A guest post from Heather Hogoboom, brave ski mom and lifelong friend. Heather attended last week’s SHE VENTURES event in Boulder, Colorado. I am thrilled to feature her perspective on the event. 

SHE VENTURES. Verb? Adjective?

Actually a little of both with lots of energy and sass.

Kind of like that friend who takes control of a boring night and gets everyone fired up and out the door. The one who won’t let you hit the snooze button when there’s a peak to summit before sunrise.

I was psyched when Kristen asked me to join her at the SHE VENTURES event in Boulder last week. A chance to connect with a lifelong friend, plus something with the word adventure in the title, and I’m in.

Equally important, the event would give me a chance to step back and take stock, while being inspired by women who are out there forging ahead when it comes to getting outside, pushing limits, and turning a passion into a business.

Unfortunately The Brave Ski Mom’s schedule didn’t cooperate but I headed up the road to Boulder along with another favorite adventure pal, both of us excited about connecting with female leaders in the outdoor industry.

SHE VENTURES Boulder

The night’s presentations were anchored by SHE VENTURES co-founders Georgina Miranda of Altitude Seven and Jen Gurecki of Coalition Snow.

Wanna be inspired and fired-up? Invite these two out for coffee. Or drinks. Or better yet, hit the trail with them.

SHE VENTURES events were held in 6 cities over the past several months and in each case, Miranda and Gurecki included local/regional entreprenuers who are blazing trails. Joining the two in Boulder were Darcy Conover of Corbeaux Clothing, Alissa Sears of adVenturesAcademy and Irene Vilar of the Americas Latino Eco Festival.

Each shared a bit about their current endeavors, what inspires them, and how they have forged a trail in a world that still tends to be dominated by decision-makers with that Y chromosome.

Things are looking up indeed after listening to these five leaders.

Between the presentations, the chance to ask questions, and the opportunity to check out products and learn more about the companies in attendance, the night was energizing.

And, the icing on the cake?

Several unique gear packages were raffled off at the end of the night with all proceeds benefitting the Outdoor Women’s Alliance.

SHE VENTURES has done similar raffles to benefit a local not-for-profit focused on women and the outdoors in each of the previous cities where the events have been held.   My friend Tracy was one of the lucky winners.

Check out the SHE VENTURES page when you have a chance as well as the speakers. Heck, check out the speakers from the other cities that hosted SHE VENTURES as well.

And most importantly: get outside. Make your own adventure.

As one of these remarkable women reminded us, we are all in charge of our own destiny. The only barriers truly out there are the ones we put in front of ourselves. The entrepreneurial spirit is within each of us, but we need to surround ourselves with the right balance of inspiration, support and guidance.

I hope we all have more SHE VENTURES in the months and years to come.

More: 

• Venture to SHE VENTURES, September 15, 2016.
• Girly Skis? Yes or No? December 8, 2014.
• Update on Coalition Snow Women’s Skis, April 6, 2015.
• Quick Hits: Coalition Ski Demos and SkiLynx App, February 26, 2016.
• Why My Family Loves Skiing at Steamboat Springs, Colorado, September 28, 2010.

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