OUTDOOR UPROAR 2021 

A Northwest Outward Bound School event to support women and girls in outdoor leadership roles!

2021 Speakers

 2021 Event Details

Speaker Bios

Stacy Allison: Stacy was born in Pocatello, Idaho but moved to Oregon early in her childhood. In 1987 she joined a group of friends in their attempt to climb Mount Everest, but the group was slowed by a massive storm and after taking refuge in a snow cave for five days, eventually turned around. The following year, Stacy returned to the mountain with Northwest American Everest Expedition and on September 29, 1988, became the first U.S. woman to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. This led to a career as a motivational speaker and authoring two books; Beyond the Limits and Many Mountains to Climb. In 1993 she summited K2, the world's second highest mountain and one of the most dangerous to climb. She stopped seeking out big mountains after giving birth to her first child, but remains active with rock climbing, white water rafting, kayaking, mountain biking, and traveling with her family. Stacy is also the founder of a general contracting company in Portland, Oregon that specializes in the renovation of classic homes and co-chair of the Climb for Clean Air/Reach the Summit programs.

Aruna Bharati: Aruna was born in Nepal and moved to Portland as a refugee at age 8 with her family. While attending Cleveland High School, she participated in the AVID program and connected with Northwest Outward Bound and our Public Schools Program. This kickstarted her interest in the outdoors and rock climbing, and in 2019 she wen on a NWOBS wilderness course in Central Oregon where she backpacked, rock climbed and rafted the Deschutes River. Aruna is preparing to attend college in 2022, where she plans to study Biology or Environmental Science. She’s deeply engaged in climate change work and hopes to make it her future career!

Ari Kosel: Ari hails from Mt. Shasta CA and grew up with a strong passion for the outdoors. Her love of being outside led her to work as an outdoor educator and river guide for over a decade, including as a Field Instructor and Course Director for the Northwest Outward Bound School since 2015. She recently completed the first all-female source to sea adventure on the Sacramento River. The mission of the crew was to collect stories highlighting the diverse perspectives of various stakeholders along their journey and the complex issues the river and its communities face. The crew hopes to release a podcast series and short documentary film later this year. Ari is excited to begin a Master's in Counseling program at the California Institute of Integral Studies this fall with a focus on Community Mental Health and Social Justice. 

Elyse Rylander: Elyse (she/her) has worn many hats in the outdoor industry and education worlds. Since 2006 she has taken thousands of youth and adults on outdoor adventures all over North America, and during these adventures, the interrogation of equity, access, and privilege played a central role. In 2011 Elyse began her journey as the founder of OUT There Adventures, a 501(c)3 dedicated to further bridging the gap between the LGBTQ community and the natural world. Along this path, Elyse has worked tirelessly to reduce outdoor access barriers for all members of the LGBTQ community. Elyse’s work has appeared in places such as the Routledge International Handbook of Outdoor Studies, at industry events such as Outdoor Retailer, and in 2018 Elyse was named a “Top Woman in Conservation and Environmental Justice” by ECODiversity Magazine. Elyse is also the co-organizer of the annual LGBTQ Outdoor Summit, a former partner with The Avarna Group, and the new Manager of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Quality Bicycle Products. Outside of her work, Elyse is known for her sense of humor best conveyed through perfectly timed message GIFs, and in her [rare] free time she can be found paddling through the central Salish Sea.

Moderators

Mayra Chavez	Amy Compton

 Mayra Chavez: Mayra was born in Long Beach, CA and moved to Portland, OR at age six. She fell in love with the outdoors on a family camping trip and since then she’s gone camping, hiking, and bicycling every summer. At age 14 she started volunteering at her local church as a Sunday School teacher where discovered she loved working with with kids. Mayra is a graduate of Reynolds High School and completed five years of the AVID program, where she learned about Outward Bound and experienced NWOBS' public school programming. After graduating, Mayra became part of the NWOBS Portland instructor team where she's been given the opportunity to experience and practice one of her biggest passions, outdoor experiential learning!

Amy Compton: Northwest Outward Bound School Board Co-Chair Amy Compton has a background in education, digital marketing, and athlete protection policy. She is an experienced digital marketer who specializes in growth marketing. She has helped launch several consumer goods startups, leaning on data to inform marketing spend and product development. She enjoys traveling as a family to all corners of the world to climb the most scenic mountains and crags. She has reached a bittersweet moment in her life, where her kids can outclimb her — and she’s trying her hardest to be ok with that. 

Header photo by Luke O'Neill