About The Crew
We’re a quirky group of outdoor knuckleheads, gear junkies, and story tellers. We’re adventure ready at all times and cherish our, sometimes, ridiculous work environment. Most importantly, however, we fiercely believe in connecting people with wild places. An adventure with the right people in the right place can be life-changing.
Josiah Cilladi
Role – Production & Repair
Favorite Outdoor Activities – Backpacking, Long Distance Hiking, Canyoneering, Trail Running, Snowshoeing, Cowboy Camping.
Outdoor Expertise – 11 years of long distance hiking, canyoneering, mountain climbing and outdoor exploration!
My Story – For me it all started on October 23, 2009 In Pennsylvania! After scrounging up some old gear from family and friends for what would be my first backpacking trip, I set out for 3 nights. The first morning I woke up in my trusty tent, sleeping bag drenched from the nights rain. By mid morning my backpack was falling apart as I skipped from rock to rock and by the afternoon my boots were disintegrating under my feet! Needless to say I needed better gear, but I was having the time of my life and it was clear i needed more adventure in my life! After 2 years of weekend trip and gear research I decided to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail which would set off a 5 year adventure spree!
In 2013 I set off to hike the Pacific Crest Trail which marked a lot of firsts for me. First time hiking in the heat of the desert, first alpine experiences and first time having to plan routes around fires and early season snow falls. After the PCT I know I needed to live closer to the mountains so I moved to Durango Colorado in search for more adventures! 2014 was full of exploring the San Juan Mountains, canyoneering in Utah’s canyon country and visiting National Parks and monuments throughout New Mexico! In early 2015 I decided it was time to move to the front range and work on my neglected career… this lasted exactly 4 months before I decided to drop everything again and thru-hike the Continental Divide Trail!
Since moving back to the front range after the CDT I’ve continued to explore Colorado’s mountain ranges, 14ers and hot springs! I’ve also continued to expand my knowledge of the gear I use in the backcountry. Learning more about how its designed and built to better understand what makes great gear!
Erin Tyler
Role – Gear Repair Specialist
Favorite Outdoor Activities – Trail Running, Looking at Plants, River Floating and Playing Outside.
My Story – I grew up in Bend, Oregon, and decided to try out another high desert after college. The Front Range has been a great balance of places that both remind me of home and feel wildly different and it’s been so fun to explore these last few years. My approach to both the outdoors and sewing prioritizes play and I think there are few things more delightful than stumbling upon a lil patch of wild strawberries! I’ve always got my eyes peeled for sweet plants and am obsessed with color – there is magic outside that makes me feel like a kid in just the best way.
Sophie Funkhouser
Role – Shop Dog
Sophie is FERAL’s original employee and has been our shopdog since Day 1. If you’ve attended a movie night at FERAL there is a good chance she nuzzled up to you for some love. She enjoys her big mountain trips from the convenience of a backpack these days, but she’s still the best shopdog we could have ever hoped for.
Holly Moran
Role – Sales Floor Supervisor
Favorite Outdoor Activities – Skiing/Snowboarding, Hiking, Swimming, Car Camping with the Occasional Backpacking Trip.
Outdoor Expertise – Hikes in Colorado, ski touring (AIARE certified), open water distance swims, and some backpacking through the Rockies and the northern section of the App Trail.
My Story – Like many living in Denver these days, I grew up in a midwest fly-over state known for harsh climates, flat terrain, and a mindset that one should never waste a nice day. I was introduced to mountains and oceans over my adolescent years, and that marked the start of nature taking its course on me (literally) through a journey of deep appreciation and endless activity. College in the great state of Colorado facilitated a love of hiking and skiing/snowboarding. Building a career in marketing has been my ticket for continuing to live and play here. While I can puff my chest and boast about backpacking adventures, my best camp self is whipping up a gourmet meal in a fully stocked camp kitchen, and eating it in an over-engineered camping chair, then retiring to my ultra-comfortable throne of an air mattress.
Lee Stoia
Role – Customer Experience Supervisor
Favorite Outdoor Activities – Winter Hiking, Mountaineering, Kayaking
My Story – I am at my best when I am outside, preferably in the snow, trekking into new and unfamiliar territory. I live to adventure, to dream, and to explore. When I am not in the shop, you can safely assume that I am wandering about somewhere in the mountains in search of brighter stars.
Ace Funkhouser
Role – Shop Dog
Ace is an Australian Shepard that loves peanut butter and very long trail runs. He’s a classic mountain dog in every way. He’s still learning all of the shopdog rules, but if you see Jimmy around the neighborhood it’s almost certain that Ace is in his shadow.
Emily McLean
Role – Used Gear & E-Commerce Supervisor
Favorite Outdoor Activities – Trail running, Alpine Scrambling, Hiking and Backpacking, usually with my dogs along for the ride.
My Story – I’m a transplant who took advantage of a remote senior year of college to move to Colorado. I now live in Golden, but I lived right off Tennyson for two years and love the community around the shop. After finishing undergrad, I was an elementary school teacher before realizing that, while I love kids, I loved the outdoor industry just a bit more. I am a self-professed dog fiend and spend a slightly ridiculous amount of time training my two dogs, Bowie and Blue, for an obscure German dog sport. My typical haunts include Mountain Toad in Golden, a Front Range trail with the dogs, or behind the back desk at FERAL.
Carolina Licalzi
Role – Marketing Supervisor
Favorite Outdoor Activities – Hiking, Biking, Camping, Skiing, Swimming (particularly in the ocean), Scuba Diving, Paddleboarding, Yoga, and going on walks with friends!
Outdoor Expertise – I’m definitely not an expert at anything. I’d say I’m pretty good at making tasty vegan campsite meals, and at finding good outdoor breweries to go to after hikes!
