Michael Johnson: Founder, Publisher, Wolf Advocate

Michael is a life-long advocate for wildlife and environmental protection, an avid enthusiast of outdoor recreation, and a driven entrepreneur fueled by passion for a better world.

In his rare free time, he enjoys telemark skiing, hiking, running, cycling, climbing, and other wilderness activities. He is an ardent supporter of wolves, partially because he believes that human attitudes toward large predators act as a barometer, indicating our progress towards a respectful, sustainable relationship with the natural world.

Michael earned his degree in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning from U.C. Davis, and has extensive experience in business development; project, staff, and retail management; and sales and marketing. In 1996, his personal interests began to shift in a new direction: green building and sustainable living. Eventually, this led to his departure from the environmental services industry to follow his entrepreneurial spirit, and to the creation of the ReDirect Guide. Michael now devotes a great amount of his time, attention, and business acumen to developing new products and services in his unyielding desire to create green jobs, help sustainability flourish in business and communities, and restore balance to the Earth.

Robin Wang: Publisher, Efficiency Guru, Dad

A native New Yorker and 15 year veteran of the hi-tech industry, Robin, together with his family, packed up all their belongings (including their kids!) and moved out to Portland to embark on a new adventure.

Gone were the days of PowerPoint presentations and concrete canyons. Instead, they sought out a better qualify of life and a lifestyle that was much more in tune with nature to raise their family. Robin also sought out a new career - one that really means something and helps preserve nature's bounties for his children and future generations.

In his spare time, Robin plays dad to 3 young kids, enjoys doing most anything outdoors, loves to cook, and tends to his constantly growing list of home repair projects.

Robin has degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and Columbia University, attended an executive education program at the University of Virginia (Darden School of Business), and taught at New York University. He has had extensive R&D, sales, marketing and business development and management experience in organizations ranging from start-ups to a Fortune 50 companies.

Kirsten Gellella: Production Manager, Creative Director, Illustrator

The roots of Kirsten's dedication to environmental preservation can be traced to her childhood, when she found inspiration and comfort in nature.

She began actively pursuing ways to live a less impactive lifestyle and founded a high school environmental organization to educate students and faculty. In 1996 Kirsten graduated from the University of Vermont with a B.A. in Environmental Studies, and dual minors in Botany & Religion. She then used her skills in art and design in the fields of graphic design and photography. Although she enjoyed the creativity involved she felt unsatisfied with promoting businesses and practices that were not contributing to a more sustainable future. Joining the ReDirect Guide as co-publisher in 2001, was therefore a natural fit for her, fusing a lifelong love and aptitude for art, design and environmental activism.

She has been intimately involved in product development, outreach strategies & implementation, PR and sales generation, client & community relations, trade show conception, and graphic design. Her illustration and design work are now widely recognizable, having had prominent exposure on the covers and throughout the annual editions and company website.

In her free time she loves skiing, running, backpacking, botany and illustration. Although a somewhat peculiar affinity, she is fascinated with the creation of imaginative, whimsical creatures, often finding inspiration in the beautifully bizarre world of nature. She displays her expanding tribe of illustrated creatures through Eye Cuisine - her custom illustration company.

Sarah Wells: Associate Publisher, Hipster Cowgirl

Sarah holds concurrent degrees in Public Relations and Political Science from the University of Oregon.

While at the university, she founded a sexual assault prevention shuttle service and directed Public Relations and Outreach for the Women's Center, experiences that exposed her to the work that needs to be done in promoting social responsibility; work she has taken to heart at the ReDirect Guide. She is continually inspired by the innovation and passion businesses are using to fuel the green economy and grow a community of passionate, educated consumers.

In her free time, she enjoys slam poetry, local live music, volunteering for civic engagement programs, and exploring her newfound Colorado community.

Allie Callow: Sales, Marketing and Events Coordinator, Style Diva

In 2002 Allie received a BS degree in Planning with Minors in Environmental Studies and Historic Preservation from the University of Oregon.

These degrees have focused her attention on sustainable business practices, and environmental and social issues. Allie has used her educational experience to make change as a political activist, creating events that appeal to both sides of the political spectrum. Considered by many as Live Art, Allie's events have been covered by Indie Media, and photographed by the Associated Press and USA Today. They have received the attention of local politicians and have served as a backdrop for demonstrations at the Capitol and for speakers such as Portland Mayor Tom Potter.

