Teresa Baker

Teresa Baker is an outdoor diversity activist, writer, and founder of several organizations which most recently includes the In Solidarity Project, an organization designed to increase diversity and inclusion in outdoor spaces by working with outdoor industry companies and CEOs. She is the founder of several other initiatives designed to increase diversity and inclusion in outdoor spaces, including African American Nature and Parks Experience, which hosts the annual African American National Park Event and the annual Hike Like a Girl event.

Early life Baker grew up in Richmond, California, where she spent a lot of her time outside playing with her siblings. Throughout the years she began to understand the impact being in outdoor spaces had in her life. It brought her a clear sense of obligation to the land. While Baker had learned to love the outdoors as a child growing up in California, "My affinity for outdoor spaces and animals came naturally." to encourage people of color to explore national parks, which has now turned into an annual event. Through this initiative, Baker worked closely with the National Park Service in organizing an event in June 2014 to highlight the Buffalo Soldiers in the National Park system, who were some of the first national park rangers.

In July 2018, she founded the Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge, which aims to connect outdoor brands to diversity and inclusion advocates and experts and asks executives to commit to these efforts. The CEO Pledge has been highly successful, with over 185 brands, non-profits, and college/school groups currently signed on. This effort turned into the In Solidarity project in 2020, which aims to connect outdoor DEI leaders with industry partners and non-profit organizations by providing consulting and speaking opportunities in addition to the Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge. In March 2021, Baker organized the Women's Outdoor Summit for women in the outdoor industry to network and learn from each other. The event was supported by several outdoor companies and featured panels, workshops, and speakers, including women CEOs in the outdoor industry and Deb Haaland, current Secretary of the Interior.

In addition to her many initiatives, Baker frequently writes for outdoor magazines and organizations, In addition, she was recognized as "Woman of the Month" in August 2018 by Sol Sisters for her work with initiatives such as the African American National Parks event and Hike Like a Girl. and can be heard speaking on YouTube as part of Pulse Check on DEI in Rock Climbing & the Outdoor Industry from April 2021, talking with Outside Business Journal in February 2021, and describing her DEI work in the outdoors with Alta Ski Area in September 2020