Who We Are
We are outdoor and business leaders who understand the importance of community in building new ideas into new companies
Vision
Mission
& Values
VISION
Wild Gift envisions a more just and sustainable world built by changemakers who share a common bond with wild nature.
MISSION
Wild Gift connects and empowers environmental entrepreneurs through immersive wilderness experiences and dynamic business programming.
VALUES
- We believe that reverence for wild nature is essential for leadership and the welfare of all people.
- We believe that the dynamism and diversity of wild places are vast resources for learning and creativity.
- We believe that strong connections with wild places and a supportive community are the foundation for lasting change.
- We believe that diversity in race, age, gender, ability, and sexual orientation makes us a more capable organization.
Meet Our
Team
Executive Director
Adam
Marvel
Adam Marvel, born and raised in Idaho, is a dynamic, community focused, leader in sustainable entrepreneurship with expertise in business and political strategy, specifically in impact analysis and strategic development. He has international experience in leading coalitions of profit with purpose, non-profit, and mission driven enterprises. He has a deep commitment to environmental and social impact, with demonstrably positive financial and community achievements including developing and delivering over $100 Million into impact funds and projects.
Program Director
Cassidy
Cichowicz
Cassidy’s academic and professional journey has been greatly influenced by her admiration for nature. She joined the Wild Gift team after mountain guiding in Ketchum, Idaho. Prior to that, Cassidy lived in Crested Butte, CO, where she attended Western Colorado University. In 2020, she graduated with a Masters in Environmental Management and focused on mountain community resiliency. Throughout her graduate program, she mentored community stakeholders and students working on conceptualizing and implementing sustainability projects.
Cassidy brings management, facilitation, and teaching experience to her role as Program Director. She is enthusiastic about supporting startup founders as they navigate the entrepreneurial journey and deepen their connection with wilderness. Cassidy lives in Bellingham, Washington and spends her time appreciating the Northwest on skis, bike, and foot.
Founder
Bob
Jonas
Bob is a lifelong wilderness traveler, advocate, and backcountry ski guide. Appreciating the transformative values of the wilderness experience on the well-being of people, Bob, in 2002, founded Wild Gift, a non-profit that selects extraordinary young leaders, takes them on a deep wilderness trip and expert mentorship to accelerate their better world ideas. There are more than 60 Wild Gift alumni who are changing the world as a result of Bob’s initiative.
Bob’s love of the backcountry led him to establish Sun Valley Trekking Company in 1982. Over the years, he created five backcountry ski huts that continue to this day. As a pioneer in backcountry hut to hut skiing and multi-day backcountry ski trips, Bob was inducted in 2020 into the Sun Valley’s Snow Sports Hall of Fame. His true passion, however, remains with his connection to the Wild Gift, its alumni, and new classes of young leaders who are changing the world. Bob and his wife, Sarah Michael, live in Ketchum, Idaho.
Alumni
Board
Lisa Curtis '12
Lisa began working on Kuli Kuli while in the Peace Corps in Niger, West Africa. As a volunteer in her village’s health center, she gained an understanding of nutritional challenges faced in West African villages and how moringa can help address those challenges. Prior to Kuli Kuli, Lisa served as the Communications Director at Mosaic, wrote political briefings for President Obama in the White House and worked at an impact investment firm in India. Lisa has been recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 leader, a Udall Scholar and a “dedicated humanitarian” by the Muhammad Ali Center.
Sarah Eminhizer '03
Chris Howell '09
Wild Gift helped Chris launch Vermont Farm Tours in 2009, which he ran for ten years before switching careers from food and agriculture to finance and real estate. Chris completed his MBA in 2017 and currently works for Image Relay, a B Corp business software company based in Burlington, VT. In his free time, Chris can be found binging on podcasts about entrepreneurship, technology, and design while backcountry skiing, mountain biking, or gardening.
Pete Land '03
Pete is the co-founder of Tamarack Media Cooperative, which helps environmental initiatives communicate their work through websites, videos, and print materials. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. He has served on the boards of Wild Gift, the DREAM Program, the Vermont Land Trust, and the Vermont Natural Resources Council. During a hiatus from the Green Mountain State, he worked at the San Diego Zoo and Defenders of Wildlife; he also directed education programs at a black bear sanctuary in northern Minnesota. Now attached to his computer most of the time, he appreciates more than ever the wilderness opportunities provided by Wild Gift. He and his family live in his hometown of Burlington, Vermont.
Alexander Wankel '16
Alex is a sustainable food entrepreneur with expertise in plant-based innovation and ethical sourcing of ancient ingredients from smallholder farmers in the Andes. His current venture Muyu MilQ is working to launch Quinoa and Chocho milks that support regenerative farming and also provide the perfect dairy free latte. After years living in Peru where he worked in fair trade artisanry, microfinance, and improving rural livelihoods through agrobiodiversity, Alex completed his MBA at the University of Oxford as a Skoll Scholar in 2019. He also holds a BA in Anthropology from Brown University. When he is not working, Alex enjoys any excuse to spend time outdoors and is always looking for new culinary adventures.
