Post by Paul Calandrella

I received a text from my wife this week, letting me know that the intrepid Jim Whittaker had passed away. When her note arrived, I was mid-descent from a spectacular overlook in the Marin Headlands, and was surrounded by the founding members of the ALSO. field sales team. There’s a vein of REI that runs through this group that Matt Liddle and Jennifer Karr-Lee have built, and we’re bringing some of the magic of that culture we all shared earlier in our careers to this new adventure. In the moment, I was struck yet again by the special influence the co-op has had on my life, and the lessons it gifted me in connection to people, the power of vulnerability and the undeniable joy of a profession rooted in purpose. For the first time since leaving REI, I’ve got that ‘anything’s possible’ feeling again. Thanks, Jim. And thanks Chris Schierholtz Adrian Ballesteros Amy Hattemer Janelly Prieto John Harmon Cody Ackermann Melissa Abramson Dorian-Michelle Smith Eric Birkemeier Jon Frankel