Ángel Peña (He/Him/His/ Él)

Executive Director
Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project

A first-generation Mexican American, Ángel is a proud father of three, an avid memory maker with his friends and family, and a public lands and people advocate. Over the last decade, Angel has been part of and led overwhelmingly successful efforts to protect landscapes and places that help capture the full American story. As the Executive Director of the Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project, Ángel works to ensure that Frontera, Borderland, communities, leaders, have access to the political process and our histories are reflected in public land management decisions.

Vasu Sojitra (He/Him/His) 

Professional Athlete
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategist

Vasu Sojitra is a professional skier and a Disability Access Strategist living in Bozeman, MT. He has climbed peaks like the Grand Teton and was the first Disabled person to ski peaks in Montana’s Beartooth and Bridger Mountains with monumental ski descents on Tahoma (Mt Rainer) and Denali all on one leg and without a prosthetic leg. Through his goals and ambitions, he hopes to create more accessible spaces for people with disabilities and people of color in the outdoors and the ski world. With his motto of “#ninjasticking through the woods to center intersectionality in the outdoors,” he continues to challenge the biases that go with being a Disabled person of color by being:

• The first Disabled athlete for The North Face

• Sitting on The North Face Explore Fund Council

• A founding member of The Outdoor F.U.T.U.R.E Initiative

• Advisory Council Member for REI Co-op

• The co-founder of the Inclusive Outdoors Project

• The lead director for Lotus Producers

• A professional soccer player for the USA Amputee Soccer Team 

He is currently supported by The North Face, REI Co-op, Subaru USA, Faction Skis, and Smith Optics, and is the co-founder of Revelshine Wine.

Jaylyn Gough (She/Hers)

Founder and Executive Director,
Native Womens Wilderness

Jaylyn Gough is from the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico, she is a photographer, writer, speaker, and the founder of Native Womens Wilderness. Designed to be an organization to share stories, to learn, and to support other Native Women on the Land. It was created in the frustration of the lack of Women of Color represented in the Outdoor Industries, let alone a Native Woman.

Jaylyn hopes to assist in the change of the outdoor stigma of what women should look like and has a great desire to see more diversity in our Industries. Being a woman of color is difficult, but these stories represent the resiliency our Native Women have and how much of it is tied to the Land.

She has worked with HOKA One One, Mountain Hardware, Vasque, and Backcountry.  Her work has been featured in Outside Magazine, National Geographic, and Condé Nast. She is an avid hiker, backpacker, angler, climber, biker and more. You can usually find her in the desert or in the mountains with a camera in her hand.

Olivia Bettinger

Operations Director Nuestra Tierra

Oliva Bettinger’s passion for public lands and waters was ignited in childhood by canoeing with her family on muddy, post-Dust Bowl, WPA-created lakes in Northeast Oklahoma. As a young adult, Olivia witnessed the importance of outdoor education as a longtime Girl Scout camp counselor and lifeguard. She saw her campers’ confidence bloom as they learned to kayak, hike their first trails, and light their first campfires. This showed her the power of meaningful outdoor experiences and instilled a drive to ensure that all youth are able to access these opportunities. As Operations Director at Nuestra Tierra Conservation project, Oliva manages the organization’s finances, supports employees, and plans for growth.  She has seven years of experience in nonprofit administration, conservation, and public lands. Olivia currently lives in Las Cruces with her wife, cats, and dog. When she’s not working, she enjoys dancing, building community, and being outside as much as possible.

Taishya Adams (She/Her)

Consultant

Taishya is a servant leader focused on collective liberation and stewardship through community building, personal transformation, and systems change. After 30+ years at the intersections of education, health, workforce, science, and environment, Taishya founded the Mukuyu Collective, LLC to transform systems through policy, programs, and play. Taishya is also an elected official serving as a council member for Boulder City Council.  Taishya also serves on the board of Black in Marine Science. Previously, Taishya served as a commissioner to Colorado Parks and Wildlife; the NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Business Advisory Council; and on the Colorado Natural Areas Council.

Prior to the Collective, Taishya worked as the National Policy & Education Director and Colorado Network Co-lead for Outdoor Afro. Outdoor Afro is a national network that celebrates and inspires Black American connections to nature and leadership. Taishya also worked at American Institutes for Research as an Educational Equity Specialist and trainer; the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools providing technical assistance and trainings on school design, accountability systems, evaluation, and governance, the DC Public Charter School Board providing non-academic and academic oversight and training, and the Children Defense Fund Freedom Schools where she began her career at the Alex Haley Farm in 1995 serving Black communities through summer and after school enrichment programs.

Taishya is the founding Board President of New Legacy Charter School, a public charter high school and early learning center in Aurora, Colorado. Taishya holds a MA in International Education from George Washington University and a BA from Vassar College in Political Science and Film.

Jason Swann (He/Him/His)

Co-Founder
Rising Routes

Co-Leader
Outdoor Afro Colorado

Western Resource Advocates Fellow

A dedicated advocate for equitable access to nature and a trailblazer in the world of conservation. Before diving headfirst into the world of conversation, Jason spent 8 years in the financial services sector, helping folks prepare for their retirements. But, as fate would have it, a profound personal connection with nature sparked a change in his career path. As a founding member of the Outdoor FUTURES Initiative, Jason is at the forefront of a movement to create a National Outdoor Opportunity Foundation. This visionary foundation is all about ensuring that everyone can savor the joys of the great outdoors no matter where you're from, what you earn, or the area code you reside in.

As a Founder of Rising Routes and the Intermountain West Conservation Finance Director for Trust for Public Land, Jason uses his expertise to help local and state governments drive ballot and legislation to support parks and land conservation and create opportunities for underserved communities to engage with the natural world. He's also been appointed by Colorado Governor Jared Polis to the Environmental Justice Advisory Board, where he champions projects that combat pollution and climate change in disproportionately impacted communities.

