Nice to meet you!
Our small but mighty staff and Board of Directors are in constant collaboration planning, recruiting, promoting, fundraising for, and designing fellowships that empower and delight.
In short, we work hard, have fun, and love what we do.
Our Team
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Executive Director
cassidy@wildgift.org
Cassidy brings a strong background in management, leadership development, and guiding, paired with a deep appreciation for the natural world, to her role as Executive Director of Wild Gift. She earned her Master’s in Environmental Management from Western Colorado University, focusing on mountain community resiliency. Prior to joining Wild Gift, Cassidy worked as a mountain guide in Idaho and mentored stakeholders and students on sustainability projects. Under the trees, in the snow, or floating on mama ocean are Cassidy’s favorite places to be.
Photo Credit: Joe St.Onge
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Backcountry Guide
Joe has dedicated his life to exploring wild country and sharing the joys of the backcountry through guiding. He holds a BA in Outdoor Education, a Master’s Degree in Geography, and a Ski Mountaineering Guide Certification from the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA). Additionally, Joe is a founding member of the United States Hut Alliance and a professional member of the American Avalanche Association.
Joe guides throughout the great ranges of the world, leading climbing, trekking and ski expeditions in Idaho, Utah, Alaska, South America, Antarctica, Japan, Norway, Canada and the Himalaya. In addition to guiding, Joe has built 6 ski huts in the wild mountains of Central Idaho and has run Sun Valley Mountain Huts since 2000. Joe has worked with the Wild Gift from its inception, guiding treks in Alaska, Idaho and Utah. Joe continues to be inspired by the wild country and loves to share his experience and stoke in the backcountry.
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Program Manager
Jacinta has dedicated her career to combining her academic background in justice and inclusion, with her love of the outdoors. Jacinta graduated from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, with a law degree in 2019. Her studies focused on intersectionality theory, gender, and mental health. With a love of the outdoors and a passion for inclusivity, she started working in diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in the outdoor industry. She has also worked as a ski instructor in Japan and a freelancer in the outdoor industry in the creative space. This path then led her to work with us as the program coordinator at Wild Gift. Jacinta believes the outdoors can help teach us many life lessons, and has been a place of solace and learning for her personally. She feels excited about being able to help extend these experiences to those who are interested in the Wild Gift Fellowship. Jacinta is somewhat of a nomad but is more recently based in Canada. She is committed to her daily yoga practice and is an avid hiker and skier. She also loves to read, cook, and drink matcha lattes.
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Backcountry Guide
Francie St.Onge was born and raised in Minnesota, where some say she skied out of the womb. Pursuing her life-long interest in natural history and ecology Francie obtained a B.S. in Forestry Resource Conservation with a minor in Wilderness Studies in 1995. After guiding wilderness expeditions and ski tours in the continental U.S and Alaska for 3 years she went back to complete an M.S in Recreation Resource Management and Environmental Education with a minor in Spanish in 2000.
During her years in graduate school Francie had the unique opportunity to work with Dr. Gordon Haber in Denali National Park, helping to observe and gather data about wolves in the Park. She also guided educational tours and gave evening presentations about wolf ecology and predator-predator interactions at the Denali Backcountry Lodge. Francie’s primary area of study was working with Hispanic elementary school children to explore Environmental Education in a multi-cultural context.
In December of 2000 Francie and her husband Joe took over Sun Valley Trekking, a backcountry hut outfitting and guide service based in Hailey, ID. For the past 20+ years she and Joe have been outfitting the huts and developing a backcountry guide program in Sun Valley. Francie founded and led the first Wolf Ecology Tours in 2007 in collaboration with Defenders of Wildlife and Idaho Conservation League to provide a local, field-based educational program about wolf ecology for the public.
Francie continues to run the Sun Valley Mountain Huts business with Joe and staff, while raising 2 daughters and occasionally training for ski marathons. Francie has been leading the Wild Gift Treks for about 20 years and it is one of her most inspiring and cherished opportunities.
Board of Directors
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Wild Gift Board President
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.
