Erekani has been with me for a long time. For years it was only a whisper in the background. An idea I couldn’t quite name, a dream that felt too fragile to share. Then, during a six-month trip across South America, that whisper began to take shape. Surrounded by stunning landscapes, warm and welcoming people, and the undeniable soul of place, I felt a truth stir inside me: belonging is found in relationship with the land, and with each other.

Coming back to the U.S., that realization stayed with me, but it also made me notice how easily that sense of belonging slips away in our daily lives. Conservation work, though deeply important, often speaks of nature in ways that feel distant, transactional, technical, detached from relationship. In the middle of an increasingly polarized world, that separation felt sharper than ever. I longed to find a way to bridge it.

With the encouragement and support of my family, I decided to take a leap. On April 8, 2024, the day of the solar eclipse, we registered Erekani LLC. The timing felt significant, as if the universe itself was marking this moment of endings and beginnings. The name Erekani, meaning “to exist” in Purépecha, which holds both my ancestral roots and the essence of this work: to exist in right relationship with Earth, with community, and with ourselves.

But Erekani was not finished calling me out of my comfort zone. After applying on a whim to the Conservation Leadership Program at the University of Cambridge, I never expected to be accepted, but I was. With Paul’s gentle nudge, we packed up our little family (including Luna) and left the familiarity of Fort Collins for a year across the ocean.

That leap was both a separation and a beginning. It was not easy to leave behind the people and places I love. But in Cambridge, I found something new: belonging among a cohort of incredible peers and leaders that became family, in mentors who challenged me for the better, and in the countless moments of reflection and learning that stretched me as a leader. There were late nights filled with big questions, humbling lessons that tested my assumptions, and adventures across Europe that became classrooms of their own. Slowly, I began to see myself differently, not just as an emerging leader, but as someone with the skills, vision, and courage to bring Erekani fully to life.

Even in those moments, Erekani was always there, on van trips across winding roads, in scribbled notes on lecture margins, and in my placement project titled: “Conservation through Connection: Developing a People-Centred Approach to Place and Belonging” Piece by piece, Erekani grew clearer: not just an idea, but a vision, a practice, a way of being.

Today, Erekani is alive. It is a leadership consultancy and an ecosystem of practice that centers the relational over the transactional, works at the intersection of environmental justice, outdoor connection, and emergent leadership, and believes that by reconnecting with nature, we can transform how we live, lead, and care for the world.

This is only the beginning. Erekani is stretching its roots into new ground and lifting its wings into the air. To grow this vision, we are seeking:

• Partners and clients aligned with our values.
• Funders to support pilot programs and expand capacity.
• Collaborators to help expand the Erekani ecosystem.

Together, let us co-create a future where leadership heals, where outdoor adventures create belonging, and where existing with nature becomes both an act of renewal and resistance.

Thank you for being here, at the very start of this journey. I hope you’ll continue to walk with us as Erekani grows into all it is meant to be.