Bridget Stuchly: Regional Manager

Bridget earned her degree in Environmental Science from University of Colorado in Boulder. She then explored many different modalities of environmental sciences while studying sustainable development in Costa Rica.

Shortly after graduation, Bridget took a position as a research technician in Oregon. She spent the summer traveling to remote and beautiful locations throughout the Pacific Northwest. Although the setting was gorgeous, she found working within the limits of a government agency inhibiting. Bridget grew tired of a position that focused primarily on the symptoms of environmental degradation and decided to pursue a career that would allow her to direct her passion and energy into a more proactive role sustaining the environment.

The seeds of this passion were sown in the suburbs of Chicago, where Bridget often found refuge from the redundancy of her concrete surroundings in the pockets of forest preserve close to her home. She realized at a young age how intricately important the role of nature played in her happiness and attitude towards life. In high school, her Biology teacher further fueled Bridget's passion for the environment. His energy and dedication for sustaining the environment presented a remedy for the adolescent apathy, frustration and indifference she was experiencing and inspired Bridget to incorporate her love for nature and protecting it into her aspirations for the future.

Crystal Leeke: Account Representative

Crystal is a Fort Collins native who is driven by a constant search for ways to improve her own life, the lives of the generations at hand, as well as the generations to come.

She graduated from Colorado State University with a BA in Communication with a focus on Gender Studies. Her spare time is spent playing outside and enjoying live music, she places high value on spending time with family and friends. Not only does Crystal possess a strong passion for the preservation of the environment and its citizens, she is a dedicated advocate of Human Rights and strongly believes that you cannot successfully achieve one without the other.

Genna Speno: Account Representative

Genna earned a B.S. in Psychology and minors in Sociology and Gender Studies at Southern Oregon University.

Genna was raised in beautiful Durango Colorado. From birth she and her family spent every free moment outside enjoying the wilderness. As she grew up, she found great happiness hiking, biking, climbing, camping, skiing, and exploring the outdoors.

Through her life experiences and world travels, Genna’s appreciation for her natural surroundings evolved into a passion. This passion extends beyond her recreational endeavors and fueled her personal and professional pursuits. Upon recently moving to Utah, Genna found The ReDirect Guide as the perfect way to meld her passion for adventure and dedication to preservation and sustainability.

Alyssa Kail: Account Representative

Alyssa grew up in a little place called Warren, PA. Surrounded by wilderness, ruralness, and not much else, small town life nurtured Alyssa's imagination and connection to the earth. The woods and farms became a backdrop for home movies with ridiculous plots, adventures, and inside jokes with friends.

While cherishing her hometown, Alyssa's heart belongs to Pittsburgh, PA. If you haven't been, you must try it! She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a BA in Environmental Studies. The best part of her time with Pitt was the summer she spent on the K-bar-Z dude ranch learning about all of the hidden and not-so-hidden treasures of Yellowstone National Park. She now lives and loves in Portland, OR.

Alyssa loves hula-hooping, hops, sewing, and brunch...but not all at the same time. She has radical ideas about what art is. Someday, she hopes to open a business with her husband focused on community development through printmaking and fiber arts. She dreams of living in a yurt, experimenting with sustainable fibers and dyes, playing the harp for it's healing properties, and taking a year off to float, literally float and drift, down several rivers to hike, picnic, and meditate whenever she pleases.

Kyla Mullen: Account Representative, Dancing Machine

Kyla is a recent Oregonian who uprooted herself from a life of non-profits and gardens in California's east bay. After a two-week sustainable bike tour of Oregon, she headed east to Illinois with the seed of moving to Portland planted in her heart. It was there while working on a biodynamic farm amongst fireflies that she contacted the ReDirect guide and slowly watched that seed bloom.

In terms of finding a career that coincides with one's degree, Kyla has found a perfect match. She received a BA in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing and a minor in psychology from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo. She used her senior thesis to market the idea of sustainability through the campaign "Think Before for a Better After". Continuing her lifelong commitment that began at age 8 when she founded a "Save the Earth" club (which had 2 active members!), it was later that she became highly involved with the sustainable movement and realized with the collaboration of others she could make a difference.

