Veronica Baker Amores

Executive Director

Veronica is a climber from Boulder, Colorado with a background in qualitative interview-based research. While working in the Middle East, she started to notice the significant economic, social, and environmental effects of our sport and became inspired to study this phenomenon. Veronica began conducting case studies on the growth of climbing worldwide while in graduate school at Yale University. She founded The Global Climbing Initiative with the goals of sharing this research, providing a platform for voices not traditionally heard in the outdoor industry, and amplifying projects that use climbing as a force for positive change. Today, through connections with more than 70 global climbing communities, GCI distributes gear, awards grants, shapes best practices, and invests in the growth of climbing leaders around the world. Veronica is passionate about uniting climbers and supporting climbing communities at different stages of development. She has a master’s degree in global affairs from Yale University, and she has rock climbed and conducted research in Jordan, Cuba, Greece, Thailand, Slovenia, Palestine, Spain, North Macedonia, France, the United States, and the Philippines.