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Meet Trailblazer Diana Ralston

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Diana Ralston.

Diana, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in Northern Virginia just outside of Washington, D.C. and was born into a family of “doers” with a focus on volunteerism. My parents were the scout troop leaders, soccer coaches, homeroom parents, and our house was where the high school homecoming floats were built year after year. I remember our entire family participating in the Walk for Mankind, and we could often be found raising funds for one worthy cause or another.

After graduating from Auburn University (realizing the deep south and I were NOT a match) and a brief stint working in DC, I headed West and landed in Crested Butte, Colorado. I had developed a solid work ethic over the years, starting with my first “job” at the neighborhood swimming pool selling candy when I was 11, and working continuously ever since. This proved essential in Crested Butte since everyone without a trust fund (me!) worked at least two jobs to make ends meet. I spent time as a bank teller, line cook, lunch lady, Spanish tutor, barista, early morning baker, waitress, secretary and most hilariously – a chase car driver for a notoriously insane hot air balloon pilot who often made emergency landings in hard to reach areas. I helped start and open a restaurant (Teocalli Tamale) and then eventually found my way to the wonderful world of nonprofits when I landed a job as the Program Director for the Center for the Arts.

During my six years at the Center, I was able to book, promote and present everyone from Taj Mahal, Robert Earl Keen, Keb Mo, Steve Earle, Los Lobos, Tab Benoit, and Ralph Stanley to award-winning ballet companies and stand up comedians. I was officially hooked and moved on to work for several more nonprofits in Crested Butte. When I was offered the job as the Executive Director of the Crested Butte Arts Festival, I jumped at the chance to work for such a renowned and loved organization. As I grew the concept of the Arts Fest to include all manner of art (visual, performing, culinary), I called my college buddy and founder/owner of Oskar Blues Brewery, Dale Katechis to ask if they would sponsor a beer garden. After working together on the festival for a few years, one thing led to another and I eventually started working for Oskar Blues as a sales rep covering the western slope of Colorado.

Although my heart wasn’t as happy as a sales rep, I knew immediately that I loved nearly everything about the craft beer industry – the creativity, the passion, the collaborative spirit and sense of community. Fortunately, I was able to parlay my nonprofit experience with my craft beer connections and Can’d Aid was born!

Can’d Aid is now a fully independent, publicly funded national 501 (c)3, but we would never have made it without the initial support from Oskar Blues Brewery and personal donations from Dale. I’m grateful to partner with the entire CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective through our Love Yur Mama and Towns efforts. It’s through that partnership that we’ve been able to distribute 1.6 million cans of clean drinking water in response to 27 natural disasters and help restore rivers and riparian health around the country.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? Any advice for other women, particularly young women who are just starting their journey?
I’ve always known that anything worth doing is worth working hard to accomplish- so while it hasn’t always been easy, it has always felt worth it. The years I spent at Oskar Blues and in the male-dominated craft beer industry certainly provided some interesting challenges. I found a voice I didn’t know I possessed to pitch ideas and discovered creative ways to weave personal interests into professional projects. It was a big, somewhat dysfunctional family of workaholics and we all really loved each other. The freedom to pursue what you were passionate about and the knowledge that YOU alone would be responsible for willing it to victory really resonated with me and is what allowed me to start Can’d Aid.

I’d encourage women of all ages to be fearless, to have a sense of humor, to speak up, and to be relentless in their follow up. When hiring people,always trust your gut more than anything you read on a resume. Building the right team is critical.

I think the real secret to any success I’ve had is more about the fact that I just wore people down with my follow up rather than doing anything truly exceptional.

Please tell us about Can’d Aid – what should we know?
Can’d Aid is a national nonprofit based in Colorado that spreads people powered do-goodery through Towns, Tunes, Treads + Trails and Love Yur Mama efforts nationwide. I think our sweet spot is that we’re nontraditional and have a welcoming and fun vibe. We believe that we ALL have the ability to give back and do good and that small acts can -and do- create big change. Our program areas are broad by design and are fueled by the passion of our team – which makes a huge difference. The old adage about ‘if you love what you do, then you never work a day in your life’ might be a bit of a stretch, but you get the idea. We have an absolutely amazing all-female team right now and we genuinely love and care about one another both in the office and on the trail.

With Can’d Aid, I am looking to build and run a nonprofit more through the lens of an entrepreneur rather than constantly having our hand out. That’s what sets us apart. We look at working with philanthropic companies as genuine partnerships where both sides have skin in the game. That approach is unique in the NGO world and I think corporations find that refreshing. We’re also a really authentic, no bullshit group of women and that shines through when you meet us. If we say we’re going to make something happen, come hell or high water, we do it. And we have a lot of fun along the way.

Our TUNES program is a perfect example of our unique spin on things. Not only do we raise money to purchase instruments to donate to public school music programs in need, we also provide small grants for the artists on our roster, or TUNES Ambassadors, with whom we’re working. It’s a win-win for everyone when the artists know that we truly care about helping them get to the next level in their career, as opposed to constantly milking them for all they’re worth.

Which women have inspired you in your life?
Great question – I’ve been fortunate to surround myself with many smart, strong, supportive, bad-ass women over the years. My sister Sharyn is my greatest champion and has always had my back. You wouldn’t guess it by looking at all 5 feet and a hundred pounds of her – but she’s tough as nails and can tackle anything. I’ve always been in awe of her tenacity.

A solid group of high school girlfriends helped keep me between the lines, and two of my closest college friends recently taught me that it was not only possible but actually preferable to be a strong independent woman as I realized my marriage was ending.

My daughter’s namesake, Juliette Eymere, is a constant inspiration to me to just keep going despite sometimes overwhelming odds. Her self-deprecating sense of humor, ability to see the bright side and unwillingness to quit has helped me more times than I can count. The tribe of smart, savvy Crested Butte women who’ve influenced and shaped who I am is too big to list and their hours of counsel on mountain bike rides and trail runs have saved me thousands of dollars in therapy! And finally, my 16-year-old daughter teaches and inspires me daily with her open heart and mind and fresh perspective. I love the unique way she views the world and how enthusiastically she welcomes new challenges.

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Image Credit:
Capturing WNC Photography – Kurt Riese

Getting in touch: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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