Besides being passionate about sustainability and food justice, Kyla loves cooking, dancing (she hopes to start performing again soon), good films, playing scrabble or any board games really, being crafty, good honest people, traveling the world and riding her bicycle.... to list a few.

Ariana Friedlander: Account Representative, Assistant Program Manager

Ariana grew up in small town West Chester, Pennsylvania where she has fond memories of playing outside in the woods that surrounded her home as a child. She completed her undergraduate work at Hampshire College, a small liberal arts school that allowed Ariana to deign her own concentration titled Culture Health and Science; an analysis of holistic living.

After graduating college, Ariana moved to southern Florida and worked for Habitat for Humanity as the Family Services Coordinator. At that time, she realized that she needed to further develop her management and leadership skills so that she could make a positive difference.

In 2005, Ariana received a research assistantship to attend the University of Delaware's graduate program at the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy. Upon receiving her Masters in Public Administration, Ariana and her husband relocated to sunny and beautiful Fort Collins, Colorado so that they could enjoy the access to nature and the many cultural opportunities. Ariana joined the ReDirect Guide team in the summer of 2007 and has brought with her many strengths. She is personally and professionally committed to working with community groups and organizations to promote sustainable practices.

In her spare time Ariana enjoys cooking, buying locally grown food, playing Frisbee golf, hiking, photography, seeing live music and spending time with her family and friends.

Katie Heald: Office Manager, Radical Office Barista

Katie Heald, the Radical Office Barista and Manager, hatched almost 3 decades ago high on a hill overlooking the foggy San Francisco Bay. Within moments she took to the sky, winging eastward across a couple of continents, an ocean and a few seas.

Looking down upon the world from above the clouds immediately inspired her to do battle against the forces of darkness, and spend her years flitting around the globe restlessly. She has built various nests in Portland, OR for the last 5 years, but makes frequent migrations to foment rebellion elsewhere on the planet, thus keeping her wings in shape and her ADD tendencies satisfied.

While accomplished at pushing paper, Katie is also a devout pusher of the limits. Her turn-ons include moving heavy objects; responsible labor practices; reading non-fiction; exploring strange, new worlds; singer-songwriters; going out for breakfast; walking in the rain; building community; getting lost in thrift stores; enabling her caffeine and chocolate addictions; anything made by hand; diving head first into trash cans to rescue recyclables; and arguing about the best way to save the world over microbrews.

Amy Guinan: Account Representative

Amy is an avid bike-riding, trash-sorting, bear-seeking outdoor enthusiast who is passionate about preserving the beauty of the natural world. She believes that a better world is possible and is excited to be a part of the movement towards sustainability.

A twisting road of Indian ashrams, Chilean river rafting, and Nevada deserts brought her to Colorado and, in turn, to the ReDirect Guide. Building on her experience in the nonprofit world and the organic food industry she hopes to to help grow the Guide and make "green" business choices increasingly more available to her community.

Marina Diehl : Accounts Payable / Accounts Receivable, Eco-Fashionista, Lyrical Warrior

Marina was born with the gift of making sense of the infinite world of numbers backed up by her persistent grandfather who, as a diligent math professor, loved to give her nightly math homework. These extra hours paid off and Marina left with the gift of being the coolest proficient bookkeeper around.

Growing up, she was taught by her family to love and respect not only people, but the planet that nourishes her children. Throughout the years she has taken it upon herself to learn and implement ways of living a greener, happier life. Yes, she gets teased and taunted at times by her mainstream consumer acquaintances, but she takes it with grace.

As a self proclaimed fashionista, she believes that her body is a canvas of which to adorn with fantastic frocks to create walking art. After learning of the detrimental effects the clothing industry has on the earth, she was inspired to find the couture in green and make it available to the public. She now owns her own boutique carrying organic, bamboo and soy clothing as well as many artist made one-of-a-kind reconstructed pieces (one of the best forms of recycling), including her own designs. She is also a poet and musician dedicated to speaking truth about the world she sees. She loves playing with her son, hiking, drumming, river rafting, bike riding, running, dancing, reading, Capoeira, photography and above all, waking up happy.

