Expert Mountaineer & Certified Guide; Co-Founder of Climbers of Color; AMGA Rock, Alpine & Ice Instructor; Known for "Naked and Afraid"
Don Nguyen Biography
Don Nguyen is a first-generation Vietnamese American mountaineer, certified guide, and co-founder of Climbers of Color, a Washington State nonprofit focused on increasing access to climbing for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. With more than two decades of experience as a climber and outdoor guide, Nguyen has led expeditions across challenging terrain worldwide. He guides mountaineering expeditions in the Cascades and on Denali, leads big game hunts in the Rockies, and conducts ice climbing and expedition mountaineering trips in South America. Nguyen holds AMGA Rock, Alpine, and Ice Instructor certifications and is among the few people of color in a profession historically dominated by white, cisgender men.
Nguyen’s journey into professional guiding began with early exposure to rock climbing and camping through his older brothers. He earned a degree in Outdoor Recreational Leadership from Colorado Mountain College and completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail before dedicating himself to outdoor leadership. His mountaineering résumé includes summits of Denali, Aconcagua, the Grand Teton, Pico de Orizaba, and numerous peaks throughout the Pacific Northwest. Nguyen also appeared as a contestant on the Discovery Channel reality series "Naked and Afraid," filmed in Namibia, highlighting his survival skills and resilience.
The concept for Climbers of Color emerged when Nguyen co-led a wilderness survival skills camp with outdoor professional Nicco Minutoli. Alongside other advocates, they organized the organization’s first fee-free mountaineering workshop, designed to train diverse outdoor leaders who could return to their communities as guides, mentors, and resources. Based in Seattle, Climbers of Color offers mentorship, technical training from BIPOC professional guides, and access to essential resources such as gear and scholarships. Nguyen integrates a focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice into all aspects of the organization’s outdoor education programming.
As co-founder and director of mountaineering at Climbers of Color, Nguyen works to remove barriers to certification and make climbing more accessible to underrepresented groups. He aims to foster a community of climbers of color who lead, mentor, and advocate within the outdoor recreation industry. Through partnerships with organizations like The Mountaineers and support from brands including Patagonia, Outdoor Research, and Petzl, Climbers of Color has become a recognized force for change in mountaineering. Nguyen’s work has been featured in outlets such as Outside magazine and Mountaineer magazine, establishing his role at the intersection of outdoor adventure and social equity.
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What are the speaker fees for Don Nguyen
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What topics does Don Nguyen speak about?
Don Nguyen is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Adventure, Adventure, Asian & Pacific Heritage, Climbing, DEI, Diversity & Inclusion, Extreme Sports, Human Resources, Leadership, Motivational, Overcoming Adversity, Social Activism, Sports, Teamwork & Teambuilding -
Where does Don Nguyen travel from?
Don Nguyen generally travels from Tacoma, WA, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent. -
Who is Don Nguyen’s agent?
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Don Nguyen is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. The estimated speaking fee range to book Don Nguyen for your event is available upon request. Don Nguyen generally travels from Tacoma, WA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Shelma Jun, Ema Dantas, Kotaro Umeda, Ly Xīnzhèn M. Zhǎngsūn Brown and David Snow. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Don Nguyen for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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