Our Team
Allan Warren | Co-Founder & President
Allan developed his love for the outdoors while growing up in the interior of Alaska. He turned this love into his career, becoming a seasonal wilderness guide and whitewater kayak instructor while attending Santa Clara University for his undergraduate degree. His insatiable desire for exploration and adventure led him to travel the world to learn about new cultures, visit some of the world’s most beautiful places, and ultimately, to observe the challenges that humanity faces in balancing our needs with the environment.
A trip to Uganda in early 2006 changed his life and set him on the path to environmental advocacy and creating a positive impact on the world. This led him to the University of Nevada, Reno where in 2008 he received his MA in Environmental Journalism. Later, he turned his graduate project, Life More Natural, into a 501(c)3 non-profit organization to help create a sustainable future. As Co-Founder of Hero Projects, his goal is to help shape peoples lives by sharing his passion, values, and experiences with as many as possible.
Contact Allan: allan@theheroprojects.com
Follow Allan’s Journey: http://theheroprojects.com/category/about-us/stories/allanwarren
Allan’s Certifications: Wilderness First Responder, CPR, ACA Whitewater Kayak Instructor, Swift Water Rescue
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Patrick Baldwin | Co-Founder and CEO
Patrick’s journey began at Santa Clara University where he frequently escaped the congestion of Silicon Valley to experience the best of Northern California’s wilderness. He developed a passion for outdoor adventure sports including rock climbing, skiing, mountain biking and backpacking. Pat received his degree in Mechanical Engineering and competed twice in the Society of Automotive Engineering’s Mini Baja West, where he designed, built and raced off-road vehicles.
Pat spent his early professional career as a sales engineer in the semiconductor industry before transitioning into the renewable energy marketplace. He currently works as an independent consultant with a focus on renewable energy and energy efficiency. A true social entrepreneur, Pat’s goal with Hero Projects is to affect change in the world and lead by example.
Contact Patrick: pbaldwin@theheroprojects.com
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Sachit Egan | Director of Development
Sach began developing his love for adventure and the environment after making an overnight ascent of Yosemite’s Half Dome during his freshman year at Santa Clara University. After watching the sun rise from the summit, he knew he wanted to begin helping others have similar experiences. He went on to found a student organization at Santa Clara devoted to outdoor recreation and education, and he served as its president for two years. During this time, he led students on many hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, and river rafting trips throughout the western U.S.
To Hero Projects, Sach brings his passions for adventure travel, the environment, public service, and storytelling. He aims to help create meaningful, positive changes in individuals’ lives and to always be guided by his values. Along the way, he plans to share his and his coworkers’ stories, and he hopes they serve to inspire others to pursue their passions and do good work.
Contact Sach: sach@theheroprojects.com
Follow Sach’s Journey: http://theheroprojects.com/category/about-us/stories/sachitegan
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Jesse Whitt | Director of Youth Outreach
Jesse’s love for the outdoors was cultivated from a young age. Growing up in North Pole, Alaska, his family’s culture was firmly tied to the land through the raising of animals and subsisting off of fishing and hunting in the vast wilderness of the last frontier. Growing up in a large family created his desire to work with children. This desire led him to pursue and complete a BA in Psychology at the University of Alaska with the intent of becoming a guidance counselor in the Alaska school system. He spent over three years working with kids at Boys and Girls Club in Licensed Child Care.
His unbridled enthusiasm for nature and adventure fueled his career as a Wildland Fire Fighter, where he has spent nearly 10 years protecting Alaskan wilderness and rural communities. Over the course of this career, he has become an expert in wilderness safety, logistics, and management. In the offseason he travels all over the world, with extensive experience in Africa and South America. As part of his travels and adventure he became involved with our non-profit partner Life More Natural and the Athletes With a Cause charity program, raising money for disadvantaged youth in Lake Tahoe and Tanzania. His goal for Hero Projects is to use his upbringing, education, and life experiences to teach and inspire children while continuing to grow and learn himself.
Jesse’s Certifications: EMT 1, Wilderness First Responder, CPR
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Dayton MacCallum | Alaska River Guide
Born and raised in Alaska, Dayton has spent his entire life exploring the 49th state seeking out adventure. After meeting Allan Warren while kayaking the Nile River in Uganda in 2006, Dayton returned to Alaska and joined Allan as a whitewater kayak instructor at Denali Outdoor Center in Denali Park. His passion for the outdoors has led him into a career as wilderness guide, and whether it be fishing, rafting, or kayaking, he’s eager to share his expertise with visitors from all over the world. A true Alaskan, Dayton’s goal with Hero Projects is to help promote an environmentally friendly way of enjoying the outdoors, as well as sharing his great Alaskan experiences with others.
Dayton’s Certifications: Wilderness First Responder, CPR, ACA Whitewater Kayak Instructor, Swift Water Rescue
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Phil Eukel | Student Intern
A Sophomore at Santa Clara University, currently studying communications and hoping to find a job later in life working on documentaries. Phil is helping Hero Projects reach a wider student base as part of our Sales & Marketing team. A native of Texas, Phil grew up in Houston and spent his summers on the neighborhood swim team and riding his bike without using his hands. As he got older, he played water polo for high school and began camping with the Boy Scouts. Phil has always loved the outdoors, and as such is happy to be working for a company that does too!
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Sandy Navarro | Student Intern
Communications major with an Economics Minor, became instantly gravitated to the outdoors when she went on her first camping trip in the third grade with her class. She made her first s’mores and kissed her first banana slug. In high school she was given the opportunity to go on the ultimate camping trip with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). Through this trip she realized how far she could push herself while admiring the beauty of Alaska. Likewise, her second major trip as a high school student was through Amigos de las Americas, when she went to Panama. This had a lasting impression on her as well. Through this trip she was able to do hands on-volunteer work with the community leaders and kids. The trip invigorated her passion for helping out the community while still exploring the natural beauty of the world.
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Scott Scileppi | Student Intern
An Accounting major and Anthropology minor at Santa Clara University, Scott grew up in San Jose, California and has been fortunate enough to have spent a lot of his summers and winters in the Lake Tahoe area where he learned to love the outdoors. Some of his favorite activities include fishing and camping, so working with Hero projects gives him the chance to help give others an opportunity to enjoy the activities he loves while being part of a company that gives a travel experience that is socially responsible and looks to improve the places they visit rather than destroy them.