Beyond his work, Jason is a bit of an adventurer himself. He's a backpacking enthusiast, an avid hiker, and quite the talented photographer. But what sets him apart is his tireless commitment to ensuring everyone has a fair shot at experiencing the beauty of our natural world.

Teresa Ana Martinez (She/Hers)

Executive Director
Continental Divide Trail Coalition

Co-chair
Next 100 Coalition

 He/Him

Strategic Partnerships & Social Impact Consultant

Step by Stepp Strategies

For over 30 years, Teresa has worked professionally to increase awareness, engagement, access, and stewardship of our entire National Trails System. A graduate of Virginia Tech, Teresa holds a B.S. and M.S from the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife in the College of Natural Resources. Teresa is a life long outdoor recreationist and from 1987-2007 she worked for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, from 2007 to 2012 she worked for the Continental Divide Trail Alliance and since 2012 she has been the Executive Director (and co-founder) of the Continental Divide Trail Coalition. She serves on the board of the Partnership for the National Trails System and has served as the Chair of the Federal Advisory Committee to aid the USFS in the development of the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail. Teresa is actively involved in the creation of equitable spaces for all people in the outdoors and currently serves as Board member of the Next100 Coalition. In 2019 , Teresa was honored by the Virginia Tech College of Natural Resources as the recipient of the Gerald Cross Alumni Leadership Award. When not working on behalf of one of our National Trails, Teresa may be found exploring trails in and around Santa Fe by bike, horse, and foot and is always up for a discada with friends in cool outdoor places!

Kyle is an internationally ranked elite para-triathlete, speaker, and social impact consultant, honored as a Business First 40 under 40 recipient. After growing up in boys' homes, overcoming childhood cancer and later limb loss in his 20s, he has soared into elite para-triathlon, proudly representing Team U.S.A. Kyle transforms personal challenges into advocacy for equitable healthcare, outdoor access, disability rights, and LGBTQ+ inclusion.

As an adept independent consultant, Kyle specializes in strategic partnerships, corporate social responsibility, fundraising, and inclusive marketing. He actively engages in political advocacy, championing disability and LGBTQ+ rights, alongside promoting equitable healthcare and outdoor inclusion. Kyle's leadership extends to nonprofit organizations, building national partnerships and programs with entities like Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, Amputee Coalition, American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association, The Range of Motion Project, and others.

A leading voice for disability and LGBTQ+ representation, Kyle collaborates with brands like Cotopaxi, On and lululemon to embed these values into their operations and marketing. His legislative efforts, including spearheading New Mexico House Bill 131, ensure equitable access to prosthetic and orthotic care for physical activity and now supports the growth of the nationwide grassroots state-by-state legislative initiative So Every Body Can Move. After serving in city and state appointments, Kyle advises elected officials and policymakers on inclusive policies impacting individuals with disabilities, showcasing his unwavering commitment to systemic change.

Jack Soto (He/Him/His)

Sr. Program Manager,
Career Readiness & Employment
American Indian College Fund

Jack is Navajo of the Black-Streaked-Wood People (Tsi’naajinii) and Cocopah of the Mountain Lion Clan. He received his M.S. in Organizational Development and B.A. in Political Science in the School of Public Affairs at American University. He served as Director of the Washington Semester American Indian Program – Washington Internships for Native Students at American University in Washington, DC, which was the National Congress of American Indian 2012 Public Leadership award recipient. Currently he works with Tribal Colleges and Universities to support efforts in experiential education and career placement.

His work is focused on organizational cross-cultural competency with his career and academic development being greatly influenced by his time with the National Indian Education Association. He works with various organizations and tribal communities in developing an understanding of effectiveness and efficiency in overall productivity and operations. In that, he now partners with corporations in creating practices that touch on filling the gap of a Native presence in their workforce, which is a prime charge in his current position. Additionally, he works with Tribal Colleges and Universities to develop a more synthesized, culturally-responsive approach to career advising to impact the lives of their students and communities.

Laura Flores (She/Hers)

STEAM Teacher
Latino Outdoor Albuquerque Program Coordinator
EENM Fellow

Laura has been fortunate to have grown up with the ocean, river, or mountains nearby. She was born in Southern California and permanently moved to New Mexico in high school. Growing up, she would go camping around the state with her parents and four sisters. As a child, she would stay out riding her bike, collecting rocks, going on hikes, and runs to explore her neighborhood. As an adult, Laura became an educator, earning her MA in Special Education and MBA in Educational Leadership. She shares her passion for the outdoors with her community as a S.T.E.A.M teacher. Her goal is to equitably expose students to outdoor education. In her free time, she enjoys camping, paddleboarding, hiking, and skiing with her family.

Gabaccia Moreno
(She/ Her/ Ella)

National Monuments Fellow at Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project

Gabaccia Moreno is a first-generation multimedia storyteller, consultant, and passionate outdoor advocate. Growing up around the ancestral lands of the Olmecs, Aztecs, and Mayans,  gave her an appreciation for the land and its wildlife at an early age. Today she serves as the Executive Director of The Outdoorist Oath, an organization creating educational tools and equipping people to ally planet, inclusion, and adventure. Gabaccia has also served as National Monuments Fellow for Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project, participating in campaigns seeking to make the outdoors more equitable while protecting our shared resources.  Gabaccia has also worked as a host for the She Explores and Dirtbag Diaries podcasts, and as a contributor at Backpacker.com. In her free time, you’ll find her outside, probably fishing, hunting, taking photos and videos, hiking, or backpacking.