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V O L . X X X I N O. X X I I I O C T O B E R 6 , 2 0 2 5 38 4 0 U N D E R 4 0 AWA R D Combining love of design and building with an iconic Maine brand Katie Wise, 37 Director of design and construction, L.L.Bean Greatest achievement: My greatest personal achievement is my family and being a mom to two incredible kids. Professionally, my greatest achievement is bringing the design of an iconic Maine brand, L.L.Bean, to life through built spaces. These include our retail stores, new corporate headquarters, and our flagship store renovation (currently under construction). Combining my passion as an archi- tect with being a mom and showing my kids how much pride I have in my work g i v e s m e a huge sense of achievement. Passion project: I am a board member of Camp Susan Curtis, whose mission is to pro- vide a transformative sum- mer camp experience to Maine kids from low-income households. I am a true believer that nature and the out- doors are central to well-being, so I have enjoyed supporting this amazing organization. Lightbulb moment: I have never had one singular moment, rather many small moments taking me to various places. I try to lead with optimism and positively and enjoy taking on and try- ing new things. One of those moments was certainly joining L.L.Bean. Working for L.L.Bean, a company rich in history and brand, has been formative in my career as a designer. I love bringing a brand to life through our built spaces, and the "lightbulb moment" for me was combining my love of design and building with an iconic Maine brand. Influential book: "The Death and Life of Great American Cities," by Jane Jacobs Favorite movies or TV show: I love any- thing horror, suspense or true crime. But in my current stage of life as a mom, you'll most often find me watching "Bluey," which I love! Personal hero: My parents, who showed me how to work hard, lead with empathy, instilled my love of the outdoors and have always been supportive of my creative endeavors. Favorite quote: "Work hard and be kind." Best way to recharge: I love spending time with my husband and two young kids. I enjoy painting, spending time at the lake and skiing. Dinner party guests: I would invite my grandparents, whom I miss dearly, Queen Elizabeth and her corgis, Taylor Swift and her cats, my best friends (so they can meet Taylor), and, of course, my husband and kids. » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E Connecting people through the outdoors Emily Yearwood, 37 Owner, guide, marketing director, Northern Outdoors Greatest achievement: Everything feels like a work in progress. But I'm proud of where I'm at, and who I've surrounded myself with. My "team" — personally, pro- fessionally — feels like the best around. Passion project: I've always loved work- ing with children, and did so for six-plus years as a preschool teacher. Raising children in respectful, nurturing environ- ments that connect them with nature and their community — that's super important to me. I'm able to help sup- port that work as board chair at our local nonprofit Montessori school, and I think it weaves into my work at Northern. It's really special to be a part of a family's river trip — completely unplugged, experiencing raw, authentic joy together. Good stuff. Lightbulb moment: Was when I became pregnant with my first son. I realized I wanted to build my life around the Forks, not just my summers. For years, I had worked seasonally at Northern Outdoors — my very first job as a kid and almost every summer through graduate school. I always found myself structuring my life so I could get back to the river. My good friend was helping Northern Outdoors out at the time, trying to kick off our social media. One day she said, "you need to do this job." And the time was right. With her and another friend's support, I dove into digital marketing, website building and SEO. I was — and still am — hungry to learn how to build a digital world that truly shows how special Northern Outdoors is. Their mentorship was a huge part of my success in that transition. Influential book: "Start with Why," by Simon Sinek, and "Anxious Generation," by Jonathan Haidt Personal hero: My mum. She's so darn thoughtful. Favorite quote: "Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing — absolutely nothing — half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." — Wind in the Willows. Best way to recharge: My husband and I try to spend as much time as we can adventuring with our two boys. Maine's biggest challenge: I think a lot about the seasonal nature of tourism in Maine, especially in our rural communities. How can we round out the economy in our area to provide more stable, year-round jobs? How do you balance that growth with sustainability so that tourism improves the quality of life for our residents? Dinner party guests: I'd love to sit down with my dad, and Wayne and Suzie Hockmeyer. That's a lot of river and raft- ing industry knowledge in one room. It's really special to be a part of a family's river trip — completely unplugged, experiencing raw, authentic joy together. — Emily Yearwood Northern Outdoors In my current stage of life as a mom, you'll most often find me watching 'Bluey,' which I love! — Katie Wise L.L.Bean

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