CO-FOUNDER and VISIONARY

Katie was born and raised in the Qu’Appelle Valley in southern Saskatchewan. As a child, Katie was encouraged to ‘go outside until it’s dark!’, she would swim in the cold Katepwa Lake and wander the hills of the valley. With the rich smell of sweetgrass and sage the prairies are her first and forever love. Katie followed her family west, to explore the vastness of the mountains and the adventure that awaited her. She has since called Golden her home on and off for 20 years.

Katie Hodder is a scholar-practitioner primarily focused on child and family development. Katie is especially interested in action oriented leadership approaches within the Early Childhood Development sector, cultivated by co-creative relationships and value-based collectives.

Katie has presented at national and international conferences, and written early years curriculum for jurisdictions around the world primarily in areas such as: Risky play and Preschool Physical Literacy. Katie is a Faculty Instructor in the Early Learning and Childcare Department with Red Deer Polytechnic. Katie is also on a National Advisory Board for Active for Life with members from across Canada. She advises on strategic innovations for child care across Canada in areas of professional development, leadership, child development, and curriculum development. Katie is the Executive Director of a non-profit organization, she oversees a suite of Counselling services for children, youth, and families.

Katie has a Child & Youth Care Counselling Degree from Mount Royal University, and a Masters of Leadership from Royal Roads University.

CO-FOUNDER and ADVENTURE LEAD

Sarah grew up in rural Ontario, where her curiosity for nature developed into her love of the outdoors. As a child, days were spent getting muddy, climbing trees and exploring the forests, rivers and lakes in her backyard and beyond. Over the years, that curiosity and love for nature continued to grow. The positive impact of prioritizing time outdoors can be seen a mile away, not only in Sarah’s life, but in the lives of those who spend time with her.

For Sarah, being outside with kids has become as familiar as breathing. As a ski coach, Sarah is continually in awe of the confidence and wonder that the mountains bring to the kids that play in them. As an experiential outdoor educator, she has spent many days on remote wilderness canoe trips, supporting and guiding students in ways that they didn’t think were possible. As a nanny, she allows kids to explore, take chances and be curious. Sarah thrives on the magical moments that are deeply rooted in her belief that nature creates opportunity for personal growth, community development and an overall greater sense of self.

Sarah’s curiosity for nature, love of the outdoors, and passion for making the world her classroom continues to grow daily. Sarah is proud and deeply humbled to be part of the team that has created Budding Minds Nature-Based Discovery Program. For Sarah, being outside in nature with young people has proven its benefits time and time again. Living in such a beautiful part of the world, she believes it is imperative for kids to be able to explore our backyard in a safe, fun and exciting way.

To better support our community, Sarah is currently training to become a certified Forest School Practitioner from the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada. She also holds Diploma’s from Algonquin College in Law and Security and Police Foundations as well as being certified as a Wilderness First Responder.

CO-FOUNDER and ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT

Brittany is an outdoor enthusiast, adventurer, educator, and mom. Her love of the natural world began as a young child hiking, camping, and exploring in the Rocky Mountains and Foothills of Alberta. Some of her fondest memories growing up were foraging for wild berries in the forest and building forts using fallen trees on her family’s acreage near Bragg Creek. She also developed an early love of caring for others after her younger sisters were born and she became the go-to babysitter for her family and neighborhood. As she got older, her sense of adventure developed a wider scope, pulling her to travel abroad and experience backcountry trekking and biking around the world. She has now embarked on a new journey of parenthood!

Prior to moving to beautiful Golden, she worked in the environmental non-profit sector creating nature-based excursions and experiences for people of all ages. Since landing in the Columbia Valley, she pursued early childhood education and has worked at several local childcare centres, including supervising the ski hill’s Kicking Horse Kids Club and running a licensed preschool program at Dragonfly Discovery Centre. She is passionate about her role as an educator and feels so grateful to work with children – witnessing self-discoveries, guiding living inquiries, supporting learning and development, and offering a safe space for children to have fun, play and embrace their uniqueness. She is a fully certified Early Childhood Educator and a CNAC Forest School Practitioner. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Environmental Studies from University of Victoria and a Business Administration Diploma from Okanagan College.

She believes children are meant to be in nature, taking risks, getting dirty, and exploring the micro and macro worlds around them. Any day she can do that too is a great day!

ADVENTURE LEAD

Leigh's passion for the outdoors began on a farm outside of Calgary. Her parents fostered a deep appreciation for nature by taking them to the Rocky's almost every weekend to ski, bike or hike.

Leigh began working with children 20 years ago as a ski instructor. Working at various outdoor summer camps, she discovered how curious and thoughtful kids are when they are outside playing.

Leigh turned this passion for the outdoors into a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science at the University of Calgary. After university she continued to pursue a career with children at an experiential learning program in Calgary, where students moved their classrooms into a community space. She made a career change when she moved to North Vancouver and worked for an outdoor gear company training adults on Customer Service.

Four years ago, Leigh and her spouse moved to Golden to live among the trees and mountains. She is excited to once again be working with children and loves being part of the Budding Minds team.

ADVENTURE LEAD

Gregory Gray was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, where his love for the outdoors took hold. As a child, he spent every chance he got exploring and playing outside, often "eating” lunch with the trees, hiking, and camping. This lifelong passion led him to his early employment working as a summer camp counselor. Later in university, he taught karate to young children; an experience that showed him the joy of watching a child succeed and grow.

Gregory holds a BA in Psychology from St. Mary's University, and is pursuing his MA in Social Work. After graduating university, he worked at the Shunda Creek Recovery Center  in Nordegg, Alberta. There he shared his outdoor/ back country experience in order to teach skills in resilience to support clients in their journey of growth and healing. His strong risk management and mentoring skills were an invaluable asset at Shunda Creek, and he is excited to bring those skills to Budding Minds.

When he's not in the city, you'll likely find Gregory surfing in seas,or hiking in the mountains. He enjoys improvisation, karate, eating burritos, and spending time with his family and friends. His career heroes are Mr. Rogers and the Kratt Brothers. He looks forward to bringing enthusiasm and fun to his work at Budding Minds.

ADVENTURE LEAD

Kate grew up in St.Albert, Alberta and has fond memories of spending summers and weekends in the Canadian Rockies. This lead her to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and Outdoor Education in Camrose, AB where she took courses such as a Dogsled Expedition in the Northwest Territories and many canoe trips down the North Saskatchewan River. 

She has been working in the outdoor industry since 2019: first as a raft guide in Jasper National Park, then as an Outdoor Education Assistant at the University of Alberta, then as an expedition raft guide on the South Nahanni River. She currently spends her summers guiding in Yoho National Park for Parks Canada at the world renowned UNESCO Burgess Shale site. 

She recently completed her MSc in Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation at the University of Alberta. Having people experience nature in a safe and accessible way is incredibly important to Kate, and she is excited to be apart of the Budding Minds team to share her passion of nature to the future leaders of the world! 

In her free time you can find her hiking with her perfect dog Kinney, playing with clay at Wedge pottery studio, and enjoying the soon to be married life with her university sweetheart (wedding September 2025!!).