Creative Alliance

Damon (also known as Baz) is Founder and Creative Director at Kind Design, a lifestyle brand/design firm based in Boulder, Colorado. He grew up in Vermont, skiing moguls throughout the 80s and 90s, then moved out to Colorado after college to be a ski bum. He really fell in love with Colorado, hard and fast. Inspired by ski patrolling all winter and raft guiding all summer, Damon started Kind Design, with the intention to spread kindness toward the earth and others, through clothing and design. On top of his work with POW, he also works closely with other nonprofits like Western Resource Advocates and the High Fives Foundation. He has a beautiful wife, Kristen, and three tiny, perfect children: Madeline (3), Wylie (1), and Wynter (1).

Flagstaff, Arizona-based photographer and filmmaker James ‘Q’ Martin was born in the Arizona desert and raised in the remote reaches of Alaska. Inquisitive, spirited, and dedicated to regional and international conservation efforts, Q has since traveled extensively throughout the American Southwest and to more than 30 countries, spanning six continents, documenting the stories of world-class athletes, artists, conservationists, filmmakers, and scientists who inspire him. His hope is, by capturing their compassion for special places on film, he will raise awareness for issues facing our communities worldwide, and unite people in taking steps to preserve and protect these places for future generations.

Rooted in Flagstaff, Q Media is a fully-staffed production house created to harness this passion, embodied over the years by many critically acclaimed adventure and conservation films. 

Krystle Wright is an adventure sports photographer from Queensland, Australia, although she now lives a semi-nomadic lifestyle in her quest to capture and present unique moments from extreme sports, expeditions and adventures across the globe.

Whether she’s camping on a frozen fjord for a month in the Arctic with 23 BASE jumpers, paragliding in the Karakoram Range in Pakistan or sleeping on the back of a yacht on the Great Barrier Reef, Krystle strives to pursue fresh challenges, to seek out undiscovered layers and dimensions in her work, and is recognized for her creativity, composition, and an indomitable spirit in the face of adversity. “My biggest fear in life is regret. I follow my curiosity, my instinct, as it tells me to go to the ends of the earth. There’s an insatiable desire in me to explore with a camera in hand to try and capture a fleeting moment that encapsulates the soul of that place.”

Krystle is known for pushing herself to extremes, sometimes beyond what might even be considered sane. Anything to get that elusive, compelling shot. The world has no boundaries and she will do whatever it takes to shoot from her unique perspective – whether hanging from precarious positions on remote cliff edges, swimming through jagged, unexplored canyons, or trudging for days through vicious, baleful weather. It’s about that final experience – capturing a fleeting moment, sharing a treasured insight, telling incredible stories about impassioned endeavors that might otherwise go undocumented. She has battle scars – enough to compete with the most hardened adventurer – to prove it.

She feels incredibly privileged to share her photographs with a wider audience, and her work has appeared in selected esteemed publications such as Sidetracked, National Geographic, Outside, The Times, Red Bulletin, GQ, Huffington Post and clients such as Canon Australia, Canon USA, Outdoor Research, Helinox, Big Agnes, KEEN, Seirus, Evolv.

Forest Woodward is an internationally published and awarded photographer and filmmaker based out of Western North Carolina. 

With an eye towards issues of social and environmental justice, Forest’s recent work has focused around public lands in the American west, seeking out a diversity of perspectives – from those of ranching families in Colorado’s front range, to the indigenous coalitions formed around Bears Ears National Monument.

His ongoing work in the remote South Pacific island nation of Tuvalu seeks to examine the human narrative within the context of climate change and climate-based migration. Throughout his work Forest seeks to document his subjects in a way that transcends politics and prejudice and offers the viewer an opportunity to engage in relevant contemporary issues through a humanistic lens. 

Forest’s photographs have been widely published, with notable appearances in The New York Times, National Geographic, Esquire and The Atlantic. His films Food Chains and The Important Places have received critical acclaim and screened in dozens of countries with festivals including Tribeca and Berlinale.

Based in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, Ali’s imagery reflects her passion for telling honest stories that capture her clients’ true spirit.

