About Us

 Cascade Summit is an independent trade show focused exclusively on small and emerging outdoor brands. 

Founded by outdoor industry veterans in Portland, Oregon, the show creates an equitable platform for cottage brands to connect with specialty retailers and consumers.

Whitney La Ruffa has been walking long distances for three decades, and somewhere along those thousands of miles, he figured out how the outdoor industry actually works—from the trail up.

His thru-hiking resume reads like a greatest hits of American long trails: the Appalachian Trail in 1996, the Continental Divide Trail in 2016, and the Oregon Desert Trail in 2018. He was also part of a three-person team that completed the first-ever thru-hikes of both the Chinook Trail and the Blue Mountains Trail. These weren't just personal adventures—they were masterclasses in gear testing, community building, and understanding what outdoor enthusiasts actually need.

For the past decade, Whitney has channeled that trail wisdom into the business side of the outdoor industry, working exclusively with smaller, scrappier companies that punch above their weight. As National Sales Manager for Crown Trails Headwear, he helped build a brand around trail and park-specific designs. As Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Six Moon Designs, he championed ultralight backpacking gear for everyone by offering it at affordable prices. Most recently, as Chief Revenue Officer at FarOut Guides, he helped adventurers navigate trails from their smartphones. Along the way, he developed an insider's understanding of retail market trends and the unique challenges facing emerging outdoor brands trying to break through in a crowded marketplace.

As co-founder of the Cascade Summit Show, Whitney is building the kind of trade show he wishes had existed all along—one that doesn't require a corporate budget to participate. He serves as the primary contact for media, exhibitors, and specialty retailers, bringing together emerging brands and specialty retailers who are always on the hunt for the next great product. 

Gilad Nachmani first discovered the magic of the outdoors when he joined a local outdoor education program as a young teenager. What started as a way to keep him out of trouble quickly became a deep and lasting love affair with backpacking that has shaped the rest of his personal and professional life. 

As soon as he was able, Gilad got a job as a sales associate at the local outdoor retailer, where in addition to getting discounted gear, he dealt with customers, tracked inventory, and eventually managed the shop. He hiked every local trail he could during this time, eventually managing to head off for epic backpacking adventures through New Zealand, Australia and South America. 

Gilad continued in the outdoor industry after getting a degree in Economics, but this time with an eye on starting his own business one day. He moved to London and gained further experience in a store as an associate, merchandiser and eventually manager, before joining an online outdoor retailer as a merchandiser and then buyer. The experiences in those places gave him a deep understanding of all areas of outdoors retail. During this time, he and his wife backpacked around the UK and Europe whenever they could.

Finally, in 2016, Gilad quit his job to make the gear he wanted to use, but couldn’t find in the market. As a self-funded manufacturer of hard goods, Gilad struggled with every aspect of the business, often in trying to access resources supposedly for small businesses – a term he quickly learned referred to companies significantly larger than his own. Through a move to the US and successful growth of his brands, Gilad continues to have a passion for the outdoors industry and the importance of cottage companies looking out for each other. The Cascade Summit Show is the solution he has been looking for, from one user to another.