Lori Powell: Account Representative

Lori earned a degree in Education from the University of Georgia with a focus on outdoor education and environmental ethics. She is excited to now integrate her passion for sustainability into her work at the ReDirect Guide to help grow the sustainable business community.

Her passion for wild places led her to guide outdoor expeditions for several years in various locations across the U.S. as well as Australia. Her adventures in the mountains of Colorado convinced her that was a worthwhile place to throw down some roots. Before joining the ReDirect Guide team, she enjoyed teaching technology-based classes, helped grow a small business, and taught sign language classes for hearing infants and toddlers.

When not snowboarding, hiking, running, climbing or participating in some other outdoor adventure, Lori enjoys experimenting with high altitude baking using local ingredients.

Shannon Corey: Account Representative

Shannon grew up between Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons with the Wasatch Mountains as her playground. From an early age she enjoyed the many wonders they had to offer. This engrained a love and respect for the landscape and fueled her desire to preserve and protect her surroundings.

She holds a BA in Anthropology from the University of Utah and is fascinated with the way people interact with their environment. She realized that we are in desperate need of shifting towards a healthier, more sustainable way of life. Shannon enjoys skiing, hiking, biking, climbing and playing the piano.

Brandy Mertes: Account Representative

Brandy has recently relocated to Denver by way of Chicago to pursue a life more in line with her commitment to the environment. Upon settling in her new home, she quickly entrenched herself in many different causes related to environmental sustainability, hunger, and animals, and then joined the ReDirect Guide team.

She graduated from the cornfields of the far West Chicago Suburbs, aka Northern Illinois University, with a BA in International Political Science and Gender Studies. She then launched her professional career with six years in corporate sales in the technology field.

During her time in school and in the corporate world she was able to live in every corner of the country, and is looking forward to building a new life in Denver. Brandy is very excited to contribute her sales skills and professional experience to promote green businesses and help build a new, environmentally sustainable society.

Michele Hart: Office / Outreach Assistant

Michele grew up on the lakes of Minnesota and earned BS degrees in Marketing and International Business from Iowa State University. Hoping to use her business degree to affect social change she migrated to Denver, CO and worked with social and sustainable businesses on increasing the demand for fair trade products.

Interested in the impact of globalization on communities around the world she decided to travel extensively throughout Asia. She backpacked over passes in the Himalayas and saw what it is like to live off the land; felt how much less stressful it is to squeeze onto an over packed bus for hours than drive in rush hour traffic; lived in a home where the only possessions needed to be happy are a floor mat and wok; and came to the conclusion that the deterioration of our sense of community, health and environment are some of the most pressing issues of our generation.

This is the main reason she is passionate about supporting businesses that focus on the triple bottom line when making decisions. She loves to do this through connecting individuals who are trying to make conscious buying choices with businesses they can truly stand behind, hence her move onto the ReDirect Guide staff.

While Michele contemplates her impact on the world she enjoys the art of making bread, the freeing feeling of backpacking, how at home she feels when canoeing, creating stories through her photography, the relaxing affects of knitting, finding the best deals at thrift stores, and skiing.

Frog Eee: Mascot, Community Relations, Indicator Species

So, yes, that is a frog that you see gracing the covers, pages, and website of the ReDirect Guides. Frog Eee was selected from a line of highly qualified candidates as our mascot for several important reasons:

1. Frogs are indicator species; in other words, in many instances frogs disappear first when a habitat is damaged, and conversely can be the first to return when the environment returns to a healthy, natural state. We are working hard to be sure all communities can thrive in their natural habitats.
2. In many societies' belief systems and folklore, frogs are representative of change and transformation. The ReDirect Guide is focused on influencing positive change through individual choices and lifestyles.
3. Frog Eee was too darn cute to turn down, loves children, and is generally very cooperative, requiring only attention to stay happy, so please, visit your ReDirect Guide often!

Notice the three "e"s in Frog Eee's last name? Those stand for Earth, Economy, and Equity, concepts that are dear to the heart of any sustainability mascot. Frog Eee exists thanks to the creative illustration of Kirsten Gellella, C.B.A. (Creature Birthing Agent).