Mike Thurk is a professional photographer and outdoor enthusiast, with a style steeped in moments of honesty. Using natural light and shadow in his photography whenever possible allows him to enhance the raw beauty of human experiences. Through his images, he tells stories of remarkable individuals and the stunning world in which we live. Thurk cherishes the meaningful relationships he’s built through this storytelling journey and is always on the search for new collaborations and the adventures they will bring.

Meg Haywood Sullivan is a professional photographer & environmentalist who splits her time between shooting campaigns with brands and pushing for environmental stories through editorial features and her social platforms.

With a career steadily blossoming, Meg realizes the importance of having a visible platform and partnerships with brands who are stepping outside the box to be a part of the greater good.

With one foot in the outdoor industry and another in the realm of the commercial/fashion world Meg’s clients include Patagonia, KEEN, Clif Bar, New York Times and more. She currently is working on various projects exploring mankind’s relationship with the great outdoors.

Ben ‘Sturge’ Sturgulewski grew up on a rugged and remote island in Alaska’s Aleutian Chain, inspiring a life dedicated to the exploration of the world’s wild side, and the people who call it home. Infused in all aspects of filmmaking as a director, cinematographer, editor, and writer, he’s worked in definitively nasty and awe-inspiring conditions around the globe -bringing a unique cinematic perspective to a wide range of filmmaking mediums, be it documentary, narrative, action sports, or commercial.

These projects have created a portfolio of acclaimed films that have appeared in festivals worldwide, and have taken home dozens of awards for cinematography, editing, creativity, and storytelling – as well as overall grand prizes. In online releases, Sturge has produced a strong library of Vimeo Staff Picks and viral videos with over seven million views. His collaborations with agencies, collectives, production houses, and personal passion projects continue to take him on new and unexpected adventures.

When not on the move, Sturge lives, works, and plays around Anchorage, Alaska.

I’m a Montana based ecologist and filmmaker inspired by the confluence of society and wild landscapes. My passion bloomed from a childhood spent fishing, hunting and exploring the woods, and matured into a career after nearly a decade at U.C. Berkeley while earning my Bachelor of Science and Master’s degree in ecology. But it wasn’t until I began working as a field scientist that I truly understood stewardship. It was during these seasons that I lived amongst the ecosystems I studied, and worked alongside folks who had committed their lives to these slices of wilderness and the organisms that punctuate them. I had the opportunity to explore topics ranging from eagle migrations to songbird, bighorn sheep, wild horse, white-tailed deer and salmon conversation projects bound to wild landscapes from the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest to the deserts of the Great Basin. These experiences taught me something simple: all of these places and populations existed because society deemed them too valuable to be ignored, cast aside, exploited or destroyed; stewardship was the key. Intent on bridging the gap between science and storytelling, I’m committed to creative projects that lean on the communicative power of film, journalism and photography to inspire our next generation of stewards. Intrigued by society’s relationship with our rapidly changing natural environments, I draw inspiration from this notion: how can we expect others to care about a species, landscape or watershed if the general public doesn’t even know it exists? Through storytelling, a vehicle exists to expose and illuminate narratives bound to the future of ecosystems that need our voice and will rely on our stewardship as they navigate a future defined by our rapidly changing planet. In the coming year, I will focus much of my efforts around a film that explores the nexus of ranching, wolves and grizzly bears within the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem.

Ming Poon is a photographer/director of photography based in Lake Tahoe, California. Passionate about outdoor pursuits, travel and making a difference, Ming is inspired by culture, nature, music, friends and family.

In 2018, Ming received Powder Magazine’s prestigious Photo of the Year award. Ming’s work has been featured in Teton Gravity Research, Powder Magazine, Backcountry Magazine, Standup Journal, Adventure Sports Journal, ROAM, Ascent Backcountry Journal, Vermont Life Magazine and a variety of others throughout the globe.

His images have also appeared in international commercial marketing campaigns for Swatch, O’Neill, Jones Snowboards, POC Sports, NOW Bindings, Hestra Gloves, Intuition Liners, Leki Poles, Thirty-Two, YETI and more.

An accomplished climber, snowboard mountaineer, mountain guide, mountain biker, and athlete in his own right, he is always a fundamental part of the team on whatever project he’s shooting, giving him a unique and intimate perspective at the cutting edge of human endeavor. Not only does he have an eye for the shot, but he can actually put himself where he needs to be to get it.

