Jennifer Tucker Visitacion

How did you discover Western?

As an undergraduate student at Colorado State University, I had the opportunity to work for the Wilderness Education Association (WEA) as an intern which grew into a leadership role in both programs and operations. I was on the planning team for our National Conference held at Western in the mid-90’s and fell in love with the campus. Having moved to Salida in 2010, I have had the opportunity to plan and attend more professional events on campus and began teaching for the Business School in the fall of 2023.

What are some of the highlights of your career?

In addition to teaching at Western in both the undergraduate School of Business and the Outdoor Industry MBA program, I am owner and founder of Moonstone Ventures, LLC (est. 2010)- Business and Leadership Coaching, Consulting, & Retreats. Our operations are based at our Salida, CO location (Moonstone Farm) where we host both individual and organizational client workshops & retreats- focusing on business/ leadership development and sustainability, strategic planning, team building, and navigating change. I love serving fresh produce from our farm for our retreats and incorporating equine assisted facilitation and nature/ garden based activities in my work with clients. With my roots in the Outdoor Industry, Outdoor Leadership, and Environmental Education, my career has taken me on many adventures including working with the Wilderness Education Association (WEA), the Association for Experiential Education (AEE), the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI), as a Traveling Trainer for the Subaru/Leave No Trace program, grassroots marketing manager for Adventure LLC and Hooked on the Outdoors Magazine, and as the Executive Director for the Utah Society for Environmental Education. These early-career adventures led me towards pursuing my MBA in Organizational & Environmental Sustainability and to work as a consultant and later Board Member/ Treasurer for the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) and as a Lead Consultant for the American Forest Foundation, National Project Learning Tree and their Green Schools Initiative. In 2010, I moved to Salida with my family and began my journey as a solo-entrepreneur and Coach/Consultant/ Practitioner with Moonstone Ventures. Throughout our time in the Heart of the Rockies, I have enjoyed the opportunity to engage in our local community through serving as a SBDC Consultant and EMCEE for the Power of Women Entrepreneurs Conference, as the past Executive Director of Guidestone Colorado, co-founding the Colorado Land Link Program and the Salida Farm to School Initiative, as the co-Chair of our Regional Rural Philanthropy Days Conference, and serving a term as President of the Board of Education for Salida Schools. At the heart of it, I am so grateful for the opportunities and pathways created throughout my career and so excited to be part of the faculty of Western’s School of Business, working with our incredible students- supporting and watching their pathways unfold.

What excites you most about your field?

Entrepreneurship is the field of possibilities- where creative and innovative minds can incubate new ideas for solving current and future problems and designing solutions through the lens of vision, leadership and strategy. I love the process of designing for life and business and I’m thrilled that I get to work with students in this capacity to help them uncover their ideas and gain traction moving forward.

What is your favorite thing about the Gunnison Valley?

I love the energy of a college campus with the backdrop of breathtaking views and access to so many wild places to roam and explore.

Courses Taught:

• Business of Life
• Design Your Life- Innovation + Entrepreneurship “Mindset”
• Applied Design Thinking & Innovation- Entrepreneurship “Toolkit”
• Creative Design, Prototyping, and Testing- Entrepreneurship “Make”
• Design Thinking and Innovation Immersion- Entrepreneurship “Field”
• Business Model and Organizational Strategy Design- Entrepreneurship “Launch”
• Principles of Supply Chain Management- Outdoor Industry MBA