Building any startup is an adventure.
But building an outdoor startup? That takes true grit.
Adventure Pitch is back at the 2024 Outdoor Economics Conference, taking place from September 23-25! We are thrilled to announce that this year, we will compete on the mainstage during day one of the Conference, September 24.
Adventure Pitch is proudly presented by the New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division in partnership with ActivateNM. The New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division is dedicated to ensuring that all New Mexicans benefit from the public health, environmental, and economic advantages of sustainable outdoor recreation.
ActivateNM supports both established and aspiring New Mexico founders who are looking to start or grow their businesses. Offering mentorship, events, and resources, ActivateNM empowers entrepreneurs at every stage, from startup to scale-up.
Please note that there will be two required pitch coaching sessions prior to the competition
Come prepared to your 25 minute session with a 5-minute pitch and be prepared for feedback
Link to schedule time to will come.
2:00–3:00pm MST
Storytelling & marketing for the outdoor world.
Presenter: Katie DeLorenzo, Western Field Director, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers
Presenter: Luis Benitez, Chief Impact Officer, Trust for Public Lands
Presenter: Ben Strozier, Associate Fund Manager, Ingenuity Venture Fund
Link will be sent upon your acceptance
Please note that there will be two required pitch coaching sessions prior to the competition
Come prepared to your 25 minute session with a 5-minute pitch and be prepared for feedback
Link to schedule time to will come.
Please note that there will be two required pitch coaching sessions prior to the competition
Come prepared to your 25 minute session with a 5-minute pitch and be prepared for feedback
Link to schedule time to will come.
You will have to submit your final slides by the Friday before the event
We will compete on the mainstage during day one of the Conference, September 24.
You will be standing on the stage and get a feel for the mic, screens, and event layout.
Competing on the main stage! $15,000 AWAITS THE TOP STARTUPS IN OUTDOOR RECREATION, ENVIRONMENT, AND WELLNESS!
Prizes:
Karina Armijo comes to the Outdoor Recreation Division with 27 years of experience supporting small businesses and events in Northern New Mexico in both the public and private sectors. After receiving a B.S. in Design from the University of Cincinnati, Karina spent time at Los Alamos National Laboratory working in the communications department.
She later continued her career in the private sector providing creative and web design services for the tourism and outdoor recreation-related industries. Most recently, she spent eight years with the Town of Taos as the first Director of Marketing and Tourism, developing and managing local and regional programs to support businesses and events throughout the Enchanted Circle. Outside of work, Karina enjoys spending time in the outdoors, whether learning a new activity like fly fishing or tackling her lifelong love of trail running and hiking; she finds exploring and recreating in the great outdoors her sanctuary.
Carrie Hamblen is originally from El Paso, Texas where she attended the University of Texas at El Paso. In 1992, she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism from UTEP. She earned a Master’s Degree in Communication Studies in 1995 and a Masters of Public Administration from New Mexico State University in 2014. She began working as a student employee at KRWG, the NPR affiliate at NMSU, in 1992 and was promoted to Operations Manager in 1997, where she was the local news anchor for Morning Edition and hosted her public affairs program, Images for 15 years.
In 2012, Carrie became the CEO/President of the Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce, an organization that focuses on creating support for local businesses and creating more awareness about sustainable communities. Carrie serves as the liaison between the Green Chamber and private, nonprofit, and governmental entities. The Las Cruces Green Chamber has been a strong advocate for protecting open spaces, tourism, and local businesses. In 2020, Carrie was elected to serve as State Senator for District 38 and serves as the Vice Chair of the Tax, Business, and Transportation Committee, a member of the Conservation committee, and Chair of the Economic and Rural Development and Policy Committee in the interim.
In her spare time, Carrie enjoys renovating her 1948 home that she shares with her wife, Char and their two rescue cats Sherlock and Watson, while taking care of their 45lb African Sulcata Tortoise, Beaver, who owns the backyard.
Brooke Montgomery is a professor of practice for the senior engineering capstone design program at New Mexico State University’s College of Engineering. Through the capstone design program, she assists National Labs, the Department of Defense, small businesses, and entrepreneurs with defining R&D projects with the ultimate goal of designing prototypes that are manufacturable and salable. The capstone design projects fit into curricula that cover a two-semester academic year. During this year-long program, Brooke provides consulting to over 200 senior engineering students on successfully developing preliminary designs, guiding them in conducting research and analysis, implementing and testing solutions, and reviewing their prototypes and final reports. Brooke previously served as a senior economic development officer at the Arrowhead Center, where she served as a director over NMSU’s student business accelerator (Studio G), Native American business incubator (AIBE), and K-12 innovation and entrepreneurship program (Innoventure). Brooke also serves as the founder and CEO of Pivotal Biotech LLC, where she holds patents for medical devices in the respiratory field. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Irvine, and a Master’s degree from New Mexico State University.
Check your inbox for news, updates, events and more from ActivateNM.
