Kieren loves to dream of the ridiculous and make it a reality. Whether it’s cycling across Canada or converting a school bus into a full-time home, there is nothing Kieren enjoy’s more than testing the limits and learning more about herself!

As a mixed-race person of colour, Kieren’s lens focuses heavily on equity in the outdoors. With her first backcountry tenting experience as young as 6 weeks old, Kieren has had the unique experience of growing up watching how outdoor retailers, magazines and leaders had treated or represented her mother in comparison to her father. This created a lifelong yearning to create balance and equity in the outdoor industry.

Growing up in the outdoors has crafted Kieren into who she is today. After a personal deep-dive into her unique privilege of being white-passing, cis-gendered, and temporarily able-bodied growing up in the outdoors, Kieren‘s passions grew into increasing the inclusivity of the outdoors while protecting the spaces we love most.

You can find Kieren working alongside many of our friends, such as POW Canada, Human-Nature Counselling Society, and brand partners, through speaking and consulting contracts, and hosting workshops with Summit Within!

Jill (N’Quatqua-St́at́yemc and Chinese) is a storyteller and wannabe matriarch from the rez.

Jill self-proclaims that she is at the “Fool” stage of the cycle, trying new things and falling in love with most of them. This year alone she has added trail runner, backpacker, skateboarder, snowboarder, and weightlifter to her list of hobbies. She credits her newfound sense of adventure to her antidepressants.

Born and raised in the small fishing village of St. Brendan’s, an island off the east coast of Newfoundland, Kristine attributes her rural upbringing for her love of nature. Kristine has been living in Calgary for the past 7 years and can be found regularly hiking, skiing and backpacking in the Canadian Rockies. She is an apprentice hiking guide with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides and is working toward a full hiking guide certification.

Kristine holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s in applied sustainability. She has a background in project management, stakeholder engagement and grant/proposal writing.

Kristine served as the Access & Environment Chair for the Alpine Club of Canada – Calgary Section from 2016-2019. Kristine believes in the L.A. Foundation’s mission of making the backcountry more accessible and inclusive and hopes that she can help advance that goal as the L. A. Foundation’s first Scholarships Director.

Based in Gatineau-Ottawa, Serene began with the LA Foundation as a chapter lead. She finds connection through hiking, camping, and biking and believes nature should be accessible regardless of background circumstance. Through her work and community, she continues to advocate for inclusivity and education.