Lesford Duncan (2018 cohort) has built a career at the intersection of health equity, youth development, and access to the outdoors, advancing the idea that connection to nature can be a powerful contributor to individual and community wellbeing. His work has spanned public child welfare and behavioral health, community-based outdoor programs, and national systems-change efforts. As Executive Director of the Outdoor Foundation, he helped grow the Thrive Outside initiative into a national network of community-led coalitions connecting hundreds of organizations, schools, public agencies, and funders to expand sustained outdoor opportunities for over a million young people and families. Across his work, Lesford has focused on building partnerships and changing systems so that more young people can experience the health, developmental, and social benefits of time outdoors.