about us
meet our founder & board of directors
our impact-driven work
Founder and Executive Director Simone Adams formed Color My Outdoors in 2021. After extensive travels out west and returning home, she recognized that People of Color were underrepresented in the outdoors because their stories weren’t commonly or accurately told in the history books or modern-day media. Color My Outdoors became her opportunity to share real lifestyles and experiences from a Southern lens.
Color My Outdoors has been addressing the needs of Black and Brown people by removing obstacles that often prevent these communities from enjoying the outdoors from their cultural vantage point. By doing so, the organization is dismantling stereotypes about this nature-rich region and highlighting the honest stories that celebrate People of Color who play a significant role in the outdoors.
our programs
our founder
Simone Adams is a strategic facilitator, organizational leader, and proud Southerner whose work bridges cultural heritage and a deep joy for the outdoors. With more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, operations management, and strategic fundraising, Simone is redefining how the outdoor industry serves and celebrates Black and Brown communities.
Her love for the outdoors began on the trails of North Georgia and grew among the mountains of Western North Carolina. Today she travels the Southeast in her RV, uncovering the stories, landscapes, and traditions that make the region unique. These experiences inform her leadership of Color My Outdoors, where she works to deconstruct systemic barriers and create inclusive pathways for communities of color to thrive in outdoor spaces.
our founder
Simone Adams is a strategic facilitator, organizational leader, and proud Southerner whose work bridges cultural heritage and a deep joy for the outdoors. With more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, operations management, and strategic fundraising, Simone is redefining how the outdoor industry serves and celebrates Black and Brown communities.
Her love for the outdoors began on the trails of North Georgia and grew among the mountains of Western North Carolina. Today she travels the Southeast in her RV, uncovering the stories, landscapes, and traditions that make the region unique. These experiences inform her leadership of Color My Outdoors, where she works to deconstruct systemic barriers and create inclusive pathways for communities of color to thrive in outdoor spaces.
our 2025 Board of Directors
Color My Outdoors’ Board of Directors drives our mission to celebrate and uplift People of Color in the outdoors. This diverse group of dynamic leaders provides strategic direction, champions equity, and ensures our work resonates across the Southeast. With a shared passion for stewardship and leadership, each guides us in dismantling barriers, building representation, and fostering meaningful connections to nature. Meet the visionaries shaping our journey.
Founder & Executive Director
Simone combines her deep-rooted love for nature with a keen insight into nonprofit strategy to ensure outdoor narratives celebrate the diverse contributions of People of Color.
Non-Voting Board Member
Simone Adams
Founder & Executive Director
Non-Voting Board Member
Simone's earliest memories in nature include playing in the creek beside her childhood home, exploring the woods with her brothers, and camping in the North Georgia mountains with her father. Originally from the metro Atlanta area, Simone moved to the mountains of Western North Carolina – just steps away from Pisgah National Forest where she relished trail life. Simone is a 20-year fundraising veteran who specializes in grant strategy and authentic equity fundraising. As a Black female, solo adventurer, Simone was routinely met with words of caution rather than encouragement from people who didn't have a relationship with the outdoors. These experiences, combined with her career in nonprofit as a fundraising strategist formed an idea that would grow into an opportunity to create racial equity in the outdoors. Simone launched Color My Outdoor with a mission to change the outdoor narrative. Her dream is to deconstruct the stereotype that people of color don't enjoy or belong in the outdoors, replacing these notions with a narrative that celebrates People of Color in the outdoors. Simone can often be found hiking trails in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Solo or with her adventure cat, Jumbo. She camps, kayaks, and lives an RV lifestyle.
Partnership & Community Outreach Coordinator, Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards
Leandra brings communities closer to nature through environmental science and the arts to open doors to outdoor conservation and nature careers for Black and Brown people.
Board President
Outdoor Writer, Social Justice Advocate
Stephanie leverages her passion for the outdoors and social advocacy to dismantle barriers in green spaces while also creating nurturing spaces for Asian American Pacific Islanders.
Board Secretary
Leandra Taylor
Partnership & Community Outreach Coordinator, Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards
Board President
Leandra Taylor is an artist, environmental scientist, educator, and mountaineer based in Marietta, Georgia. She earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Baylor University. She started her career in conservation as a wildlife data management intern with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. During this time, she discovered her passion for translating environmental science in ways that increase public awareness and engagement. She found her calling in community outreach and education. Leandra currently works as the Partnership and Community Outreach Coordinator for the Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards (SAWS), a conservation nonprofit. Leandra cultivates meaningful community relationships and partnerships to support equitable access to nature and wilderness. She is also a champion for workforce development, specifically creating pathways for Black and Brown people to find career opportunities in conservation. The nonprofit and public sector professional works to increase community engagement in public land management. Beyond her professional commitments, Leandra finds joy and inspiration in nature. She enjoys nature journaling, hiking through breathtaking landscapes, and bird watching. With an unwavering aspiration to continue intertwining the threads of art, science, and nature, she stands as a beacon of inspiration for those who share her enthusiasm for the world around us.
