Olga Koroleva
Businesswoman, Adventurer, Author, Motivational Speaker First American Woman to Summit Mt. Everest
Stacy Allison is a pioneering adventurer, successful entrepreneur, and dynamic keynote speaker who inspires audiences to scale their own peaks—personally and professionally. Best known as the first American woman to summit Mt. Everest, Stacy combines the grit of a world-class mountaineer with the practical wisdom of a business leader. As president of Stacy Allison General Contracting and a bestselling author, she draws on her extraordinary journey—from navigating deadly storms on Everest to leading high-performing teams in the field and in the boardroom—to deliver powerful lessons on leadership, resilience, risk-taking, and team success.
Mt. Everest is one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth and decisions don’t get much starker. That’s why mountains, though seemingly a planet apart from the world of business, are a rich source of insights for associates, managers and executives alike. More than just symbols of upward strivings, mountains are high-altitude crucibles for leadership, team dynamics, risk-taking, vision, and change. Even though you and your associates may not experience arctic temperatures, hurricane force winds, or seemingly bottomless crevasses, you do face an increasingly competitive marketplace, a more dynamic and demanding customer base, and the challenge of consistently delivering results while balancing profitability and growth. Running a successful organization is like climbing a mountain. Just like an expedition, you must forge an inspiring vision, build an accomplished team, overcome obstacles and stay focused, to consistently be your best and stay on top. Each team member’s abilities in leadership, teamwork and motivation play critical roles in this success.
Stacy combines her business acumen and her spirit for adventure to show her audiences how to thrive in their organizations through courage, leadership, vision, teamwork, risk taking, and personal accountability. Stacy’s high content, personalized, dynamic presentation will encourage and inspire you to take a visionary look at opportunities and move beyond your limits. The future will never look the same!
In such constantly-changing times, individuals and organizations must examine their situations honestly and objectively, discover opportunities and act with courage. Stacy’s experience in extreme environments gives her first hand insight on how to succeed in daunting times. Stacy will help you call on your core values to reestablish a firm foundation and to remain optimistic while you navigate turbulence and climb into the future with confidence and courage.
Collaboration is critical to the success of all organizations, large and small. More than an idea, collaborative teamwork is essential for your organization’s success and survival. Learn how to create a collaborative team environment that will improve the quality of life and level of performance for you, your colleagues and your organization’s bottom line.
Our accountability to ourselves and others defines our character. It determines our success and our ability to adjust to the challenges, changes and risks confronting us in today’s world. Stacy demonstrates how the principles involved in climbing mountains apply to our everyday lives and how all of us can tap into our abilities to produce real results that have a positive impact on others and the bottom line.
Mountains, though seemingly a planet apart from the world of business, are a rich source of practical insights for executives, managers and individuals alike. They are high-altitude laboratories for leadership, team dynamics, risk-taking, vision, and change management. Stacy combines her mountain experience with her business knowledge to create keynotes that consistently hit the mark to inspire and provide tremendous take home value.
Stacy Allison has climbed the world’s most famous mountain, now she’s helping organizations across the globe scale their own monumental challenges.
Stacy brings a vast range of experiences and knowledge to her energetic and dynamic presentations. Stacy is best known as the First American woman to summit Mt. Everest. She is also president of Stacy Allison General Contracting, a residential building company. She serves on the Board of Trustees of National University and is the Chairperson for The American Lung Associations fundraiser, Climb for Clean Air. Remarkably, she is also a successful author and committed mother of two.
At the age of 21, Stacy began major alpine climbing in earnest and achieved rapid success. Within a year, Stacy reached the top of Alaska’s Denali, the highest point in North America, and was part of the first successful women’s ascent of Ama Dablam, the 22,495 foot peak known as Nepal’s Matterhorn. These accomplishments provided the groundwork for much greater accomplishments.
On her first attempt on Mt Everest, Stacy did not summit. She describes the challenge: “The worst storm in forty years trapped us in a snow cave at 23,500 feet for five days. Turning back can be the most important yet difficult decision of all, particularly when there is so much pressure to succeed.” Stacy reflects, “If you see yourself as trying to beat the mountain, eventually the mountain will win. You don’t conquer mountains, you cooperate with them.”
Stacy returned to Mt. Everest with the Northwest American Everest Expedition. On September 29, 1988, after twenty-nine days on the mountain, Stacy became the first American woman to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, the world’s highest mountain at 29,028 feet.
Stacy then went on to become the leader of a successful K2 expedition, the world’s second highest mountain, considered to be the most difficult peak on Earth to climb. Three of the team of seven made it to the top; after an accident to the third, in keeping with her view of teamwork and leadership, Stacy and the others descended. “In any endeavor, leaders should inspire members of the team with a passion for success,” Stacy says, “but within the framework of team effort. One of the most crucial things to realize, feel and remember is that when one team member succeeds, the entire team succeeds.”
Stacy’s experiences extend well beyond the mountains. She also owns and operates Stacy Allison General Contracting. She and her team of builders specialize in high end restorations. Stacy and her team steadfastly preserve the charm and integrity of classic old homes, while achieving financial success.
In the spirit of giving back to her community, Stacy Chairs the American Lung Association of Pacific Mountain Region’s fundraiser, Climb for Clean Air. She has worked on Women Build projects for Habitat for Humanity and also volunteers for Medical Teams International.
Stacy’s first book, Beyond The Limits: A Woman’s Triumph on Everest, is a suspenseful, triumphant adventure story. Her second, Many Mountains to Climb; Reflections on Competence, Courage and Commitment is an exciting anecdotal account of climbing challenges practically applied to help you plot your way more surely to professional and personal success. Stacy also contributed a chapter on Leadership in the book, Upward Bound, published by Crown Publishing.
Stacy’s mission is to motivate people to move beyond limitations and reach for their dreams. She challenges her audiences to lay the foundation for risk taking by accepting full responsibility for their lives. She also emphasizes the importance of recognizing and valuing everyone’s contribution as a team member in life’s pursuits.
[Stacy's] sharing about competence, courage, and commitment will help our affiliate leaders to think harder about overcoming limits and discovering new and more efficient ways to address affordable housing in their communities.
CEO, Habitat for Humanity International
[Stacy's] leadership messages interwoven with her personal story riveted our groups. The photos and videos added a sense of what it would be like to be on Mount Everest. I have heard nothing but fantastic comments since [Stacy's] presentations. I would suggest that anyone move mountains to hear Stacy speak!
SVP, Payment Services, U.S. Bank
We've had many speakers in the past, [Stacy is] by far the best... she really made the experiences come alive & mirrored our own “problems." I know that everyone there was very impressed.
Microsoft
Stacy Allison provided a moving experience all leaders deeply connected with along both personal and professional dimensions. She provides riveting and visual scenarios that motivate leaders to evaluate their commitment, resilience and learning’s no matter where they are in their leadership journey.
TEMPO Leadership Summit