Matt is a lifelong automotive enthusiast who has spent the past two decades as a Marketing professional in the aftermarket industry. Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, Matt has always had a strong connection with nature and the outdoors. Early on, he enjoyed hiking in the woods and, more often than not, could be found outside if there was daylight. Later in life, Matt began exploring the country and realized just how much is really out there to see. In 2006, Matt moved to Michigan to follow his dream of working for one of the world’s leading manufacturers in the off-road industry. Overlanding combines Matt’s love of all things automotive with his need for adventure and desire to explore new places. His favorite overland travel destinations include Utah, Arizona, Alaska, and the Baja peninsula. Matt joined the Overland Expo Foundation in early 2023 as Social Media and Program Manager to help spread awareness about the foundation’s missions and to make a positive, long-lasting impact on the overland community.

Rachael is an adventurer at heart. It doesn’t matter how you’re traveling as long as you are out there exploring new places, meeting new people, and leaving places better than you found them. Some of Rachael’s earliest memories are loading up an old jeep with camping gear and getting lost in the woods. That love for getting lost has only continued through backpacking and bike touring. In 2018, Rachael and her husband set out in a converted school bus to tour the western US. What started as a 6-month trip turned into a two-year journey covering the lower 48 states, parts of Canada, and Baja.  One of the early stops on the trip was Overland Expo West 2018. To say it was a life-changing experience is an understatement. The community at Overland Expo has the most welcoming, friendly, and supportive people. Life-long friendships were made, bringing her back year after year. When an opportunity with the Overland Expo Foundation came up, she knew it was the perfect opportunity to give back to a community that gave her so much. 

Originally from Southern California, Alison has been a traveler all her years, a motorcyclist for half, and combining the two passions changed her life. In 2009, she bought a KLR650 and started exploring the Southwest. That led to a summer-long trip to Alaska the following year and then a 6-month, solo journey through Mexico, Central, and South America the year after. She shared her adventures through stories and photographs in two books, How Far is North? and Chaos in Harmony. 

In 2013, Alison started working remotely for Overland Expo, and—vowing not to return to the congestion and chaos in LA—found herself a more tranquillo lifestyle in Panama and Colombia for a few years. When she returned to the U.S., she set out on a Triumph Tiger 800xc to find a long-term parking place for her and her motorcycle. It was a chance encounter at an Overland Expo event that led her to settle down across the country in New England, where she explores locally with her husband and introduces adventure to their son.

After eight years of producing Overland Expo events, Alison excitedly accepted the opportunity to lead the newly founded Overland Expo Foundation into the future, strategically build on the organization’s mission, and work alongside individuals that make a difference in our community.

Jessica is a co-founder of Lodestone Events, producers of the Overland Expo event series and founder of the Overland Expo Foundation. Overland Expo, founded by Roseann and Jonathan Hanson, has always had a charitable arm funding the travel of overlanders around the country and inspiring others to get trained, get geared up and get going. Paying homage to the founders of Overland Expo original charity’s impact, but also recognizing the need for a charitable organization with an even wider breadth of opportunity to impact issues affecting the overland community at large, Jessica co-founded the Overland Expo Foundation in 2020. Jessica oversees the charity auctions as part of the Overland Expo event series. In 2021, Jessica spearheaded the Ultimate Overland Vehicle + Motorcycle builds and charity auction partnerships and fundraisers within Overland Expo as a new funding strategy for the Overland Expo Foundation. Jessica is a career marketing, content strategy & communications professional dedicated to bringing enthusiasts passions to life with live events. Today, Jessica is approaching 20 years in the live events industry. She loves to run, travel and enjoy her network of “friends who are family.” Jessica is a ski-bum at heart on a mission to ski all of the world’s great ski resorts. She lives in Central Indiana with her husband, two step-daughters and their Golden Retriever, Lucy Loo.

Anthony Sicola is one of the founding members of the Overland Expo Foundation and serves as Board Secretary. He has a rich and varied background in the not-for-profit industry holding a host of positions along the way. He completed his year of national service as an AmeriCorps*VISTA Member with Monterey County America Reads in Seaside, CA, a reading program serving primary school youth across the county. He worked with the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County, WA as Program Services Director creating arts and education programming for low-income children. Anthony also worked as a Community Relations Specialist with Safeco Insurance vetting and funding nonprofit organizations around the country that were meeting needs in their communities. Being an overlander since before the word existed, Anthony is passionate about vehicle-assisted adventure travel, clean public lands, and keeping the wild, wild. He is thrilled to serve the overland community and hopes that all overlanders, new and old, will strive to leave the backcountry better than they found it. Anthony holds a Master’s in Not-for Profit Leadership from Seattle University.

Karen came to the Overland Expo Foundation equipped with more than 20 years of accounting experience in positions varying from Senior Accountant and Controller to Vice President of Finance. Karen is a Manager in the Accounting Services Department of Sponsel CPA Group where she oversees and directs services to clients that require customized accounting solutions. Karen also assists with general bookkeeping, payroll services, and monthly, quarterly and annual financial reporting. Outside of the office, Karen is a movie buff and bookworm. She also enjoys spending time with family and friends — some from as far back as elementary school!