A group of partic- ipants in the 2024 Futurist Cohort enjoy a sunrise hike in Utah.
about the outdoors. The Alpine Shop (see page 8) has thrived for 50 years by hewing to the motto: “Generations trans- formed by discovery outdoors.” Those generations include not just customers, but staff, too. “We jokingly say that we are the farm league for the outdoor industry,” says Brenda Mohr, a 25-year veteran of the outfit, referring to the legions of sales associates who have gone on to careers in other companies and nonprofits within the industry, not to mention professionals in other fields like Benitez. Work in outdoor specialty retail at the Alpine Shop or in one of the 206 independently owned shop locations that make up the Grassroots Out- door Alliance is simply a great place to start a career, says
D avid Benitez works in financial policy agency, but his first job was as a sales associate at the Alpine Shop in St. Louis. “It launched my work life in ways I’m still realizing,” says the 40-year-old. Benitez worked at the outdoor retail store weekends and summers for five years starting in high school at the urging of his older brother Luis—the Everest mountain- eering guide walked him into the store and vouched for government relations for the Federal Reserve, the him. The work skills Benitez gained, however, were on his own: translating technical info on gear to customers, how to manage and interact with co-workers, and most of all, “how to talk to anyone regard- less of age or background.”
That last skill is particularly important in Benitez’s role at the Fed, which is to liaise between the bank and mem- bers of Congress and other elected officials. “I work in PR,” he says. “When I was on the sales floor at the Alpine Shop, able to walk up and talk to anyone, that’s public relations by definition. That’s network- ing 101.” Furthermore, one of the most valuable tools he has to connect with members of Congress is talking about outdoor recreation in their home states. ‘I was just out skiing in Colorado,’ I’ll say, or ‘I love the rails-to-trails system in Pennsylvania.’” The Farm League It makes sense that the Alpine Shop taught Benitez to connect with people through talking
Kanoa Greene of Nakoa Adventure
12 GRASSROOTS STORIES
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