Leaders

Eric Friedman :

Eric is a teacher and an outdoor enthusiast. He recently taught physics at Lowell High School in San Francisco for seven years. Eric has a B.S. in physics from Duke University and a CA teaching credential from San Francisco State University. He is also a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). During his time at Lowell, Eric saw how direct experience was the best teacher. When students are engaged, challenged, and encouraged, learning comes naturally.

Throughout his life, Eric has been an avid traveler and nature lover. He has traveled to more than 15 countries on four continents and has hiked in mountain ranges from the Sierras to the Andes to the Himalaya. Eric has led student trips to Italy and Costa Rica and has participated in several volunteer projects in Spain and the Bahamas. One of the highlights of his travels was completing the 500 mile Camino de Santiago in Spain in 2004. His outdoor pursuits include backpacking, hiking, cycling, rock climbing, skiing, and even a bit of surfing. Eric is a certified Wilderness First Responder.

Brad Brown

Brad Brown brings his love of the outdoors and over thirty years of backpacking experience to Project Freedom Quest. For the last five years, Brad has been volunteering and participating as a Production Staff member for the Young Men's Ultimate Weekend, an organization that puts young men through an initiation process in preparation for manhood. Brad's participation in Project Freedom Quest is an extension of his desire to help young men grow into men with strength and integrity. He is trained and certified as a Wilderness First Responder.

In his professional life, Brad has worked in the software business as a Customer Service professional for the last twenty years at Symantec, Autodesk, BEA Systems, and currently at Salesforce.com. He believes his background in Customer Service and leading Support teams is particularly useful in working with teams of young men in the wilderness. Brad holds a B.A. in English from Colgate University, and has received several certifications as a Customer Support professional.

Brad lives in San Rafael with his wife, Katlyn, and twelve year old daughter, Emily Rose; his twenty-six year old son, Justin, works in Los Angeles.

 

Jason Gore

Jason is an avid outdoorsman and experienced trip leader.  In his free time, Jason volunteers to lead camping and backpacking trips, and is also a rafting guide for children with disabilities.  He has led hundreds of outdoor adventures in almost every continent, has been a Wilderness First Responder for over 10 years, and is certified as a Swift Water Rescue technician.  

In his professional life, Jason specializes in helping organizations innovate and achieve business results by improving collaboration and negotiation skills. He has been leading training programs, change initiatives, and executive retreats since 1993.  Jason focuses on enabling individuals and teams to negotiate the tough issues and work together to achieve their mutual goals.  Jason earned a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania focused on interpersonal dynamics and holds an MBA from the Haas School of Business, U.C. Berkeley, focused on business strategy and organizational development.