Shelley Davis

Role: Program Management Maven

Hometown: Richmond, Virginia

The thing that most excites me about my job at Trail Mavens is...

Getting to know all these brilliant women and their knowledge and experiences about all things outdoors, and these incredible locations near the Bay Area that I’ve heard about my whole life. I feel super hashtagblessed to not only be living here now (I still pinch myself), but to get to be a part of this circle of women, and learning so very much from them.

"Trail Mavens is..."

“What bwings us togetha...today”. But seriously...it’s like Adult Girl Scouts, where you eat cookies around a campfire instead of selling them (paired with the perfect adult beverage). And you learn, teach, or both; stuff you always wanted to be able to say you could do. And you can make as much space for yourself in nature as you need, while at the same time letting in new people who will surprise you at how close you feel to them in such a short amount of time. Trail Mavens is a treat, a luxury, and a challenge...all wrapped in a marshmallowy, sunshiney, smokey bundle. Complete with deliciously sore muscles, butterflies in your stomach, and plenty of doubled-over laughter.

My favorite Trail Mavens adventure (so far):

I’ve gotta go with camping in Lake Tahoe, my first ever Trail Mavens trip! It’s the first time I’ve seen water that blue, I made lasting friendships (not even exaggerating), and it was as excellent as I built it up to be in my mind for the months leading up to it. Nothing beats a first Trail Mavens trip!

When I’m not working for Trail Mavens, I’m...

Writing the blog for an eco-friendly bamboo toothbrush company called MABLE, and managing all sorts of communications or marketing-related projects for another startup called Motivf. When I’m not working at all, I’m cuddling the best yellow lab in the world, named Haven (and unofficially dubbed by me as Trail Mavens’ mascot), honing my climbing skills at the gym, or baking…thanks to an obsession with the Great British Baking Show.

Five things I could never do without:

Chocolate. Pets. Introvert Time. My Phone (I hate being *that* girl, but it’s true). And Travel.

My secret skill is:

Art! While I struggle to find time for it these days, I have always loved to draw, and I’ve illustrated three kids’ books. It’s always a goal of mine to spend more time with a brush or pens.

My first real job:

In a past life, I was a Wildlife Biologist with the Army. My degrees are in Biology, and my first job out of graduate school was as a Geospatial Data Analyst for the environmental office at an Army base in VA. A year later, I transitioned into the Wildlife Biologist role at the same base, which eventually brought me out to California! Ultimately, I was craving more creativity and flexibility in life, but I still cherish everything I learned during that phase of my career, and wildlife conservation remains a passion.

Tell us about yourself using JUST a haiku.

Animals love me.

I can see it in their eyes.

Feeling’s mutual.