28 (VP of Sales and Marketing Get Outfitted)

Mike scours the outdoor world to curate the best products and brands to promote the outdoor lifestyle for customers of Get Outfitted.

Why you should know him: Through his work, Get Outfitted has become a successful vendor of outdoor apparel that customers can rent and return, creating a community of occasional wanderers that take more adventures and spend less time inside.

29) Mo Elliott, Age 27 (Founder & CEO Fayettechill)

Mo’s outdoor apparel company promotes a lifestyle of relaxing into the outdoors, not tackling it, and his work has resulted in a successful brand created by a team of sub-30-year-old talent.

Why you should know him: Fayettechill produces USA-made, organic, and recycled items, that ground the company in sustainability.

30) Sophie Sarkar, Age 27 (Outdoor Recreation Planner National Park Service)

Sophie is a planner, artist, and advocate for people and parks in the Greater Philadelphia Area.

Why you should know her: As an Outdoor Recreation Planner with the U.S. National Park Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program, Sarkar helps groups of varying backgrounds come together around neighborhood projects that promote close-to-home outdoor engagement and build community.