Lauren Guthrie, Vice President of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Action at VF recently took her work into the field when given the opportunity to climb to the basecamp of Mt. Everest with the Full Circle Expedition team – the first all-Black group of climbers who made history when they recently summited the world’s tallest mountain. The North Face^®, Smartwool^® and The VF Foundation helped sponsor the ascent. Lauren shares how she prepared for this incredible venture, the personal challenges she overcame and added her voice to the historic and cultural significance of the expedition.

Want to know more about this historic ascent? Listen in to our interview leading up to the expedition with The North Face climbers Manoah Ainuu and Fred Campbell, joined by James Kelly, Global Sports Marketing Manager for The North Face, as they discussed their legacy as part of the Full Circle team and highlight the inequity faced by Black communities in accessing the outdoors.