Hilary Oliver is a writer, editor and filmmaker based in Denver. She’s written for Outside, Adventure Journal, Climbing, National Geographic Adventure, the American Alpine Journal and many other magazines. She also edits and curates the Verticulture blog for Outdoor Research. She has written, directed and collaborated on award-winning adventure films as well.

Harnessing the power of visual media to tell stories, Jenny is an award-winning filmmaker who works to create films that will act as tipping points in conservation campaigns. Jenny thrives on multidisciplinary projects and collaborates with a dedicated community of photojournalists, filmmakers, writers, illustrators, scientists and conservation organizations to try to expand the reach of conservation stories. Jenny’s films have screened at HotDocs, Brooklyn Film Festival, Telluride Mountainfilm, Banff Mountainfilm Festival, DC Environmental Film Festival, Jackson Hole Science & Media Awards,  and many more!  Jenny is also an artist focused on wildlife working to connect art and conservation.

Anya is the Director of Brand and Creative Strategy at Seattle-based creative firm Duct Tape Then Beer. She works with all sorts of disciplines to gain creative clarity and inspiration on projects ranging from films to political campaigns to ground-up brands. A Canadian living away from the motherland, Anya likes all things 80’s, climbing tacky granite, slashing snow that makes no noise, hand-drawn diagrams and baby animals.

Andrew Miller is an accomplished photographer, adventurer and creative director focusing most of his work in winter climates exploring and chasing storms usually with a snowboard under his feet. From the Andes, Alps, Interior B.C. to the West Fjords of Iceland and high peaks of the Himalayas his award-winning images has taken him to remote mountain ranges across the globe while working with a vast range of clients and editorial titles worldwide. Year after year Andrew has been out there creating his work and quickly establishing himself as one of the most well-rounded photographers in the snow industry. Depending on winter and snow to make a living he has witnessed first hand the effects of climate change all over the world which has sparked an urgent interested to get involved and do his part to help to reduce his impact and advocate for the climate through Protect our Winters.

Scott Markewitz is recognized as one of the most accomplished outdoor and action sports photographers in the industry.

His travels and adventures have taken him around the globe with many of the world’s best athletes, including several POW alliance members. Scott’s images have appeared in advertising and promotional campaigns for many consumer and outdoor brands, including Adobe, Tag Heuer, J Crew, Salomon, Adidas, Puma, Underarmour, Red Bull, Thule, Specialized, Camelbak, Pearl Izumi, Giro and many others; and on more than 500 US and International magazine covers.

When not on assignment, you’ll find him out skiing, mountain
biking, or trail running, pushing his own limits in some of the sports he loves to photograph. He lives with his wife Veronique and their son Julien in Salt Lake City, Utah and Provence, France.

Brennan Lagasse has been working on sustainability issues for the past two decades. His most recent multi-year effort focusses on the many intersecting issues surrounding protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Leveraging his diverse skill set, Brennan continues working with the Gwich’in tribe and other Arctic Refuge allies to raise awareness, and get people activated around the implications involved in allowing the last 5% of protected land on the Alaskan North Slope to be lost like the other 95% to fossil fuel development. Brennan has brought college students to the Arctic Refuge to learn from the Gwich’in about their culture and the Refuge. He has also published words and photographs with several media outlets about the importance of protecting this unique place and looks forward to working with POW on several climate solidarity fronts. In his role as a ski guide, Brennan works in the Sierra Nevada, Alaska, and internationally on an annual basis in places like Antarctica, Greenland, and the Himalaya. He has experienced the effects of climate change first hand in these places and continues to advocate for and support the current cultural shift of adventure athletes and the greater global community to understand how climate change affects all, and how to be a part of the solution. 

When Tim Jones isn’t playing in the outdoors, he loves helping others tell their story through his SLC-based film production company, Grit Visual. His clients include companies and organizations such as CNN, Clif Bar, and Utah Avalanche Center. Watch his creations at http://www.gritvisual.com.

