REI Co-op Path Ahead Ventures
Two people walk through the woods in the waning golden sunlight of a fall evening.

R E I Path Ahead Ventures Founders

Meet the founders and companies that participate in our programs.

2023 Navigate Cohort

Explore the businesses empowered with support for production, scaling, distribution and publicity via the Navigate program.

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Peter Lee (he/him)

John Ko (he/him)

Co-Founders

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Claire Zhu (she/her)

Founder

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Erika Togashi (she/her)

Founder

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Brittany Coleman (she/her)

Founder

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Soj Jibowu (He/him)

Jacob Brown (He/him)

Ed Chang (He/him)

Co-Founders

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Susan Clayton (She/her)

Founders

Learn more about Navigate

2022 Navigate Cohort

Explore the businesses empowered with support for production, scaling, distribution and publicity via the Navigate program.

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Livio Melo (he/him)

Jennifer Jacobson (she/her)

Co-Founders

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Raquel Vélez (she/her)

Founder & CEO

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Kobe Harris (he/him)

Founder & CEO

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Mike Mojica (he/him)

Founder & Partner

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Mitch Gilbert (they/them)

Founder & CEO

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Sidney Baptista (he/him)

Founder & CEO

Learn more about Navigate

2024 Embark Cohort

Discover the founders who turned their early stage ideas into viable business models with guidance from the Embark program.

Alex de la Fuente, founder of Hightag

Alex de la Fuente 
(he/him)

Carlos Salinas Linares, founder of Islandclimber

Carlos Salinas Linares 
(he/him)

Cathy Chin, founder of THINK BLUE

Cathy Chin 
(she/her)

Daniel Gerken, founder of ANDA

Daniel Gerken 
(he/him)

Haley McGinest, founder of Leimert Mountaineering

Haley McGinest 
(he/him)

Heather Gomez, founder of Dulce Base Tipi on Airbnb

Heather Gomez 
(she/her)

Dulce Base Tipi on Airbnb
Huy-Liêm Nguyen, founder of Nguyen Fuel Co.

Huy-Liêm Nguyen 
(he/him)

Jabari Marshall, founder of Leimert Mountaineering

Jabari Marshall
(he/him)

Jennifer Villamin, founder of Sojourn Trekkr

Jennifer Villamin 
(she/her)

Learn more about Embark

2023 Embark Cohort

Discover the founders who turned their early stage ideas into viable business models with guidance from the Embark program.

Alanah Anderson, founder of Spork Outdoors

Alanah Anderson 
(she/her)

Amina Leila, founder of Muvaland Beach

Amina Leila 
(she/her)

Branché Foston, founder of Camp Crush

Branché Foston 
(she/her)

Danielle Biering, founder of Quest Trails

Danielle Biering 
(she/her)

Dante Garcia, founder of Community Gearbox

Dante Garcia 
(he/him)

George Yeh, founder of Outpost Adventure Systems

George Yeh 
(he/him)

Hillarie Maddox, founder of Black Girl Country Living

Hillarie Maddox 
(she/her)

Keenan Takahashi, founder of ANTIGRAV

Keenan Takahashi 
(he/him)

Kenya Jackson-Saulters , founder of The Outdoor Journal Tour

Kenya Jackson-Saulters  
(she/her)

Learn more about Embark

2022 Embark Cohort

Discover the founders who turned their early stage ideas into viable business models with guidance from the Embark program.

Alina Drufovka, founder of Abstract Hikes

Alina Drufovka 
(she/her)

April Mittelstet, founder of OK Outdoors

April Mittelstet
(she/her)

OK Outdoors
Ashima Sharma, founder of Adventure Buddies

Ashima Sharma
(she/her)

Brooke Giddens, founder of Kila

Brooke Giddens 
(she/her)

Bryan Roessel, co-founder of Holdzilei Hiking Strong

Bryan Roessel
(he/him)

Charlotte Bowens, founder of Conscious Gear

Charlotte Bowens 
(she/they)

Crystal Cree, co-founder of Holdzilei Hiking Strong

Crystal Cree
(she/her)

Dylan Ramirez, founder of Wilds

Dylan Ramirez 
(he/him)

Fay Wu, co-founder of Umami Valley

Fay Wu
(she/her)

Umami Valley
Learn more about Embark

The founder experience

See how our founders are creating their own paths.

Kobe Harris, Founder & CEO, KOBEESCO
"As a founder looking for connection to others working on similar projects, Navigate was the perfect fit. I was able to share with peers, use this network to expand my knowledge base, grow confidence, and provide help to others who are in a similar situation. I will always be thankful that I took the chance to apply."

Kobe Harris (he/him)

Founder & CEO, KOBEESCO

Explore Navigate
Kobe Harris, Founder & CEO, KOBEESCO
“The Embark program has given me a community of fellow founders putting their stake in the ground right alongside mine. We represent so much more than what is seen on the outside. We represent generations of change just now able to come to light because of programs like these. As a founder, sometimes you have no idea what direction to go in or what step to take next. Through Embark, I found comfort and courage in taking those steps boldly forward.”

Vanessa Peralta-Mitchell (she/her)

Founder, PWRher’d by VCPM, Inc.

Explore Embark