Jesse Godligton, Squamish Climbing Academy

Squamish Climbing Academy is a youth-focused outdoor climbing business based in Squamish, BC. We offer overnight and day camps, after-school climbing programs, school and youth-group adventures, and ACMG-certified private guiding for families and adults. At our core we help kids and teens build confidence, resilience, and independence through rock climbing, with safety, mentorship, and challenge by choice as non-negotiables.

I founded SCA after years in outdoor education, including helping found Phoenix Magnet Academy, a private experiential boarding school focused on outdoor learning. When that chapter closed, I brought the same mission home to Squamish's world class climbing areas: professional instruction, small groups, and programs designed so young people grow through real adventure. Families come here for the cliffs, and we give them a trusted, local pathway onto the rock.

In a short time we have hit milestones that show both demand and trust. We have delivered 500-plus client days on the rock and in program. That is hundreds of guided hours with kids, teens, schools, and families who chose SCA because they wanted skilled instruction and a community that cares. We have earned 57 Google reviews, a signal that parents and climbers are willing to put their names behind the experience. Those reviews matter in Squamish's competitive outdoor market, and they keep us accountable every season. I also established the climbing route Welcome to Squamish, a lasting contribution to the local climbing landscape and a literal welcome to the place that shaped this business.

Engagement has grown with the product. Families return for camps and after-school sessions. Schools and youth organizations book group days. Adults and parents book private guiding once they trust us with their kids. Local media has covered the launch and youth climbing story, and the wider community keeps finding us through search, reviews, and word of mouth. That loop (strong programs, visible proof, and real community trust) is how a small Squamish business scales without losing the personal standard that made people book in the first place.

Beyond SCA I stay rooted in community leadership. I serve as Vice Chair of the Squamish Access Society, helping protect and improve climbing access in the place that makes this work possible. In the off seasons I coach wrestling at Howe Sound Secondary, staying connected to youth sport and the same students who often find their way into outdoor programs. Those roles are not side hobbies. They are part of why SCA exists: to strengthen Squamish's next generation of athletes, climbers, and neighbours.

I believe we should receive Emerging Entrepreneur because SCA is building something Squamish needs: a values-driven outdoor education company that creates local work, supports families looking for meaningful youth programming, and invests in kids as seriously as it invests in tourism. The milestones (500-plus client days, 57 Google reviews, and establishing Welcome to Squamish) show we are not just starting. We are delivering, earning trust, and building a climbing legacy that can grow with Squamish for years to come.