A Founder’s Note — Why I Started Trailhead Strategies Group
After 22 years in the Navy, I walked away with a toolkit that felt both familiar and oddly incomplete. I had mission focus, leadership under pressure, and a stubborn habit of getting things done. I spent a year helping businesses grow after service — work that was deeply fulfilling and confirmed how much I enjoyed advising others — but it wasn’t until I moved to Colorado that I could truly combine the two things that have always grounded me: business and the outdoors. Watching friends and teammates struggle to re-find that sense of purpose and community after leaving the military is what lit the fuse for Trailhead Strategies Group.
I wanted to create a practical way for veterans to reclaim purpose — not by offering platitudes, but by pairing the business skills I sharpened in an MBA program with the restorative power of the outdoors, which I explored in a Master’s in Outdoor Recreation Economy. Those academic experiences gave me frameworks and tools, but the real education came from the people: veterans who told me they wanted meaningful work, nonprofit leaders building programs with heart, and communities that rely on outdoor economies.
Trailhead Strategies Group is my answer to a simple question: how do we turn veteran strengths into sustainable enterprises that also heal and connect? We help veterans launch and scale businesses that align with their values, support nonprofits to design programs that truly serve veterans, and create partnerships that generate both impact and revenue. That work ranges from concrete tasks like funding strategy, grant writing, and government contracting to experiential program design — leadership retreats, workforce pathways, and community expeditions like Operation Summit Strong, which bring veterans together on the trail to rebuild confidence and camaraderie.
I founded Trailhead not because I wanted another business, but because I wanted a vehicle for service that fits peacetime life. My commitment is to practical, mission-first advising that helps veterans build something lasting — businesses that employ, programs that heal, and partnerships that steward the land and the people who love it.
If you’re a veteran exploring your next chapter or a nonprofit looking to deepen your impact through outdoor programs, let’s talk. I started this to help real people find real purpose — and I hold myself accountable to that promise every day.
Short author bio
Erick Burgos is the Founder of Trailhead Strategies Group. A 22-year Navy veteran, Erick holds an MBA from Brenau University and a Master’s in Outdoor Recreation Economy from the University of Colorado Boulder. He advises veteran entrepreneurs and outdoor nonprofits on business strategy, program design, and community impact
