No Barriers
Our Team
Your Rope Team
Staff
Sarah Price
Jessica Bryant
Program Leaders
Jaime Amling
Patrick Heister
No Barriers
A framework that teaches you step-by-step how to break through your own challenges and live a driven, purposeful life.
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No Barriers is a registered 501(c)3
Tax ID Number: 06-1693441
Guidestar Platinum Rating
Charity Navigator 4-Star
Executive Director
Finance Director
Nicole Alverio 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.
Program Director
Emily studied Sports Management at Florida Gulf Coast University and has spent seven years in outdoor facility and event management prior to joining the No Barriers team.
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.
Marketing Director
Program Leader
South Florida based performance artist Hipólito Arriaga was born and raised in the South Bronx, New York City. At age 19 he enlisted in the Marine Corps, deploying twice to Iraq, and separating honorably after four years. Hipólito has a undergraduate degree in Theatre from Nova Southeastern University.
Program Leader
Matt is happily married to his beautiful wife Jennifer and currently resides in Northern California with their dog, Sonny. He recently retired after 20 years of Active-duty service to the United States Air Force, where he worked in aircraft maintenance, working KC-10’s, RC-135s and C-130s. Matt’s time in the military was filled with rewarding experiences and he doesn’t regret a day! Matt has had the unique opportunity to live overseas for nearly 15 years and experienced many different countries and cultures from all around the world. Matt’s hobbies mostly include spending time outdoors. He enjoys camping, cycling and hiking. He’s also an avid wood and metal worker.
Program Leader
Jeff is a veteran of the U.S. Navy. Although he loved his time in service, he was very happy to return to the mountains that were an important part of his childhood. As a resident of Albuquerque, NM, he volunteers in his free time with Albuquerque Mountain Rescue Council which provides Search & Rescue services throughout the state. Jeff has been an Expedition Leader with No Barriers since 2016. He has a strong commitment to his fellow service members and uses No Barriers as a means to give back to society.
Program Leader
Stephen is an aspiring alpinist and alpine guide who lives in Cheyenne, Wyoming with his wife and children. In 2007, he joined the military as an infantryman with the 101st, and his journeys took me to the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan, where he felt his love for the mountains embraced. Stephen says, “my PTSD and TBI has left me in a state of constant reactivity and feelings of being trapped. When I am climbing in the mountains, that weight is removed. I am free. There is a literal feeling of wings on my back and feet.” Stephen looks forward to bringing this passion to other individuals seeking the outdoors as a place of healing
Program Leader
Gary began sharing his passion for adventure as a guide over 20 years ago. Guiding throughout North and South America, he has taught rock climbing, ice climbing, mountaineering, tree climbing, caving, mountain biking, kayaking, and leadership development to a wide variety of audiences ranging from at-risk youth, people with disabilities, veterans, and business leaders. Gary is an advocate for equal access for all. In his free time, he enjoys designing and innovating technique and gear to improve access as well as planning expeditions for people with disabilities. Gary truly believe what he does, while not therapy, is therapeutic.
Program Leader
Janelle grew up enjoying the outdoors and traveling with her family. After high school she worked on a guest ranch in Colorado where her love of hiking, serving others and spending time in nature grew. She graduated from Penn State with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies. Janelle enjoys working with individuals in the outdoors, journeying with them on new experiences and conquering challenges. Before having children she worked as a case manager in an experiential/adventure based school for boys in special education. Janelle currently joins her husband Andy, in teaching Backcountry Living Skills courses at Garrett College. Janelle recently became emergency certified in substitute teaching. She holds certifications in Wilderness First Aid, CPR, and Leave No Trace. Janelle and Andy have 2 teenagers, and a chocolate lab, and they love traveling, backpacking, rock climbing, biking and skiing as a family.
Program Leader
Dave medically retired from the US Army National Guard after having a right below the knee amputation as a result of an IED blast in Afghanistan, July 2010. Following my retirement, I returned home to be a stay-at-home dad, the best husband I can be and help raise my 3 children.
Program Leader
Peter is a U.S. Airforce veteran. Since retiring he has spent most of his time in the mountains of Western North Carolina, rock climbing and practicing primitive skills. He recently completed his degree in Fish and Wildlife, is a Wilderness EMT, certified white-water rafting guide, and has spent many years studying primitive and wilderness survival skills at schools all over the world. Peter is a Senior Expedition Leader and has been with No Barriers since 2018. Giving back to the veteran community by facilitating healing in the wilderness is very important to him, because of the impact that it had on him as a No Barriers participant alumni.
