Meet Our Team
Jay Irwin is an adventurous soul who is determined to inspire people through wilderness experiences. During a 23-year rewarding career in the computer software industry, Jay had the opportunity to lead and inspire companies to enhance their productivity and success through innovative software solutions. He created entrepreneurial initiatives within some of the largest software companies in the world. After a year-long sabbatical, Jay has successfully rounded the corner on combining his love of adventure with his desire to make a positive difference in other people’s lives. He teaches audiences, from inner-city youth to executives, how to bring the gifts learned from wilderness experiences into daily life to create powerful and long-lasting change. Jay is an avalanche survivor, Ironman finisher, avid skier and backpacker, and a foolhardy mountain biker, but his underlying passion is being a dedicated father. Jay is also a board member of cityWILD, a local nonprofit bringing adventure and leadership to culturally diverse, inner-city youth.
Mark grew up in New Jersey and has lived in Colorado since 1998. He discovered his love for the outdoors in the mountain town of Blacksburg, VA while earning an engineering degree from Virginia Tech in 1995. In past careers, he’s handled logistics for manufacturing plants, enjoyed working in the bicycling industry, and has been a productive real estate agent. His experience with complex objectives, dynamic schedules and collaborating with partners has flourished in our world of adventure consulting. He has been with the company since 1996 and now helps drive the Sales & Marketing efforts of the company, enjoys visiting with valued clients, and appreciates impactful outdoor team adventures. When Mark isn’t working, he’s typically spending time outdoors with his family, mountain biking, running and enjoying a Colorado lifestyle.
Cat started her career in the outdoor adventure industry in 1998 as a leader for Backroads Active Travel Company. She brought her passion for experiential learning and group adventure to the corporate space in 2006 when she joined CBST. Now she applies her penchant for exploration, degree in Interpersonal Communication, and knack for creative problem solving to better understand her clients and create unique professional development adventures based on their targeted objectives. Connecting with companies and executive teams that want to build an energized culture of success is her goal. She is tireless as she works both behind the scenes in preparation and in front of the group as a lead facilitator. She likes riding bikes, listening to loud music and eating soup – but not all at the same time.
Abe‘s adventure began in the Adirondack Mountains of northern New York. Growing up in such a beautifully wild place played a large role in developing his love for the outdoors and a passion for exploring. After getting his start as a guide for the University of Vermont outing club, he spent almost 10 years traveling the western states, guiding French adventurers through our beautiful National Parks. He eventually made his way to the Rocky Mountains, and though he has skied all over the world, Colorado’s fluffy powder always keeps his stoke high. His passion for guiding and outdoor education has inspired him to pursue training from the International Mountain Bike Association, the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education, Wilderness Medicine Institute, and the American Mountain Guides Association. Abe enjoys pepperoni pizza and good espresso, and when not working in the mountains, you‘ll likely find him planning his next hair-brained adventure, skiing untracked powder, or riding his mountain bike. But, chances are, you won’t find him.
David’s lifelong love and respect for nature led him to Colorado in 2012 when he enrolled in the Higher Education Master’s program at the University of Denver. While in school, he was continually overwhelmed by the majesty of the Rocky Mountain region and the access and breadth of experiences one can have in Colorado. David moved to Utah to be a wilderness adventure therapy guide, where he led small groups of students on backpacking trips throughout the state and facilitated rock climbing and mountain biking. He returned to Denver to join the CBST Adventures team as the Logistics and Operations Manager where he is able to develop, implement, and facilitate high impact programs for our clients.
Dianna is a Colorado Native having lived in Denver most of her life. Childhood camping and fishing trips bestowed upon her a love and respect for both family and nature. Her affinity for the outdoors eventually led her to study biology at UCD at Denver. Life detoured and she began a career in the telecom industry which happened to uncover an interest in Microsoft Excel and database management. After an unexpected hiatus, she is now CBST Adventure’s Office Manager and helps the team by developing and maintaining database solutions for optimal systematization. As a member of an energetic and conscious company that encourages work-life balance, she takes full advantage of Colorado’s 300+ days of sunshine by enjoying daily dog walks, hikes, celebrating with friends and family, and most of all, shredding and grunting over technical single-tracks with her trusty mountain bike.