The Overland Expo Foundation is the official 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm of Overland Expo. Established in 2020, the Overland Expo Foundation raises funds during the event series that go directly toward grants for trail cleanups, public land access defense, educational programs, and more within the overlanding community.
Rachael Elseman is the Executive Director of the Overland Expo Foundation, where she works to support the people and organizations making a positive impact on public lands and within the overlanding community. Her own love of adventure started with childhood camping trips and getting lost in the woods and eventually grew into backpacking, bike touring, and a two-year journey around the U.S., Canada, and Baja with her husband in a converted school bus. Today, she combines her background in nonprofit leadership, operations, and community building with her belief that exploring the world comes with a responsibility to leave it better than you found it.
Rachael Elseman Interview
Overland Expo (OE): What does overlanding mean to you, beyond the vehicle and the destination? Share what draws you to this way of travel.
Rachael Elseman (RE): To me, overlanding is really about curiosity. The vehicle is just the tool that makes the journey possible. What matters is the opportunity to slow down, take the long way, meet people, experience places that might otherwise be easy to pass by, and learn something along the way.
I also think there is something important about the self-reliance that comes with overlanding. You learn to solve problems, adapt when things don’t go according to plan, and become comfortable being a little uncomfortable. Those lessons tend to follow you home.
Ultimately, I think overlanding is less about how far you go and more about how you experience the world while you’re out there.
OE: Tell us a little about your own path into overlanding and the outdoor community. How did you find your way into vehicle-based adventure, what keeps you connected to this community, and how have your personal experiences shaped your interests in joining the Overland Expo Foundation board?
RE: My path into overlanding was probably a little less direct. It started with camping out of an old CJ7 Jeep, backpacking in various places throughout the West, and bike touring the Pacific Coast Highway. I also had an old trusty Acura Integra that I took on plenty of road trips and down more Forest Service roads than was probably advised.
I’ve always loved adventure, and I’m pretty much always ready for the next thing. When I met my husband, we immediately bonded over that shared need for adventure. Before long, we were talking each other into moving into a converted school bus and hitting the road.
In 2018, we did exactly that. What we thought would be a six-month adventure turned into two years on the road, traveling throughout the lower 48, parts of Canada, and Baja.
Those experiences shaped the way I think about overlanding. For me, it’s always been less about the vehicle and more about the opportunity to explore, learn, meet people, and see where the road takes you. That same sense of adventure is what keeps me connected to this community today.
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OE: Why is the work of the Overland Expo Foundation important to you?
RE: The Foundation exists at an interesting intersection between adventure and responsibility. We all benefit from having incredible public lands and wild places to explore, but those places don’t stay incredible by accident.
What I love about the Foundation is that we can help support the people and organizations doing the work on the ground. That can mean protecting public lands, educating people about responsible recreation, creating opportunities for people to experience the outdoors, or supporting programs that use overlanding and outdoor experiences to positively impact people’s lives.
For me, the mission is meaningful because I don’t think enjoying the outdoors and taking care of it are separate things. They should be part of the same experience.
OE: What do you wish more people understood about the Foundation’s role in the community?
AS: I wish more people knew about the good work the Overland Expo Foundation is doing. That we’re an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose funding goes straight into action. 100% of the proceeds from our event raffles and Ultimate Vehicle Build auctions go directly toward community grantmaking, and ultimately making public lands better for everyone.
OE: Can you share an example of a project, initiative, grant, partnership, or behind-the-scenes effort that you are particularly proud of?
RE: One of the projects I’m particularly proud of is getting our kids’ RC course up and running. It combines two things that I think work really well together: having a lot of fun and learning how to be responsible while you’re doing it. Kids get to drive RC cars around the course while we teach them the Tread Lightly! principles and introduce them to the idea that exploring off-road comes with a responsibility to take care of the places we’re enjoying.
To date, more than 2,000 kids have experienced the course. That’s pretty exciting to me because we’re not just talking about responsible recreation. We’re giving kids a fun, hands-on experience that helps make those principles stick. Hopefully, we’re helping create a generation of adventurers who grow up understanding that taking care of these places is simply part of getting to enjoy them.
OE: If people want to get involved, what is your best advice?
RE: Look for local organizations doing work you care about, and then just go. There are conservation groups, trail organizations, land managers, and community organizations doing incredible work all over the country. Find one near you, show up, and lend a hand. You don’t need to be an expert or have a special skill set to make a difference.
And if you’d like to support the work of the Overland Expo Foundation specifically, joining the Foundation’s membership program is a great way to get involved. Your support helps us continue funding projects and programs that protect public spaces, promote responsible recreation, and create opportunities for people to experience the outdoors.
