No Barriers
Team
JENNA MARTIN
Senior Director, Marketing & Partnerships
John Toth
Senior Program Director
Nicole Banman
Finance Director
Senior Director, Marketing & Partnerships
Senior Program Director
Finance Director
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Co-Founder
After losing his vision at the age of 14, Erik has dedicated his life to inspiring others to embrace a No Barriers Mindset to live purposeful and meaningful lives. He has climbed the 7 Summits, the tallest mountain on every continent, and solo-kayaked the iconic whitewater of the Grand Canyon, among countless other adventure firsts
A former middle school teacher and wresting coach, Erik is, the author of Touch the Top of the World, The Adversity Advantage and No Barriers: A Blind Man’s Journey to Kayak the Grand Canyon. He is the recipient of numerous awards, among them the prestigious National Courage Award and the 2002 ESPN ESPY award.
Erik is an internationally recognized speaker whose message helps companies, organizations and individuals around the world discover what it takes to turn into the storm, convert challenges into greatness, and reach for seemingly impossible goals. Through Erik’s groundbreaking adventures, he has explored and defined what it means to live a No Barriers Life, describing it as a map we build to navigate and to pursue a life that matters.
“A No Barriers Life is not all about hanging off the edge of a scary mountain, nor is it only applicable to someone who may be blind or can’t walk. No Barriers is for everyone.”
Program Manager
Emily studied Sports Management at Florida Gulf Coast University and has spent seven years in oor facility and event management prior to joining No Barriers as the Program Manager.
Following a cross-country cycling trip that brought her from Florida to California, Emily became motivated to engage with individuals to embrace the outdoors as a means to build community and unlock potential. She is an EMT, an avid gravel biker, and can be found fly fishing with her golden retriever around Fort Collins, Colorado.
Accountant
Jess is a graduate of Colorado State University’s Impact MBA Program where she studied social entrepreneurship. Before moving to Fort Collins for grad school, she lived in Northwest Illinois and worked in the nonprofit and youth development sectors for five years in counselor, programming, and administrative positions.
Jess is ecstatic to be Accounting & Data Coordinator at No Barriers as she feels this role combines her passions of social and financial sustainability. In her free time, Jess enjoys spending time outdoors, cross stitching, and making all kinds of desserts.
Marketing Director
Jenna Martin is a communicator, marketer, brand manager, and storyteller. Before joining No Barriers as Marketing Director, Jenna grew a love for the non-profit space when working as Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at USA Curling. Experienced in launching and building a brand from the ground up, membership retention and fan conversion, creating an expansive digital footprint, and securing sponsorships transformative to the organization, Jenna found a passion in tapping into what resonates most: storytelling. A graduate from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee with majors in Communications and Psychology, Jenna now lives just west of Milwaukee with her husband, Doug, and dog, Griffey
Program Director
Growing up, John spent many days in the rural farmlands and hills of Pennsylvania hunting and fishing with his father, an Army veteran. When he went to college, his father lost his job and John was looking for a way to pay for school. ROTC offered him a scholarship and the rest is history. What followed was more than 21 years as a United States Army Infantry Officer. John served tours in South Korea and Egypt, and was deployed to combat in Iraq.
Following his transition, John worked for several non-profits committed to helping veterans after service. He joined No Barriers in 2014 as the Director of the Warriors Program. A devoted husband and proud father of two boys, he resides in Boulder, Colorado with his family where they share his passion for fishing, being outdoors, and traveling the world.
Finance Director
Nicole has a long career of managing finances for a variety of nonprofit organizations, including Kansas Public Radio, the Audio-Reader Network, and Sporting Kaw Valley, all based in Lawrence, KS; and the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, based in Seattle, WA. She is a Kansas native, but now resides in Estes Park, Colorado. Nicole holds a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Kansas. Serving as the Finance Director for No Barriers is the perfect opportunity for her to combine her love of sharing outdoor experiences with others with her expertise in finance and operations leadership. She enjoys hiking, biking, kayaking, and rafting as well as baking and cooking for her family. Her and her family practice martial arts together and enjoy playing and watching all types of sports.
Events Manager