Todd Poquette, Director of Adventure, 906 Adventure Team

He wants to challenge you to start looking at life as an adventure (an unusual, exciting, and often risky experience, undertaking, or journey that involves unknown dangers, and uncertainty; departure from the ordinary). Todd has devoted his life to helping people develop A.I., Adventure Intelligence. He envisions a world where people find a way to balance their dependence on innovation, technological advancement, and comfort with maintaining the fundamental things that make us human; doing hard things, connecting with nature, building a strong body and mind, and maintaining a high level of independence, self reliance, and resilience.

Best known as the Founder and Director of Adventure for 906 Adventure Team, he launched a non profit with himself, five kids, and no money; and turned it into an organization that is changing lives across the country. 906 Adventure Team (906AT) supports seventeen youth Adventure Teams across the Midwest (600+ volunteers, 1,300 kids).

Youth Program Director by day, notorious evil Race Director by night, Todd has become infamous for developing endurance events that take people to their limits, and beyond. PolarRoll, The Crusher, and Marji Gesick, three of the hardest events in the country, continue to sell out and post record attendance year after year, despite the fact the events are known for people quitting at a rate of 50% or higher, and Todd requiring them to text him the word #quitter when they do.

He’s a believer that an unhealthy dependence on products and services built to do stuff for us is robbing us of our physical health, creating a mental health crisis, leaving communities uninspired, and children less capable and resilient than they have been at any point in human history.  Todd begs us to ask ourselves two critical questions: Number one – Are we part of the problem? Is our business, product, or our service making people more independent, or dependent? Are we adding to the resilience of our community, or are we taking away from it? Number two – What can we do right now to make a difference?

In addition to developing Youth Programs and epic Endurance Events, Todd has managed social media for 906AT since the beginning. The 906AT voice and social media channels have become a call to action for people of all ages to get outside of their comfort zone and find their limits. In an age where social media is leveraged every day to tear us apart, Todd has found a way to use it to bring people together.

You can sum up Todd’s philosophy on life with three words, “Service Before Self.” He believes we are all here to serve, and if we get more people to buy into to giving more than they take, we will create more opportunity for everyone, simply by shifting our perspective and beginning to see opportunity as infinite, and working tirelessly to make that a reality, together.