My Story – I grew up in Puerto Rico, where I inevitably developed a strong love for the outdoors and the ocean. As a kid, when I wasn’t snorkeling, you could find me running around my grandparents farm with my cousins – riding horses, fishing, or simply playing outside. After graduating from high school I attended Boston College, and ended up staying in Boston for nearly nine years. I worked for the Boston Red Sox until October 2022, when my boyfriend and I made the decision to relocate to Denver to be closer to my sister (and her family), and the outdoors. I have been loving living so close to the mountains, and have fully taken advantage of it this winter! I am looking forward to the summer camping and backpacking season, and cannot wait to bring my nephew along for the ride!
Rachel Cuccaro
Role – Buying
Favorite Outdoor Activities – Hiking, Backpacking, Cycling, Fly Fishing.
My Story – I was born in New England and grew up in the Southeast. I spent a lot of time exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina while attending Appalachian State University, where I studied community planning and geography and my love of mountains and maps grew deeper. In search of a bigger playground, I moved to Colorado in 2015. My days now consist of fly fishing for native trout on small creeks and backpacking to beautiful places. When I’m not in the mountains, you can find me cycling around the city (and maybe stopping at a local brewery), working on my gardening skills, baking a pie, or planning the next big adventure.
Must-dos in Colorado – Hike to an alpine lake during peak wildflower season. And explore some historic mining towns. Bonus points if your adventure ends with Colorado beer and pizza.
Jimmy Funkhouser
Role – Chief Knucklehead/Owner
Favorite Outdoor Activities – Trail Running, Backpacking, Snowboarding
Outdoor Expertise – Backpacking experience – 12+ years. 10+ years as a trail runner that has never really cared for running much. I’m really only interested in long-distance running as it maximizes potential for serious adventure. Nothing is scarier than a 5K.
My Story – Jimmy started FERAL in 2016 with one simple mission in mind: “create adventure”. He has always been passionate about getting people outside and up the mountain, and he created a business that could be a vessel for that personal mission. After growing up in Indiana, a chance encounter with the Appalachian Trail changed Jimmy’s perspective on the relationship that we have with nature, and the value of adventure. Ever since that trip he’s been an outdoor evangelist, dragging everyone he can get his mitts on to the trails. You can usually find Jimmy trail running in the Front Range, or visiting his favorite Denver or Idaho Springs watering hole with his dogs Sophie and Ace.
Charlie McQuiston
Role – Operations Supervisor
Favorite Outdoor Activities – Hiking to anywhere with a good water feature, skiing, camping, longboarding, kayaking, jamming in the car with the windows down.
My Story – I was born and raised in and around Memphis, Tennessee where I lived until my wife, Angel, and I moved to Denver in 2019. My passion for the outdoors started in the Great Smoky Mountains, but I quickly fell in love with the Rockies after visiting family in Golden, CO back in 2013. After that, I never made it a full year without making a trip out for hiking or skiing. When my wife and I finished school, it only took a 10 minute conversation for us to decide where we wanted to move- it has been our greatest adventure yet!
Jackson Lopez
Role – Back Desk
Favorite Outdoor Activities – Climbing, backpacking, hiking, snowboarding, snowshoeing, mountain biking, cliff jumping.
Outdoor Expertise – I’ve spent my entire life exploring and enjoying the wilderness areas of this beautiful state, spending as much time as I can climbing, hiking, biking and everything in between. Whether it be sections of the CT, trail building, hiking and climbing in British Columbia I love any and everything outdoors.
My Story – Born and Raised in Colorado where i’ve lived my entire life. The front range has been my home and i have a wealth of knowledge about the area. As a kid growing up here backpacking, hiking, and skiing, has grown me into the person I am today. I’m currently a full time student at MSU denver studying finance and accounting. I’m so stoked to help you get outside on your next adventure! If the weather doesn’t permit or on my off days you can find me studying or in the climbing gym.
Must do in Colorado – Sky Pond in RMNP, Maroon Bells.
Advice – “If it wasn’t there when you got there, take it with you.”
Maddy Hem
Role – Services Supervisor (Repair &Rentals)
Favorite Outdoor Activities – Hiking, foraging, snowshoeing, kayaking, road biking, backpacking.
Outdoor Expertise – I have a bachelor’s degree in Botany as well as 20+ years of experience in eating things I harvest outside and living to tell the tale. I’m the friend that talks about plants and animals the entire time I’m hiking, for better or for worse.
My Story – Although my family wasn’t “outdoorsy”, growing up in Mississippi afforded me so many opportunities to appreciate nature. I spent a lot of time exploring the woods in my neighborhood, coming home filthy and happy at the end of the day. I started spending even more time outside in Louisiana after graduating college, where kayaking the local rivers and bayous was my favorite activity. After many years in the muggy south, my partner and I made the big move to Colorado to get a change of scenery! I’ve taken a keen interest in sustainability in the outdoor industry since moving to Denver, and FERAL has given me the tools to direct that passion into Gear Repair! I believe that it is most sustainable for our planet to maintain and use what we already have. Repair is rebellion!
Advice – You don’t always need the newest, fanciest gear to get out and enjoy our beautiful world. Most of the time, a full nalgene and an open mind is all you need to get started!
Taylor Spaeth
Role – Back Desk
Favorite Outdoor Activities – Camping, Walking, & Playing Games
Outdoor Expertise – Backpacking, Sorta Bikes, not really.
My Story – In progress . . .
Work with FERAL
We are always taking applications for part-time team members with extensive outdoor experience, a passion for sharing their story, and a burning desire to connect people with the mountains.