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Wild Gift Board Member
Kayden is the founder of The Outside Social Club, an organization focused on making outdoor recreation more inclusive and accessible through community-driven events like hiking, skiing, and climbing. By day, he works as a project engineer in civil and utility construction, where he manages logistics and supports field operations—skills he brings into planning safe, well-organized outdoor experiences. Additionally, Kayden is focused on building partnerships with brands, nonprofits, and local organizations to expand access and foster long-term community engagement. Through storytelling, programming, and leadership, he is committed to reshaping who feels like they belong outside.
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Wild Gift Board Member
Jack currently works as the Field Operations Manager with the Emerald Necklace Conservancy where he manages tree care initiatives and landscape restoration projects throughout 1,100-acres of Boston's public parkland. He grew up in Massachusetts with a love for outdoor spaces and forests, and holds a BS in Environmental Studies from Yale College and a Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of the Environment. He has a background in urban forestry and wildlife research, and has worked to found programs dedicated to increasing accessibility to parks and outdoor spaces for members of low-income and BIPOC communities. Wild Gift prompted Jack to work on a venture called Outdoor Rep that focused on gear distribution through brand partnerships to reduce barriers to camping and backpacking experiences.
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Wild Gift Board Member
Michael Kass (Founder, Story & Spirit) is a convening designer, facilitator, coach and thought partner for leaders and organizations dedicated to weaving a new story. Michael's work revolves around bringing deep humanity, connection, and a sense of the Sacred back to leadership and change work and he's been privileged to work with clients ranging from tech leadership teams to grassroots not-for-profits to international CEOs. Michael is an ICF Certified Coach, Certified Breathwork Facilitator, has completed Four Directions Training with Rites of Passage, is a Reiki Master Teacher and probably likes chocolate more than you do. Reverence and relationship with the natural world has been a cornerstone of Michael's personal and professional life for over a decade and he's thrilled to support Wild Gift's work!
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Board Treasurer
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.
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Wild Gift Board Member
Wild Gift helped Sashti begin WeRadiate from its initial stages as an ecological-focused company. The wilderness trek provided a strong connection to nature helping lay the foundation of reviving degraded soil.
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Wild Gift Board Member
Leo works at the intersection of outdoor recreation, conservation, and social impact, and recently completed his MPA in Sustainable Solutions from Presidio Graduate School. He has been working in outdoor education for the last seven years, currently working for Summer Search as their National Outdoor Programs and Evaluation Consultant. Previous to Summer Search, he was an educator and wilderness instructor with Alzar School, BOLD & GOLD, and NOLS. He is excited to use this knowledge to bring equity-focused community engagement and innovation to Wild Gift.
Committees
Fundraising
Chairs: Michael Kass & Jennie Hatch
This Committee builds the relationships and resources that sustain Wild Gift’s mission, helping more changemakers experience the power of wilderness.
Alumni Engagement
Chair: Pete Land
This Committee fosters connection, collaboration, and continued growth among Wild Gift alumni through meaningful opportunities and shared adventure.
Program & Recruitment
Chair: Leo Friedman
This Committee shapes and shares the Wild Gift experience—guiding programming and expanding our reach to mission-aligned leaders.
Selection
Chair: Jack Schleifer
This Committee strategically identifies emerging changemakers from our applicant pool whose vision and values align with Wild Gift’s mission and community.
Interested in joining a committee or the board?
Since its founding in 2002, Wild Gift has supported more than 100 environmental and social entrepreneurs working around the world in education, sustainable agriculture, affordable housing, energy efficiency, community development, public policy, wetland conservation, and much more.
Many of our Fellows go on to receive national and international recognition for their innovative ideas and work and many return to Wild Gift as mentors, board members, and supporters.
We’re on a wild journey.
Over 20 years later, Wild Gift continues to connect and empower leaders through immersive wilderness experiences and dynamic professional programming.
We are excited to continue building our community of alumni, donors, innovative entrepreneurs, and partners.
“The Wild Gift was more than a trip, it was an introduction to a new way of living and thinking grounded in the natural world.”
Make a donation to Wild Gift
Empower the next generation of environmental entrepreneurs by donating to our Wild Gift fund.