Ian Mangiardi '02
"We are all explorers. We explore our lives and the universe in which we live."Ian Mangiardi’s resume is not that of a typical New York City native. He has made a career balancing Urban Excursions and Outdoor Adventures.
He trained to be a chef and an EMT, but his love of the outdoors has been the driving force of his career.
In 2009, Ian hiked the 2,178-mile Appalachian Trail over four months along with a fellow adventurer, Andy Laub. The experience was transformational—it solidified both men’s appreciation of wild open spaces, and soon the hiking buddies began collaborating to preserve them.
They launched TheDustyCamel.org, a website dedicated to inspiring others to get outdoors. The organization raises money to preserve wildlife corridors in the US, and through sharing experiences in the wild, aims to inspire people to go on their own trips under the philosophy that "the more people there are outdoors, the more people there are to protect it."
In 2011, Ian set out with Andy to complete the 2,667-mile Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from Mexico to Canada. They brought along camera equipment, and during the snowiest winter in the region on record, completed the trek in six months. The documentary film they made of their experience, “As it Happens: Pacific Crest Trail,” was released in 2013; it has been screened around the country and viewed almost 250,000 times online.
Ian has converted his passion into his profession. He founded Modern Explorer, Inc. a company dedicated to creating custom expeditions for individuals and organizations. He recently designed The King’s Challenge, a royal trek through Bhutan and has created and worked on expeditions in countries as far-flung as Mongolia and Spain. With extensive outdoor training he became a Wilderness EMT, and holds many other certifications. He has a vast knowledge about gear and has written for magazines, books, and websites on the intricacies of gear acquisitions
As an active member of The Explorers Club, Ian co-chairs the Field Trip Committee, which constructs and executes member excursions.
Ian has converted his passion into his profession. He founded Modern Explorer, Inc. a company dedicated to creating custom expeditions for individuals and organizations. He recently designed The King’s Challenge, a royal trek through Bhutan and has created and worked on expeditions in countries as far-flung as Mongolia and Spain. With extensive outdoor training he became a Wilderness EMT, and holds many other certifications. He has a vast knowledge about gear and has written for magazines, books, and websites on the intricacies of gear acquisitions
As an active member of The Explorers Club, Ian co-chairs the Field Trip Committee, which constructs and executes member excursions.
© 2022 Grace Church School
Grace Church School is a co-educational independent school in downtown Manhattan, New York City providing instruction for nearly 800 students in Junior Kindergarten through Grade 12.
