Meet Kinfield Founder Nichole Powell

Can you tell us about one of your favorite outdoor adventure memories?

Simple as it might sound, one of my favorite recent memories was getting to introduce my best friend’s new puppy to the beach! She had never seen the ocean before and didn’t realize that the water would be wet; the video of her charging into the waves (and immediately regretting it!) will always make me laugh. She absolutely loves the beach now!
 

What advice would you give to women starting the journey of entrepreneurship?

Two things:

1. Invest in your people
2. Take care of yourself

Building a company takes a village, and it’s well worth the time to make sure you have a strong community of peers, mentors, and friends around you as you embark on this wild journey. And it truly is a wild journey. The only thing that any of us know for sure is that there will come a day when you aren’t working on your company anymore, so make sure you take care of yourself along the way, and that the person you are when that day (post-company) comes is someone you are proud of.
 

The theme of International Women’s Day 2023 is #EmbraceEquity. One area of inequality we’ve seen is the amount of time girls and women spend enjoying outdoor activities compared to boys and men. Can you tell us about this and how Kinfield aims to create change?

At Kinfield, we believe in leading by example. We are a majority-woman team, and regularly share stories and videos of our team and broader community making the most of the great outdoors. Rather than focus only on extreme feats of outdoor athleticism, we choose to celebrate the many wonderful ways that people can enjoy their time outdoors – at Kinfield, having a picnic in the park counts, too! We’d love to see a day where women feel equally welcome and celebrated in the great outdoors, and are proud to be a part of the movement that is getting us closer to that.
 

How does Kinfield promote gender equality within your company and in your mission?

Nature doesn’t change depending on your gender. We believe that everyone, inclusive of gender, race, background, creed, and beliefs, deserves the joy of the great outdoors. The best way we can promote that belief is by celebrating a diverse range of stories that align with that vision.
 

Finally, can you tell us a little bit about a woman who inspires you this Women’s History Month?

I am continually inspired by the women of Team Kinfield. Alicia, who leads marketing for us with the strength of Joan of Arc and is passionate, tough, and brilliant – and can probably outrun, out-swim, and out-hike most people in the room. Alison, who is the thoughtful, compassionate, meticulous spirit and beating heart behind all of Kinfield’s operations. She’s our Team Mom and one of our very earliest advisors who fortunately for us let me convince her to join our team full-time. Vanessa, Liz, Renee, Lou, Emily; each of these women is not only incredible at what they do, but they are also genuinely wonderful people. Any company would be lucky to have them. On the days that I need a bit of extra inspiration to keep me going, I look around the room and remember what a privilege it is to work alongside such an incredible team.