About Women Who Explore

Here’s the story about Women Who Explore and how it came to be the company it is today. 

Hi! I’m Melissa. Lindsey and I co-own Women Who Explore together. Why am I the one writing this and not Lindsey? More on that later… 

Women Who Explore was founded in 2016, but not by either Lindsey or myself. Our journey with WWE started in 2017 with the first call for Ambassadors, so that’s where we’ll start the story.

We both applied and were both accepted. Lindsey started the first Portland chapter and I started the Arizona chapter. We met each other very soon after starting since we were both VERY excited to finally have discovered a community of women similar to ourselves. We weren’t fast friends since (dare I say it) we were mildly competitive. We saw space to help in ways outside managing our local groups. I quickly became burned out (on everything life related, not just WWE) and fell off the map, but kept in contact with Lindsey. 

The year 2020 rolls in and around June I get a call from Lindsey, “hey, so crazy thing, I might buy WWE but I can’t do it alone, do you want in?”. Pretty sure it was a resounding HELL YES!

You might ask yourself why two women who weren’t best friends, who didn’t live near each other and who aren’t really all that similar, all of a sudden decide to go into business with each other… good question. 

Lindsey and I are quite different. She likes wine, I like beer. She loves yoga and trail running, I love climbing and mountain biking. She’s emotional, I’m not. She loves caring for people and hugs, I have to work at being “warm” and hugs are for people in a close inner circle. She’ll take the private yacht trip while I want to summit Kilimanjaro. She hates social media and prefers to stay behind the scenes, I at least don’t hate it (who really loves it???) and never shy away from an opportunity to hop in front of a camera to talk about WWE.  

Here’s where we’re the same. Very early on we both recognized that we had a passion for empowering women in the outdoors and each personally know the impact it has because we both experienced it. We have both felt not good enough, not strong enough, pretty enough, smart enough. Slowly though, being in the outdoors and meeting women in our amazing community changed our perspectives and lives forever. Our differences compliment each other and our similarities give us the tenacity manage this company. 

So here we are. Years after buying a women’s travel/adventure company during a pandemic. It’s just Lindsey and I managing the company with the support of our incredible ambassadors. Maybe we seem like we’re a big company, but we’re just big in heart and dreams. When you book a trip with WWE, you are supporting a small women owned business. With every trip booked, 10% of the profits go to support our amazing community. Our ambassadors hosted over 1k FREE events in 2023 all over North America. These events change lives, just like they did for Lindsey and I years ago. 

We don’t care where you’re at on your personal journey. When you join WWE, you are exactly where you need to be at the right time. We are here to support you and your goals and passions. We can’t wait to meet you!


Meet Lindsey & Melissa

  • women with dog hiking at sunset under the fool moon

    Lindsey Egan


    IG:
    @wildly.me

    I’m a happy dog mamma who loves adventure! I had an amazing time traveling solo around Europe, learning languages, experiencing different cultures and exploring new places. But my true appreciation for nature was awakened during a year in Costa Rica in the heart of the jungle, living alongside sloths, toucans, monkeys and magical butterflies!

    I grew up camping, but still wasn’t prepared for my first intense experience of hiking. I’m amazed it didn’t scar me for life!! When I moved to Oregon I struggled to meet like minded women who enjoyed the outdoors. The loneliness was heavy, and I turned to hiking in nature as my solace. It was hiking that led me to WWE and I can honestly say that my life has been transformed thanks to the support, encouragement, inspiration and connection to life-long friends that I discovered there.

  • woman smiling with red sunglasses hiking on snow with blue water in background

    Melissa Wright


    IG:
    @melissaexploresitall

    I’m busy gearing up for van life where I won’t live anywhere in particular, but will have the freedom to live everywhere! I've worked as a professional photographer for over 10 years and am an amateur filmmaker. Bringing together my passion of adventure with my love of photography has been pretty amazing!

    It’s a stark change from my early life, in Arizona, where I didn’t have much access to outdoors life. Being in a small town, with a small community meant it was hard to find people to explore with, so I stepped out alone.

    My passion for exploring didn’t really begin until my 30s, but now it shows no sign of slowing down! Hiking is my first love, and I also enjoy climbing and mountain biking. Finding WWE and connecting to like-minded women from all walks of life has been truly transformational for me. My motto is “Do all the things!” If I have the time and resources, I’ll try anything at least once!

Our Rad Support Team

  • woman smiling with beanie standing in front of waves at ocean

    Lisa Chambers

    Adventure Travel Support/Canva Queen

  • woman on hiking trail smiling and holding up large dog

    Melissa Yi

    Ambassador Coordinator

  • woman in orange helmet repelling down mountain in costa rica

    Stephanie Piano

    Brand Partnerhips

  • woman in red jacket smiling in desert with snow on ground

    Kika Vila Nova

    DEI/IG Support

  • Woman hiker on rock posing with medium sized black dog

    Irene Stefanuto

    Spreadsheet Master

  • woman hiker with braid smiling in forest

    Kristina Marx

    Online Class Coordinator/Eventbrite Wiz

  • woman smiling and jumping into air in front of iceland landscape with glaciers and mountains

    Danielle Franzese

    Facebook Groups Coordinator

  • woman in glasses and yellow vest smiling with trees and snow in backgroun

    Jenny Hunter

    BTS Technical Supprt

  • woman in jean jacket standing by fence with snow capped mountain in background

    Sarah Girven

    Ambasador Mentor Team

  • woman backpacker standing on rock at edge of grand canyon on hermit trail

    Missy Tirpak

    Amassador Mentor Team

  • woman in cowboy hat and flowy yellow skirt jumping in front of mountains

    Tiffany Counts

    Amassador Mentor Team/Book Support

  • woman sitting cross legged on rock holding camera

    Krys Gonzalez

    Book Support