Regional outdoor business network welcomes Conner Borkowski to usher in a new wave of organization’s growth and impact.
The Outdoor Business Alliance, Western North Carolina’s premier outdoor industry association, and Venture Asheville’s “Ecosystem Support Organization of the Year” in 2025, is excited to announce the appointment of Conner Borkowski as its new Executive Director. With a mission to cultivate, connect, and support a community of outdoor industry leaders, the Outdoor Business Alliance (OBA) has grown to over 175 members including businesses and organizations that represent the entire region’s growing outdoor economy.
“I’m incredibly excited to join the Outdoor Business Alliance at such a pivotal moment. Western North Carolina has a deep-rooted outdoor culture and an inspiring community of businesses and leaders shaping what a resilient, inclusive outdoor economy can look like for the rest of the nation. I’m honored to be returning to North Carolina and to build on the OBA’s momentum, working alongside such a passionate network of businesses and partners to grow a more connected, inclusive, and resilient outdoor economy across the region,” Borkowski says.
This full-time Executive Director position is made possible with support from the Appalachian Regional Commissions READY Grants to Grow, that help Appalachian organizations obtain the skills, knowledge and resources necessary to strengthen their local economies – now and into the future.
Conner brings energy, ideas and vital ecosystem building experience to the role, and is ready to lead the organization through an exciting era of expansion to grow its strategic partnerships, establish localized programming in hubs across the region, and ensure the organization’s long-term sustainability.
Borkowski begins work on April 1st, 2026, and will work in tandem through a transitional period with Interim Executive Director, Dorene O’Malley, that includes the organization’s flagship annual event, the 2026 Get in Gear Fest, taking place April 25, 2026 at New Belgium Brewery in Asheville. The OBA is grateful to Dorene for her service and leadership in the role of Interim Executive Director during a year of immense organizational growth and a vital need for community support as the outdoor industry and WNC region continues to recover from the impacts of Hurricane Helene, while also facing nationwide economic challenges.
For more information on Outdoor Business Alliance and WNC’s outdoor industry, visit outdoorbusinessalliance.org. Borkowski can be reached at director@outdoorbusinessalliance.org.
About the Outdoor Business Alliance
Throughout the mountain region of Western North Carolina, the Outdoor Business Alliance fosters a prosperous outdoor community by cultivating, connecting, and supporting outdoor industry businesses.
Members include outdoor-focused gear manufacturers, retailers, outfitters, experience providers, non-profits, partners, supporters, and sponsors. Learn more at outdoorbusinessalliance.org.