Veronica Baker Amores

Executive Director

Veronica is the founder and executive director of The Global Climbing Initiative, the first nonprofit empowering the visions of local climbing communities on a worldwide scale. A climber from Boulder, Colorado with a background in qualitative research and international relations, Veronica first became interested in the broader implications of climbing while working in the Middle East. Witnessing the sport’s social, environmental, and economic impacts firsthand led her to pursue graduate research on the global growth of climbing at Yale University, where she earned a master’s degree from the Jackson School of Global Affairs and served as a research fellow for former Secretary of State John Kerry.

Veronica launched The Global Climbing Initiative to elevate local leadership, amplify underrepresented voices in the climbing world, and break down barriers to resources in the global climbing industry. Today, GCI is connected to more than 100 climbing organizations worldwide and has supported 38 of them through grants, training, and equipment, co-creating strategies for sustainable growth. Her work is grounded in deep relationships with climbing communities across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas. She speaks English, French, Arabic, and Spanish (with varying levels of proficiency) and has rock climbed and conducted fieldwork in over a dozen countries.