After living like a feral animal for the first half of my life, I finally settled down, started a family, and tried to figure out how to function in (semi) polite society. It’s a work in progress. I recently abandoned a thriving journalism career that had culminated in senior positions at Esquire and the Daily Beast to re-focus my editorial talents on finding and telling tales that inspire and entertain outside of the regular nonsensical news cycle, while devoting much of my time to helping conservation and environmental groups get their messages across is a way that’s both engaging and educational. I believe great stories rise to the top and will stand the test of time, and that our best hope against the idiocy, greed, and evil looming all around these days is to laugh, live, and thrive in spite of it while ceaselessly fighting back. My stuff has appeared in Rolling Stone, the Atlantic, Monster Children, the Flyfish Journal, and everywhere in between, and I’ve been lucky enough to work closely and develop relationships with like-minded folks including Patagonia, Yeti, KEEN, Wilderness Systems, Specialized, and more. I’m also honored to be an ambassador for 1% for the Planet, and firmly believe you should go right now and sign up for one of their individual memberships, if you haven’t already.

Aidan Haley is a filmmaker from the Pacific Northwest, now living in Colorado. He has spent the last seven years in Paris, Los Angeles, the Bay Area and Seattle working in the photojournalism, commercial, feature film and adventure film worlds. Working at places like VII Photo, Anonymous Content, Rock Paper Scissors, Cut+Run Editorial and Duct Tape then Beer helped Aidan build a practical foundation of skills and knowledge in a variety of different industries. He now freelances and continues to expand his creative boundaries and skillsets. He is an avid surfer, climber and skier, but loves a good game of hockey. (team sports are fun people…)

Born and raised in the mountains around Bozeman, MT, Ben’s passion for conservation was instilled in him at an early age. He started skiing as soon as he could walk and never looked back. After years of competing on the Freeskiing Tour, Ben directed his attention away from competitions and focused on storytelling by skiing in front of the camera. In 2015, he started working with Vision Hawk Films, a prestigious wildlife film company, in order to leverage his ability to showcase wildlife and the environment positively. Now, Ben is combining his three passions for skiing, environmental and wildlife conservation, and filmmaking to influence policy and preserve our world for future generations.

Brendan Leonard is a Denver-based writer and filmmaker and creator of Semi-Rad.com. His work has appeared in Outside, National Geographic Adventure, Adventure Journal, Climbing, Alpinist, and dozens of other publications. He is the author of six books, and his films have toured internationally with the Banff Mountain Film Festival, Mountainfilm, and the Kendal Mountain Film Festival.

Zaria Forman documents climate change in pastel. She travels to remote regions of the world to collect images and inspiration for her work. She has flown with NASA on several Operation IceBridge missions over Antarctica, Greenland, and Arctic Canada. She has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, CNN, and ABC7 Eyewitness News. She’s delivered a TEDTalk and spoken at Amazon, Google, and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Her work was part of Banksy’s Dismaland exhibition and she was the artist-in-residence aboard the National Geographic Explorer, in Antarctica. Her works have been featured in the New York Times T Magazine, National Geographic Proof Blog, Huffington Post, and the Smithsonian Magazine, among others. Forman currently works and resides in Brooklyn, NY, and is represented by Winston Wächter Fine Art in New York, NY and Seattle, WA.

First and foremost Jeremy Collins is a storyteller- via art, film, and activism. Secondly he is a consummate adventurer who has pioneered first ascent climbs around the world. He uses his on-location art as international goodwill from the most remote corners of Nepal, Venezuela, China and many points in between. His work has been seen in hundreds of publications including the cover of National Geographic. In 2010 Collins founded the clothing brand Meridian Line and was awarded “Most Inspirational Individual” by the Outdoor Industry Association in 2015. In 2017 he travelled to the Arctic Wildlife National Refuge with The Sierra Club to tell the story of the ongoing struggle to be protect it from oil drilling.

Owner and Creative Director of Duct Tape Then Beer, Fitz started his career as a journalist covering politics and wrote for outdoor magazines on the side. More and more, he realized that they didn’t accept the stories that he loved most — stories about his mono boarding landlord and the crazy characters he came across in the mountains. With these unique stories, he started the 10-year running podcast The Dirtbag Diaries and has applied his storytelling to film, VR and messaging campaigns throughout the years. Duct Tape Then Beer has helped POW over the last several years with their PSA and the evolution of their message. Fitz works, climbs, rides and bikes out of the great PNW where he lives with his rad wife and co-business owner, Becca Cahall and their two sons, Tep and Wiley.

