Mike Kittredge
Co-General Manager, Pacific Edge Climbing Gym
The Basics
Company Name: Pacific Edge Climbing Gym
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Founded: 1993, by Co-Owners Dianne Russell and Tom Davis
Full-Time Employees: 15
Products: A Kick Butt Community! Climbing Gym Memberships, Rock Climbing School Courses, Guided Rock Climbing Trips, Rock Climbing Gear
Social: Instagram // Facebook // Website
Claim to Fame: We have had many professional rock climbers get their start at Pacific Edge most notable being Josie McKee, David Allfrey, Tiffany Hensley, and Chris Sharma.
The Culture
The best thing about working at pacific edge is:
Sharing our love of the outdoors and rock climbing with others all while creating a fun, friendly and welcoming community.
Helping kids overcome their fears and see what they’re capable of!
Working for people/an organization that share my passions, beliefs, and values. Loving going to "work"
The people.
When we’re not working, we’re:
Probably out climbing, maybe surfing, flying or kayaking. If not inside we are probably playing outside.
Studying microbiology mostly.
Exploring!
What we’re reading:
The Hidden Life of Trees
Ready Player 1
The Genius of Birds
Anything by Isaac Asimov
Starlight and Storm: The Conquest of the Great North Faces of the Alps
Roman Mythology
Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors
What we’re listening to:
We have varied musical tastes across the staff. Funk, Reggae, Modern Pop, Classic Rock, Hip-Hop and lots of other stuff too. If it has a good beat and positive vibe, we are into it. It includes artists such as:
Phish
Foxygen
Lucius, Joseph, Opus Orange
Two Door Cinema Club
Too much more to name!
If they made a movie about our workplace, it would be called:
TranSENDing Plastic
Inclusion in the outdoors matters because:
Everyone deserves access to our natural world. Connecting with the natural world allows us to also connect as humans to things greater than oneself. Additionally, finding beauty in the natural world also helps is see the beauty in ourselves, others and our communities.
Five years down the line, it’s our hope that:
Access to the outdoors and our natural spaces will be more representative of our diverse communities in the US.
Pacific Edge will continue to cultivate and sustain a welcoming and inclusive community that is representative of the changing demographics of our local communities.
The outdoor industry will do a better job representing folks from historically underrepresented groups through social media and advertising to normalize the fact that the great outdoors is a place for everyone.