The Journey Behind Parks Project | Keith Eshelman

The Journey Behind Parks Project | Keith Eshelman

Author: Mike Schibel, Travel With Meaning June 5, 2026 Duration: 1:12

Welcome to another episode of the Travel With Meaning Podcast.

This episode was recorded live in front of an audience at The Kinn in Venice Beach as part of their weekly Startup Café series, featuring conversations with founders, entrepreneurs, and innovators.

Our guest is Keith Eshelman, Founder and CEO of Parks Project, the purpose-driven outdoor lifestyle and apparel brand that has given back nearly $3 million to support our national parks. Prior to launching Parks Project, Keith built his career with brands including TOMS, Quiksilver, and Puma. As a lifelong outdoor enthusiast and adventurer, Keith recognized a growing need to support and protect our public lands after a meaningful trip with his daughter—a story he also shares in Parks Project's 10-Year Anniversary video. Click here to watch.

In this conversation, Keith shares his founder story behind Parks Project, which organically began in a small apartment just across the street from where our episode was recorded. We discuss restoration projects, and conservation efforts that Parks Project and its community have supported over the years.

Keith also shares some powerful lessons for entrepreneurs and dreamers alike, including the importance of confidence, taking risks, and not accepting "no" as the final answer. We hear about several of the meaningful travel experiences that have shaped his perspective and influenced both his personal journey and professional path.

We also dive into the launch of Parks Project Trips, something Keith has envisioned for quite some time. He shares why now feels like the right moment to bring people together through intimate, shared experiences in nature and create deeper connections with both the outdoors and one another.

Full transparency:  TWM is helping curate unique adventures alongside the Parks Project team. This fall we'll be visiting Sequoia National Park and Joshua Tree National Park, staying at the incredibly cool AutoCamp properties. If either of these iconic parks has been on your bucket list—or if you're simply looking to connect with a community of like-minded adventurers—these trips offer a special opportunity to experience nature in a meaningful way.

To learn more about Parks Project Trips and upcoming adventures, visit parksproject.us.

Enjoy our conversation with Keith Eshelman, Founder and CEO of Parks Project.


Mike Schibel sits down with a fascinating array of guests on Travel With Meaning, but the destination is rarely the main point. Instead, this podcast explores the profound personal shifts that happen when we step outside our familiar surroundings. Each conversation delves into a specific journey-whether it’s a life-altering pilgrimage, a chaotic business trip that sparked a new idea, or a simple vacation that unexpectedly clarified a career path. You’ll hear from artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, and seasoned travel experts, but the focus remains on the transformative moment, the insight gained, or the connection made that reverberated long after the suitcase was put away. Schibel, founder of Travel With Meaning, guides these discussions with a genuine curiosity, allowing his guests to unpack not just their itineraries but the emotional and professional baggage they carried with them. The stories reveal how travel acts as a catalyst, reshaping identities, forging unexpected creative directions, and offering a new lens on one’s place in the world. Listening feels like being part of an intimate, thoughtful dialogue where the map of a life is redrawn by the roads taken. This isn't about recommendations or tips; it's about the lasting imprint of a place on a person. The podcast consistently uncovers how the world, in all its diverse complexity, has a way of teaching us exactly what we need to learn, often when we least expect it.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

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