Chris Burkard is an accomplished explorer, photographer, creative director, speaker, and author. Traveling throughout the year to pursue the farthest expanses of Earth, Burkard works to capture stories that inspire humans to consider their relationship with nature, while promoting the preservation of wild places everywhere.

Layered by outdoor, travel, adventure, surf, and lifestyle subjects, Burkard is known for images that are punctuated by untamed, energized landscapes and peak moments of adventure. He has accumulated an audience of over one million followers to become a globally recognized social influencer.

Burkard is often central in synthesizing the creative projects he is involved in, across stakeholders. His holistic and visionary perspective has earned him opportunities to work on global, prominent campaigns with Fortune 500 clients, appear as a TED speaker, develop specialty product lines, teach national and international photography workshops and publish a collection of books, including a children’s book. Along with his team, Burkard is based out of his full-scale production studio and art gallery near his hometown in Central Coast California.

At the age of 30, Burkard has established himself as a global presence and influencer, accomplishing a prolific portfolio, connecting people from around the world and producing some of the most recognized creative work of our time.

His nomadic lifestyle is authentic to his “Still Wild” ethos, traveling the world to tell stories of Earth. A commercial and editorial filmmaker of 10 years, now turned photographer, he is led by his love for sharing moments captured within film and photos. Andy believes that the undiscovered locations people find upon their personal journeys are eternal waypoints on a path of progression, each inextricable to life itself. Only in recognizing their relationship to one another can we truly even begin to be part of the bigger picture.

For 35 years, photographer James Balog has broken new conceptual and artistic ground on one of the most important issues of our era: human modification of our planet’s natural systems. He and his Extreme Ice Survey team are featured in the 2012 internationally acclaimed, Emmy award-winning documentary *Chasing Ice* and in the 2009 PBS/NOVA special, *Extreme Ice*. He is the author of *ICE: Portraits of Vanishing Glaciers* and seven other books. His photos have been extensively published in major magazines, including *National Geographic*, and exhibited at museums and galleries worldwide.

Sarah is a self-taught artist from Carbondale, Colorado. She uses art as a tool to convey environmental and humanitarian messages. Her primary areas of focus are water conservation, climate change, public land protection, and mental wellness with a unique focus on spreading kindness. She primarily works in partnership with brands and organizations to produce artistic works that amplify cause-based messaging – either through visual assets or on-site event activations. Her whimsical style and deep personal connection to nature draw people into her creations on an emotional level.

Sarah has a diverse background, beginning with a professional cycling career that afforded her a world championship title in 2001. After cycling, Sarah worked in the outdoor industry in brand management and event production roles. At the age of 30, Sarah forged her own path as an independent artist. Sarah uses diverse mediums, including illustration, watercolor paintings, live art performances, map-making , writing, and poetry. She draws upon her previous work experience in marketing to customize her works for each client.

Sarah is motivated by her own relationship to nature. She aims to put her passion into action through art and inspire something similar in those who enjoy her work.

Brendan Davis is a photographer and filmmaker based in Boulder, Colorado. He travels around the world combining his skills of strategic communications with a unique ability to craft meaningful human-centered stories of adventure and impact with a special interest in unexpected and unlikely individuals.

RP Roberts is a landscape painter based in the UK. With a background in graffiti art, he transitioned to landscape painting six years ago and brought his color palette with him. His love of the Alpine environment was inevitably going to be the content of his artwork. Using a vibrant and unusual color scheme for his paintings, his work has appeared on many Jones Snowboards top sheets over the last four seasons. He has worked with numerous outdoor brands and organizations and has also created T-shirts and greetings card for POW over the last couple of seasons.

Adam Clark is a Salt Lake City based adventure photographer who specializes in outdoor sports and authentic lifestyle photography. Considering himself a visual storyteller, Adam’s goals are to capture the adventure and talent of his subject(s) while highlighting human emotion and feeling in every photo.

Adam Clark’s need for adventure and love of photography/video production has taken him around the world to work with friends, heroes, mentors, and beautiful landscapes. His work has been featured internationally in hundreds of magazines, and Adam has worked for a wide range of commercial clients.