Our Team

We are comprised of life-loving, adventure enthusiasts who want to cultivate meaningful relationships with ourselves, others, and the natural world.

Founder

Mr. Greg Morrissey

Mr. Greg Morrissey (M.A.) is the founder of Mountain Goat Movement. In addition to teaching high school literature and head coaching a lacrosse program, Greg has spent the last ten years creating human-powered adventures for high school and college students in the greater NYC area. He has led thousands of young people on treks, climbing trips, surf trips, ski trips, sustainability programs, and more both domestically and internationally. He has also has raised over $100,000 for financially-restricted students to participate in meaningful outdoor excursions. Greg has presented his work at the American Alpine Club’s annual dinner and the venerated Explorers Club. Greg serves in advisory roles in the Next Generation of Explorers, The Explorers Club, Scientific and Exploration Society, and the American Alpine Club. He is an ambassador for Arc’teryx NY as well as a contributing writer for KAVU. Personal projects include bikepacking from Canada to Mexico, surfing the longest wave in the world, wild camping in Ireland, and numerous mountain climbs and traverses.

Storytellers and Creators

  • JOHN BARNHARDT

    Mr. John Barnhardt is an Emmy-Winning cinematographer and co-creator of ABC’s adventure series, Born To Explore, which has ignited the eyes of 83 million viewers. John has shot for some of the biggest names in exploration including Richard Wiese, Buzz Aldrin, and Dr. Laurie Marker. His journey with explorers has taken him to some of the most far-reaching places on the planet – from filming polar bears in the Arctic to living with local African tribes in Tanzania. He has also filmed for major outdoor companies and events like Outdoor Retailer. John has filmed on 6 continents and all 50 states. John is a dedicated member of the Explorers Club. He was a Film and Television Professor at Trident Technical College in South Carolina for 12 years and is currently working with Colorado State University on a documentary about Temple Grandin.

  • Nicole Dancel

    Nicole Dancel is a freelance marketer, events manager, graphic designer, and travel photographer. She has spent the last 10+ years working in marketing and communications for Broadway and off-Broadway shows. With a background in the arts, she is passionate about storytelling and helping companies hone and tell their stories through branding. Her love for travel and travel photography have taken her all over the world to 50+ countries and all seven continents— from the sand dunes of Namibia to the islands of the Galapagos, mountains of Banff, glaciers of Antarctica, and more. When she’s not working in the Adobe Creative Suite, you will find her on a hiking trail or (reluctantly) training for her next race.

Strategic Advisors

  • Grady Breen

    Grady Breen is a seasoned social studies teacher at South Carroll High School in Sykesville, Maryland. His content specialties are World History and Psychology. Outside of the classroom, Grady also serves as the Varsity Boys Lacrosse Head Coach and Junior Varsity Football Coach. Born and raised in Burlington, Vermont, Grady is an avid hiker and skier. He has served as a responsible, enthusiastic guide for several trips with Mountain Goat Movement to places like the Catskills, Kilimanjaro, and more.

  • Bhima Gaddy

    Bhima Gaddy is an educator and outdoorsman who loves empowering young people to expand their horizons in the classroom and out in the world. For the last decade, he's been skillfully leading groups of students from Wyoming to Costa Rica and beyond as they climb, ski, boulder, surf, and learn the personal and global skills it takes to be citizens of the world.In recent years, he's also added Broadway stagehand to his resume in addition to his board member and in-the-field group leader work with Mountain Goat Movement. He's excited about the continued adventures and opportunities these roles will bring his way.

  • Deron Triff Headshot

    Deron Triff

    Deron Triff served on TED’s executive team from 2011-2016, where he helped guide the organization through a period of remarkable expansion. At TED, Deron persuaded Chris Anderson, TED’s owner and curator, to see partnerships as “ecosystem-building.” This means that each new initiative reinforces the core business while, at the same time, opening entirely new markets and verticals. The ecosystem-building effort Deron led for over six years pushed the talks past 1 Billion views/year, significantly diversified revenue, and created wholly-owned TED assets of enduring value.  In 2017, Deron co-founded the media company WaitWhat, which has a portfolio of premium content that elevates human potential. It's best known for the award-winning Top 1% podcasts Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman and Meditative Story. Our Masters of Scale Summit in 2022 put the company on the global map.

  • Lisa Shipley

    Lisa brings a lifetime of love for nature to her role as CEO of Live Wildly. With 25 years of experience in conservation, she spent nearly two decades at The Nature Conservancy. Most recently, she led the Last Wild Places program at the National Geographic Society and implemented its Campaign for Nature. This is where Lisa learned of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Campaign and was inspired by the potential to protect such a large-scale landscape. She joined the effort and helped lead the Campaign to pass the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act.

Marketing

  • Claire Scott

    Claire Scott has always been passionate about helping others and connecting more with the community. While studying marketing at Loyola University Maryland, she served as the Campus Outreach Director, Activities Director, Vice President, and then, in her senior year, President of the student-led organization OPTIONS. OPTIONS provided students with exciting off-campus trips on Friday nights and weekends where students could connect and meet peers while creating new experiences and fostering a safe community. Claire helps with website building, back-end coordination of events, and marketing for Mountain Goat Movement.

Professional Athletes

Javier Spiegel

Javier Spiegel is a professional skier and videographer. Born and raised in Chile, Javier now lives in Killington, VT. When he is not throwing double-back flips in Woodward Park, he can be found doing what he loves most: teaching the next generation to become strong skiers and mountain lovers. As a videographer, Javier is a certified FAA Drone Pilot, and he even produced a commercial for the Superbowl in 2018.