Stacy has climbed the world’s most famous mountains; now she is helping organizations around the globe scale their own monumental challenges.
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 motivate people to move beyond their limitations to reach for their dreams.
Stacy Allison is best known as the First American woman to summit Mt. Everest. At the age of 21, Stacy began major alpine climbing. Within a year, Stacy reached the top of Alaska’s Mt. McKinley, the highest point in North America. Next she 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 even 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. As is the case with most ‘global’ challenges, 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. Three of the team of seven made it to the top. In keeping with her view of teamwork and leadership, Stacy says, "In any endeavor, leaders should inspire members of the team with a passion for success, 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 is president of Stacy Allison General Contracting, a residential building company and she serves on the Board of Trustees of the National University System. In the spirit of giving back to her community, Stacy Chairs the American Lung Association fundraiser, Climb for Clean Air. She has worked on projects for Habitat for Humanity and also volunteers for Medical Teams International.
She is also an author and committed mother of two. In her free time, Stacy runs marathons, whitewater kayaks and mountain bikes with her two sons.
"You held us spellbound!!"
"Your story touched the entire audience. The standing ovation is an indication of the enormous impact you had on them."
"No other speaker has ever tied his or her presentation to our community and culture as Stacy has done. Stacy went beyond motivation-she created passion. Our conference did not end-it continues in the hearts and minds of our participants."
“The fact that you incorporated SunTrust jargon into your presentation made your message so much more relevant and inspiring to our employees. I had so many requests for more information about you, I posted a link on our corporate sales management website.”