Program Leader
Katelyn McKinney (aka Smiley) is a Senior Expedition Leader for No Barriers where she’s lead backcountry expeditions for Veterans and international youth trips since 2017 She spent the majority of the last decade in international nonprofit roles and on various therapeutic adventures. Living in Juneau Alaska, Katelyn spends her time between community wellness initiatives, guiding, making art, foraging berries, meditating, hunting & fishing and exploring with her husband James and their two dogs Bane and Kayuh. The weather and tides dictate a lot of what they do in a day, and that’s how they like it. Katelyn is a social worker, an EMT and Wilderness Medicine Instructor, AIARE avalanche 1 trained, Swiftwater Rescue and White Water Guide certified, and trained by National Outdoor Leadership School in Risk Management for Outdoor Programming Administrators.
Program Leader
Claudio is an ever-curious, multi-disciplinary artist, musician, bodyworker, and community bridge-builder. Though he was born in Puerto Rico, and moved frequently in his early childhood, Claudio has spent the last 24 years calling Charlotte, NC home. He’s grateful to simultaneously be a couple of hours away from the Blue Ridge Mountains and the North Carolina coast. A common thread that has connected Claudio’s varied professional and leisurely pursuits has been his passion for meaningful experiences as conduits for connection and collective, symbiotic progress. As a jack-of-all-trades creative, Claudio has played in bands, composed scores for theater and short films, created sound art installations, facilitated drum circles and percussion workshops. Claudio’s work in the healing arts sphere have offered him the opportunity to empower individuals as well as groups through personalized clinical massage therapy, guiding group bicycle rides, paddle trips, and camping retreats. Some of Claudio’s favorite embodied movement practices include cycling, capoeira, rock climbing, dancing and Ashtanga yoga. Claudio has a BS in Exercise Science and is a US Army Veteran.
Program Leader
Cody Pensabene was raised in Denton, Texas by his mother. He became a Marine in 2008 and spent 10 years as an active duty service member. Cody has done two deployments overseas in support of several conflicts. He was a CH53-E helicopter quality assurance representative and aerial observer. Since getting out has used those skills to become a maintenance supervisor and fleet maintenance technician for a recyling company in Asheveille, NC. When not working he regularly volunteers in the community, spends time with his daughter, and spends time enjoying all the outdoors of Western North Carolina has to offer.
Program Leader
Alicia is joining the No Barriers team this year after recently retiring from the Navy. She’s currently living and traveling in her camper van with her husband, George, and their energetic labrador, Charlie. At her last duty station she enjoyed volunteering as a backcountry ski leader for the Appalachian Mountain Club. Having a life long passion for the outdoors, she looks forward to sharing her knowledge and experiences with like minded people.
Program Leader
Shasta retired from the U.S. Navy after 20 years and traded in her swim fins for hiking boots. She lives in Albuquerque, NM with her husband and two small boys. Coaching CrossFit and volunteering with Search and Rescue has provided a community of motivated friends similar to the camaraderie that she enjoyed in the military. Shasta has been an Expedition Minion with No Barriers since 2019. She enjoys helping fellow service members experience and enjoy wilderness adventures.
Program Leader
Heather has been a middle school teacher, mountain bike coach, wilderness guide, environmental engineer and professional cyclist. She recently retired from teaching, realizing that life is too short not to follow your dreams. True to that, she has resumed work as a wilderness guide, using the natural setting therapeutically for private individuals and small groups, and with No Barriers.
Program Leader
Rick Smith retired from the US Navy in the fall of 2020, where he severed for over 26 years. He was fortunate to have spent 16.5 as an enlisted Sailor and the last 10 as a Naval Officer. His new mission and purpose are volunteering and leading backpacking, hiking, mountain biking, and backcountry ski trips. He was one of the founding members of the New Mexico Youth Mountain Bike League in 2021 and was a Level III Mountain Bike Coach for the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA). His career in the Navy encompassed nearly a dozen deployments that included multiple tours in both Afghanistan and Iraq as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician. He also had the distinct privilege of being a part of the UK Royal Navy while serving in an exchange program where he trained Royal Navy Clearance Divers.
Rick now volunteers with the Colorado Mountain Club as a Trip Leader and Wilderness First Aid Instructor. He has hiked, climbed, biked, or camped across 29 countries and summited several peaks including Mt Rainer, Mt Olympus, and Mt. Whitney. He is a graduate of the Slovenian Military Mountaineering – Winter Course and is a qualified Wilderness First Responder. He currently works at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM where administers the explosives safety training program. If asked Rick’s crowning achievement is being married to his beautiful bride Liz for 28 years, they have one daughter in college and one son in high school, and now calls Fort Collins, Colorado home.