Stephanie Harper
Outdoor Writer, Social Justice Advocate
Board Secretary
Stephanie Harper loves learning about and recreating in the outdoors – from urban walks to mountaintop trails to cycling. Through her writing and shared experiences, she channels her passion for being outside into community work. Her belief in making nature accessible to all propels her philanthropic endeavors. She actively supports initiatives aimed to dismantle barriers that hinder engagement in green spaces. Her personal life mirrors her advocacy. Her appreciation for the environment continually drives her to explore the places she loves. She is an avid runner, hiker, and newbie mountain biker. Currently, Stephanie serves on the board of Girls on the Run WNC and is one of the core founders of Western North Carolina’s Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI), a group dedicated to cultivating community for its members. She enjoys reading and is in deep adoration for the book “Sand Talk,” finding every free moment to soak up new books. As a Color My Outdoors board member, Stephanie is excited to merge her commitment to inclusivity, philanthropy, and unwavering adoration for nature with the mission of the organization in order to create a more diverse and equitable outdoor community for all.
Program Director, Cherokee Historical Program Association
Laura forges an authentic path of cultural education and ecological engagement that blends outdoor adventure cycling with the ancestral traditions of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Board Treasurer
Southeast Regional Marketing Manager, REI Co-op
Alisha fosters community connections and champions diversity in the great outdoors for People of Color through innovative partnerships, activations, and special events.
Board Member
Laura Blythe
Program Director, Cherokee Historical Program Association
Board Treasurer
Laura Blythe is a tribal citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. She resides on the Qualla Boundary (Cherokee, North Carolina) in her ancestral homelands of WNC. Laura is a rowdy adventurer who enjoys road cycling, mountain biking, paddle boarding, camping, hiking, backpacking, golfing, and exploring new places. As the program director at the Cherokee Historical Association, Laura oversees all programming at the Oconaluftee Indian Village. The village offers cultural education and immersion while allowing its workers the opportunity to learn and live their history. Laura is passionate about perpetuating Cherokee culture and is dedicated to educating herself and others. Spirituality and connection to nature are some favorite pieces of her heritage. Laura believes the healing power that comes from the outside elements is very therapeutic and people can use nature to heal historical trauma that is in all our pasts. Currently, Laura is working to build programming that connects the Two Worlds Together: Cherokee customs and traditions and the world of outdoors through cycling. In addition to serving as a Color My Outdoors board member, she contributes to several other groups: WCU Cherokee Center Advisory Board, Atlanta Braves Cultural Committee, and MadeXMtns Outdoor Equity Workgroup. She also serves as an advocate and ambassador for Cane Creek Cycling and Fire Mountain Trails.
Alisha McKinney
Southeast Regional Marketing Manager, REI Co-op
Board Member
Alisha serves as outdoor retailer REI Co-op’s local marketing regional manager for the Southeast. She holds more than 20 years of marketing and communications experience to guide her team and build community engagement through events, sponsorships, partnerships and stewardship in Atlanta. Prior to REI, Alisha led local marketing teams at Lyft, Gogo SqueeZ, and Whole Foods Market. Her expertise has led to growing partnerships with Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Delta Airlines, Coca-Cola, Georgia Organics, and Greening Youth Foundation. For four years, Alisha was founder of her own communications company, Cave Marketing & Consulting, leading small businesses through developing marketing, public relations, and business development strategies. She has a special place in her heart for students as a former adjunct professor teaching public speaking and business courses at Westwood College and SAE Institute. Originally from South Carolina, Alisha earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of South Carolina and a Master of Arts from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. In addition to serving as a Color My Outdoors board member, she carves out time to cook, cycle, and spend family time with her husband, Kevin, and their daughters, Sage and Yara.
JOIN OUR BOARD
We’re currently scouting seasoned board members located in Southeastern cities whose personal values and professional experiences align with our mission. We do not accept unsolicited applications, but we encourage you to contact us to introduce yourself or suggest the names of qualified leaders who we should consider.
contact us
Ready to Embark?
connect with us
We’re always looking to team up with mission-aligned organizations that share our passion for equity and storytelling in the outdoors.
If you’re already rolling up your sleeves for the hard work of inclusion — and you believe in true collaboration, not just checking a box — we’d love to connect with you. Let’s build something meaningful together.