Ep 15: Ashley Korenblat is a mountain biking pioneer, advocate, innovator, CEO, and all-round inspiration

Mountain-biking pioneer, Ashley Korenblat, has one of the coolest stories in cycling. After graduating from Dartmouth Business School in the ‘80s, the Arkansas native did a stint on Wall Street, but found that bond trading got in the way of her passions for cycling and skiing. She made her way back to New England where she joined the startup bike company, Merlin Metalworks, as CEO. She helped fellow Arkansan, Bill Clinton, get elected president before bailing on the East Coast altogether and relocating to Moab, Utah, where she has resided ever since. Ashley and her husband acquired Western Spirit Cycling, and she has led the company as CEO for the past 23 years and counting. In today’s episode, Ashley shares how she has seen mountain biking explode in popularity since she first got involved in the early ‘90s and how we can advocate for the value that mountain bikers provide when it comes to public land management in the pivot from resource extraction to recreation. We also touch on the ride she did with Bill Clinton, what her transition from Merlin Metalworks to Western Spirit taught her about problem-solving and leadership, and how she hopes to make the mountain bike industry more welcoming and accessible. All this and more in today’s episode. Make sure not to miss it!