Steve Dickens

Growing up, I learned to navigate life's challenges out of necessity. My family didn't have much, so we built, repaired, and created with whatever resources we had. I spent my early years working alongside my grandfather in his masonry business, where our tools and machines were as reliable as our own hands—and when something broke, we fixed it ourselves. When my father built his house, he wired his own electrical, laid his own flooring, and handled every task he could because hiring help wasn't an option. I learned by doing, and by doing, I learned perseverance, ingenuity, and the value of hard work.

Every project, every challenge, comes with choices—how quickly it needs to happen, how well it should be done, and what resources are available. These decisions have shaped not only how I approach problems but also the person I've become. Those early lessons instilled a DIY spirit and a deep resilience in me. Life, like a backcountry trip, requires you to carry only what you truly need, to be resourceful with limited weight and energy, and to understand that survival—and even success—depends on preparation, adaptability, and grit.

My goal is simple: to do what I can, with what I have, to leave things better than I found them—whether that's a project, a place, or the world around me. I design futures by learning from the past, adapting to the present, and building toward what comes next.