“In wildness is the preservation of the world.”
— Henry David Thoreau
The Athena Project is founded by Kelsey Swenson.
Kelsey Swenson, Founder of The Athena Project and her son, Alexander.
A letter from our founder, Kelsey Swenson:
The favorite gift I received from my mother growing up was a tattered beige book containing a short French story called the ‘The Man Who Planted Trees’ — a story about a lost hiker who runs out of water in a desolate wilderness in the French Alps. Dying of thirst, the hiker is led to a well by a solitary shepherd living in what the hiker mistakes for ruins. The shepherd, Elzeard, lives a simple life and spends each day planting trees, which confuses the youthful and ambitious hiker, who has big plans for his future. However, as the hiker matures and suffers through the harrows of WWI he infrequently revisits Elzeard's home through the years to replenish his thoughts, and overtime witnesses the unlivable valley of his youth transform into a lush green paradise. Eventually, the French government protects the land believing the rapid tree growth to be the result of a natural phenomenon — and 10, 000 people move there, unknowingly owing their happiness to the forgotten shepherd.
‘The Man Who Planted Trees’, a simple but elegant 40-page story, changed the way I saw the landscape I grew up in; a small island in the Pacific Northwest at the base of the Olympic National Park, once visited and consequently protected as a national monument by Theodore Roosevelt nine months later. It was a place of ancient trees and untouched splendor, and as I frequently traversed the trails, lakes, and waterfalls, I became directly aware of the positive impact that the wilderness had on my own psychology and the importance of preserving America's wildlands. As the wife of a veteran, I know first hand the psychological challenges and stresses that a military family faces and the positive influences nature has had on my own family's restorative journey. More than ever, I can relate to the story of the ambitious hiker who falls in love and comes to understand the beauty of Elzeard's vision and the gift of preservation he bestowed on future generations. My hope is that Project Athena can become the gift to veterans and others that my mother's gift of ‘The Man Who Planted Trees’ was for me.
Old Problems | New Solutions
There are 2 million women veterans in the United States today, and women veterans are the nation’s fastest-growing veteran population. Unfortunately, this unique population, many of whom have deployed during the past 18 years, rarely benefit from the traditional trappings of the hero returned home. They've been coined the 'Invisible Veteran' by author Kate Hendricks Thomas and their is a considerable lack of civilian programs and social support supporting their transition back into American society.
The Athena Project resonates with the reason these women respond to the needs of their country: to serve. The program provides an infrastructure to support women veterans in their to transition into civilian life. It is a well known fact that nature can act like medicine for many by re-centering the mind and reducing stress. Combining a natural experience with positive conservation action programs has the ability to triumph over passive traditional therapies.
Our Leadership Team
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Kelsey Swenson
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
An avid horsewoman and female veteran advocate with a passion for conservation. Kelsey managed a dairy farm in Africa in her formative years for under privileged Kisuma villagers. It's now her vision to offer restorative wilderness programs on her home soil in America for our retired heroes.
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Scott Eshom
Chief Financial Officer
Scott is the Director of Programs & Partnerships at The Critical Mass. He was previously a Private Banker at Goldman Sachs and earlier served in the US Army as a Special Forces Officer/Green Beret. He’s a graduate of American University and received a Master's of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.
Spending time outdoors reminds Scott of the expansive opportunities to connect with nature that our nation offers. He often reflects on how fortunate we are to have access to these assets.
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Patrick O'Doyle
Board Member
Following graduation from West Point, Patrick served in the US Army for 20 years as a military attaché, including diplomatic postings in sub-Saharan Africa. He achieved the rank of colonel prior to retirement. In 2013 he was selected as the Department of Defense’s Chief of Defense Foreign Liaison at the Pentagon.
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Amber Richards
Board Member
Amber is a public sector executive with broad career experience spanning several disciplines in municipal government, including emergency management, safety, risk management and human resources. She holds a MPA, a SHRM-SCP, is an Air Force veteran and serves on the International City Management Association (ICMA) Veterans Advisory Committee.
Amber loves spending time outdoors and has a number of hobbies that allow her to enjoy the solace found by connecting with nature. Some of her favorites are hiking, snowshoeing, bee keeping and organic gardening.
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Sue Rosenstock
Board Member
Sue recently worked as a communications strategist for TD Bank, eBay, LiveJournal and MySpace with a focus on enhancing brand awareness and driving stakeholder engagement across digital and social touch points. She attended Barnard College and Fordham Law School.
Sue is most passionate about supporting children’s education and the arts. She loves hiking with her family in the Hudson Valley and lives in a carefully preserved 19th century colonial on a horse farm in Rhinebeck NY.
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Jordan Wilhelm
Board Member
Jordan is a founding member and CEO of The Critical Mass. She has extensive program management, International Post Conflict Stabilization and Hazard-Reduction experience. She has conducted EOD and Logistics Operations in Northern Iraq and Southern Afghanistan. Jordan has a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Virginia and a Master’s Degree in Emergency and Disaster Management from Georgetown University.
Some of Jordan’s fondest memories are with other veterans in the wilderness on various training exercises, working together side by side, with a common purpose and mission. She will never forget it and wishes to provide the experience to many others through The Athena Project.