A former journalist, New York Times writer, and Founder of GearJunkie.com, Stephen Regenold has seen the dramatic arc of media first-hand through a 20-year career in the business. From self-publishing a ‘zine in college, to newsprint and “glossy” magazine jobs, to blogs, social media, SEO, video, podcasts, content commerce, and now AI, Regenold has attempted to stay on the cusp as the trends and platforms for creating and consuming media have shifted year after year.
Casey Hyde (or just Hyde) is the marketing guy (we don’t take ourselves too seriously) for TEREN, an adventure travel gear company focused on great design. TEREN is smart about design & smartass about everything else. He loves the wind in his hair – whether it’s on two wheels tearing up a trail or simply windows down on some backroads in his truck. Haver of fun, creator of stoke – Hyde’s motto is “Look good. Feel good. Safety third.” From the El Camino de Santiago to surprising his sister in Asia, adventure travel is what gets him most jazzed on life. Just as much, he loves getting outside daily in and around Chattanooga, TN. From climbing, biking, hiking all the outdoor “ing’s” he’s a jack of all trades.
With a wealth of experience in marketing and e-commerce, Chris worked with leading outdoor companies including Whistler Blackcomb, evo, and Zumiez. As well as top-tier agencies like Hammerquest Studios, We Are Unicorns, and Verde Brand Communications, nurturing their growth and success. His experience, spanning from influential brands to innovative retailers and e-commerce, gives him 360-degree view of the industry. Chris talks about the world of email marketing, illuminating how to grow and harness this crucial marketing channel for maximum impact.
Anna is currently the Marketing Director at Eagles Nest Outfitters, Inc (ENO) and has been actively involved in the outdoor industry for over 12 years. She is also the current Board Chair of the Outdoor Business Alliance of WNC, formerly the Outdoor Gear Builders of WNC, working to foster a prosperous outdoor business community by cultivating, connecting, and supporting WNC’s outdoor industry. She has held a variety of roles from creating and managing field marketing programs for startups to managing the daily needs and larger strategic plans of an established outdoor brand. Anna is passionate about building and growing relationships, environmental stewardship, and expanding diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion within her local community and the outdoor industry. She has lived in Western North Carolina since 2011 with her husband, dog, cat, and many chickens. Outside of the office, she enjoys hiking, surfing, mountain biking, fishing, gardening, and getting people outside.
Recently filling the key role of Vice President of Marketing, Joe Prebich joins the team with a long history of defining and developing strong brand relationships to the consumer. Prebich’s previous experience with leading brands like Fjallraven, Oakley and Red Bull, bring a level of consumer expertise that is a key element of Benchmade’s commitment to best-in-class customer experiences.
Lauren Belfor currently oversees influencer marketing at REI Co-op and has 7 years of experience in the outdoor industry across brands and retailers. She is passionate about building thoughtful partnerships with creators and ambassadors who are change makers in their communities contributing to the evolution of the outdoor industry and protection of outdoor spaces. She believes partnerships can be an impactful force for driving connection to getting outside and increasing representation in the outdoors.
Laura Lancaster is a staff writer at Outdoor Life, where she writes about backpacking and camping gear. In addition to covering the intersection of backpack hunting and ultralight backpacking, she’s also working on expanding their thru-hiking gear coverage. Laura’s previous work includes writing features and gear reviews for Backpacker magazine and American Survival Guide, as well as six years spent in the trenches of the book publishing industry. She’s thru-hiked the Pacific Crest and Colorado Trails as well as section-hiked a number of long trails across the country. She currently lives in Seattle with her husband and daughter.
Christian Bacasa is a father of two, an entrepreneur, technology sales executive, and dedicated sportsman. Following his recovery from Stage IV Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, he discovered fly fishing, which he credits with his physical and emotional recovery. He then took those learnings and combined that with his technology background and co-founded Dupe a Fish a subscription-based travel booking platform for service providers and anglers in the fishing community. Additionally, Christian now hosts the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast, he has co-authored the book Fly Fishing for Leadership, has supported over seventy-five brands in the fly fishing industry and has an ownership stake in Ogrelogic, a team of dedicated developers and designers that work on all the latest technology platforms.
Daniel Sapp has worked across the spectrum of media and bicycle journalism and for multiple brands in the bike industry. Sapp also manages communications for the Berm Peak brand. He is passionate about trails and has consulted on various trail advocacy projects, along with serving several years on the board of directors for western NC’s Pisgah Area SORBA. He is the managing partner of his and Seth Alvo’s agency, The Backslope. Daniel resides with his family in Brevard, NC.
Page 2 of 6
