SPEAKERS

Robin Thurston is the CEO and founder of Outside Interactive, Inc., the world’s leading creator of outdoor content and home to iconic brands like Outside Magazine, Warren Miller, Pinkbike, MapMyFitness, GaiaGPS and others. With a mission to get everyone outdoors, Outside reaches 100 million of the most active consumers in the world across its network of 25 media, digital, and technology platforms, creating an experience for both longtime adventurers and those just getting started. Before joining Outside, Robin ran a consumer genetics company called Helix in Silicon Valley, and co-founded and built MapMyFitness into one of the world’s largest open fi tness tracking platforms. A Colorado-native, Robin resides in Boulder with his wife and three children.

Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser is president and CEO of Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national nonprofit working to ensure everyone has access to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. TPL partners with communities across the United States to create parks, trails, and schoolyards, and to protect public lands and vast landscapes that strengthen health, climate resilience, and connection to nature. Before joining TPL in 2024, Carrie served as president and CEO of Colorado Mountain College, where she led the system’s eleven campuses to record graduation rates, closed equity gaps, expanded affordable housing for students and employees, and developed academic and training programs aligned with the outdoor industry. She was named the first President Emerita in the college’s history. Carrie has also held leadership roles with major private foundations, including the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Daniels Fund. While at Daniels, she was a loaned executive to the Metro Denver Sports Commission, helping lead efforts to attract world-class sporting events to Colorado, including the Olympic Games. She co-chaired Denver’s 2012 NCAA Women’s Final Four basketball tournament. Her extensive board service includes the American Council on Education, Vail Valley Foundation, Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission, Great Outdoors Colorado, and American Rivers. Carrie earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona, her master’s and Ph.D. from UCLA, and completed the Advanced Management Program at the Wharton School of Business. An avid outdoorswoman, Carrie has summited Mt. Kilimanjaro, a growing number of U.S. “high points” including Mt. Whitney, Mt. Rainier, and Katahdin, and all of Colorado’s 58 fourteeners. She has also climbed to the Everest Basecamp and spent many summers as a “Swamper” on Colorado River trips through Grand Canyon National Park. She and her husband, Jeff, live in Colorado with their yellow lab, Gracie, and spend their free time exploring wild and remote places around the world.

Christi Elliott, a Machias native, is a Registered Maine Guide, Appalachian Trail through-hiker, and author. In 2018, she founded Maine Women Hunters, one of America’s largest female hunting groups with nearly 8,000 members, where she organizes group hunts, fishing trips, and educational and social events to help women gain confidence outside. Christi writes outdoors columns for The Maine Sportsman magazine and the Bangor Daily News and her first book, Always Game will be out in December. Christi has worked with groups such as L.L. Bean, Old Town Canoes, and Maine Department of Tourism to promote women in the outdoors.

Bio coming soon.

Kelly Davis has more than 25 years of experience in Market Research including 11 years as the Director Research for SnowSports Industries America, and 4 years as the Senior Director of Research for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. In addition, she has worked with the Cross-Country Ski Areas Association, the Winter Wildlands Alliance, and the Stand-Up Paddle Industry Association. Kelly is a methodologist with innovative leanings, she is always looking for more effective ways to gather and apply insights. Kelly likes to share interesting findings and insights and has been a featured speaker at industry events like the Snow Show. The focus of her work is helping industry stakeholders understand mechanisms that affect their markets. She has helped many brands understand and target participants more effectively, track their customers’ journeys, build clearer views of potential customers, and design products. Kelly has also helped many start-ups to find their footing in a variety of markets and she has helped businesses find their way when times are tough. When Kelly isn’t working, you will most likely find her outdoor skiing, running trail, biking, hiking, longboarding, walking with her dogs, fly fishing, SUPing…this list goes on and on.

Abby Plante, Maine native and Senior International Trade Specialist at the Maine International Trade Center has participated in the Maine Outdoor Economy Summit since 2022. Serving as a business advisor focused on international trade, Abby guides Maine businesses engaged in international trade and pursuing global growth. Committed to supporting Maine's outdoor brands and many municipalities who rely on outdoor recreation as an economic driver, Abby is pleased to be presenting at MOES for the second year in a row.

Amanda Rector is the State Economist for Maine. In this capacity, she conducts ongoing analysis of Maine's economic and demographic conditions to help inform policy decisions. Amanda is a member of the State of Maine’s Revenue Forecasting Committee and serves as the Governor’s liaison to the U. S. Census Bureau. She started working for the state in 2004 and has been State Economist since 2011. She earned a BA in Economics from Wellesley College and her Master's in Public Policy and Management from the Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine. Amanda is originally from mid-coast Maine and now lives in Union with her family.

Jacob Pelkey works to connect entrepreneurs with statewide accelerator programs, opportunity funding, and skills training to increase representation of rural entrepreneurs in the Maine Startup Ecosystem. Passionate about food systems and marketing, Jacob sees wicked big potential in the appetite for Maine products, Maine quality, and the Maine brand. Originally from Mattamiscontis, Jacob came to The County for work with the Mi’kmaq Nation’s 34,000-gallon Maine brook trout hatchery before moving into the role of Tourism Developer and Entrepreneur Program Manager at Northern Maine Development Commission.