Matt K. Ward:<\/strong>\nThe Alpha Initiative began as a local recreational guiding company with the\nmission to inspire community through Conservation, Education, and Expedition.\nThese humble beginnings brought together a team of likeminded, highly skilled\nindividuals who worked as a unit and family to create the multi-faceted empire\nthat Alpha is today. Our primary focus is still the same: inspiring community\nthrough the outdoors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We operate a for-profit guiding company, Alpha Expeditions,\nthat provides recreational adventure trips and outdoor education in the US and\nsoon to be abroad, as well as highly strategic support to scientific research\nexpeditions. Additionally, we have an entirely volunteer component of the\ninitiative called Alpha Conservation. This department works with regional and\nnational organizations and non-profits to support the conservation effort. One\nof our major channels for doing so is The Conservation Journal, found on our\nwebsite, an entertaining and informing video journal that highlights and\nexplores the impactful projects of a variety of conservation non-profits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n NY Glam: What inspired you to create your company? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Matt K. Ward:<\/strong> The wisdom of my teachers led me to a path that would eventually bring me to a book called Start With Why, by Simon Sinek. Within those pages I discovered that my “why” or “purpose” was to bring a community together. Combining my passions for the outdoors, my training as a search and rescue wilderness medic and, the immaculate skills of my team, we created a platform on which a community centered on conservation, education, and expedition could be born and expand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n NY Glam: Who is on your team? Tell us about you and your\nteam. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Matt K. Ward:<\/strong>\nMy team is the best in the world. While there is an extraordinary amount of\npeople to mention, including mentors, accountants, investors, and more, I have\nto turn to the people who are by my side day in and day out, the Alpha Field\nTeam. Our longest standing team member, a guide and photographer named Brooks\nMacIlveen, has been with us since the beginning. He has had my back on every trip,\nworkshop, or event we have held. He emulates what it means to be a partner and\ntrue friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our Senior Guides, Kate Gribbin and Emily Warner, bring\ntheir wilderness medical training, expeditionary skills, and heart for\ncommunity to the table as leaders on our trips. It doesn’t end there; each one\nbrings their own expertise as Kate’s background in forestry allows us to expand\nour scientific education and Emily’s experience in climbing and rappelling\nopens doors to both recreational opportunities and complex environment\nnavigation for scientific research projects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Following their lead, Gabrielle Fisher and Daniel Warden\nsupport the teams adventure and expedition programs tremendously. Gabrielle\nbrings not only her medical training and experience in back country expeditions\nto the table, but additionally supports our scientific research programs by\nutilizing her skills and resources as a PhD candidate in Molecular Biology.\nDaniel, who is also an investor in the company, specializes in planning and\nexecuting our nationwide and upcoming international trips. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The final two members of the team were saved for last as\nthey embody so many different and important roles in the company. Hayley Nedbalski and Zoe Nye operate in the\nfield team for the expeditionary expertise; the scientific team for their\nknowledge, skills, and passion; and the administrative team where they actively\nsupport the company’s operations from all perspectives. Hayley’s diversity and\nstrengths bring the company unmeasurable value, as the chief design engineer\nfor our gear department, a branch of Alpha that is still under development,\nHayley brings leadership, insight, and unbridled experience to the table to\ndesign and distribute quality outdoor products. Additionally, Hayley operates\nas the teams Paleontologist and specializes in the ethical exploration of our\nplanets history. Don’t let the brains fool you, she’s just as strong and\nvaluable in the field as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Zoe has not only shown the team that she can keep up and\n“run with the pack” in the field, she has also shown that she can be\ntrusted for leadership and camaraderie in the field. Additionally, Zoe is my\nadministrative assistant and balances public relations, team care, and\nlogistics aide with taking a lead role in forwarding Alpha’s conservation work.\nShe also brings science to the table, in pursuit of a degree in conservation\nBiology, she specializes in aquatics and can hold her own in that field. <\/p>\n\n\n\n NY Glam: What has been going well and where have you seen\ngrowth within the company and the community?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Matt K. Ward:<\/strong> Our team has had an incredible journey, and our major successes have been bringing people together. Our most growth has been internal. Every day the team is developing their skills and cultivating the community that we share with the world around us. Additionally, our conservation projects have been a wonderful success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n NY Glam: What is the most popular outdoor activity that\npeople enjoy with Alpha? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Matt K. Ward:<\/strong>\nWe are most well-known for our Walls of Jericho Hike. The Walls of Jericho is\nan iconic and beautiful location at the Alabama\/Tennessee state boarder.\nRecognized as one of the most difficult trails in the area, we are one of the\nmost well-known and trusted guiding companies for that area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n NY Glam: Who or what has shaped who you are?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Matt K. Ward:<\/strong>\nI began with Martial Arts. That is where I learned the Way. The Way, means the\nright way to live. It is how to be healthy and strong, how to have a clear mind\nand clean spirit. It is how we interact with ourselves and the world around us.\nWe can learn the Way from any tool, mine was martial arts. It was in the art of\nShinsei Hapkido that I developed discipline, self-awareness, tenacity, courage,\nand compassion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n NY Glam: How would you describe yourself in one word?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Matt K. Ward:<\/strong>\nReady. <\/p>\n\n\n\n NY Glam: What are you passionate about? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Matt K. Ward:<\/strong>\nCommunity <\/p>\n\n\n\n NY Glam: What do you consider your accomplishments? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Matt K. Ward:<\/strong> There is a list of accomplishments I could name, from receiving my black belt to starting a company. The only true accomplishment, for me, is being able to help others find the Way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n NY Glam: You recently received a congressional award \u201cOutstanding\nAchievement in Leadership in the Outdoor Industry\u201d. How do you feel about that?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Matt K. Ward:<\/strong>\nIt was a great honor for the entire team to receive the congressional award. I\ncould never have done it without my mentors, the team, and their dedication to\nme and to the mission. <\/p>\n\n\n\n NY Glam: What is your favorite part about your current job? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Matt K. Ward:<\/strong>\nThe team. The relationship and camaraderie we have is the best part of my life.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n NY Glam: What is your favorite quote?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Matt K. Ward:<\/strong>\n“Love God, love your neighbor, the rest is commentary” \u2013 Joseph\nLumpkin<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/nyglamour.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/FB_IMG_1608575453567-1024x1024.jpg\")
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