Beckie Irvin, M.Ed.
Owner, Beckie Irvin Consulting
Founder & Development Director, All Bikes Welcome
About me: I am a nonprofit founder and consultant in the social sector. With a decade of experience in outdoor education, I have a passion for combining my love of the outdoors with my drive to make a positive impact in northwest Arkansas. I believe wholeheartedly in the value nonprofits bring to the region and see it as my mission to help them find success in the early stages of nonprofit growth.
In 2019, I founded the Grit MTB Festival, a mountain biking event that openly invites members of the trans community, nonbinary people and women to spend three days riding, dining and learning together. This remarkable endeavor propelled me to an esteemed position as a local authority and professor in social issues and sports.
Lives/Works in: Bentonville
Lesson Learned the Hard Way: Through my experience working in corporate America, I discovered an unsettling truth: Mediocrity is often rewarded. Those who avoid controversy ascend, earning promotions and higher salaries. Yet, remaining faithful to my principles compels me to utilize my influence to advocate for a world that fosters equity and justice.
Proudest Moment of Impact: Grit MTB Festival 2022 in Fayetteville marked a moment of immense pride for me. Witnessing the participation of queer, trans and BIPOC individuals united in mountain biking and community building filled the air with joy. In the book “Abolition for the People,” Angela Davis reminds us that access to recreation is an important part of an equitable world. I am so proud of “Grit Fest” and All Bikes Welcome for upholding such work in NWA.
What Keeps Me Motivated: Maintaining my well-being is directly connected to sustaining my motivation. I am grateful for a supportive friend group, forward-thinking mentors, a progressive church, the therapeutic benefits of talk-therapy and trauma work, solace in gardening, artistic expression in jewelry making and the normalization of healthy work boundaries.
TOP 100 WOMEN OF IMPACT IN ARKANSAS 2023
A Women’s Foundation of Arkansas Initiative