This episode of the Outside Podcast is brought to you by Adidas, the new Terrics Freehiker.

A shoe built to go from Trail to City and back again.

Kind of like Maya French.

My name is Maya French.

I am a young entrepreneur

under the age of 30 who's a trailblazer in the natural food industry.

Maya is the co-founder of a post workout drink called

Koya, it's plant-based and dairy-free, but through the process of making that

drink she's been on a journey from City Kid to discoveringing the Outdoors.

So I grew up in the south side of Chicago, which was a Cronkite jungle.

I lived in a food desert where the nearest grocery store was probably a mile or two out, definitely not walking distance.

In Chicago, Maya was overweight, eating junk food, and not doing anything active.

But when she found out she was lactose intolerant, she completely changed

her diet and started exercising. She lost 25 pounds in a year. But you're very limited when you live in

Chicago, so I was basically just going to the gym and

you know doing activities indoors. Then after Koya got off the ground she

moved to LA to grow the business and discovered hiking.

I learned about Griffith Park and Santa Monica Mountains and just seeing the different terrains.

I really felt like that was my calling to really be outdoors and tie that into my lifestyle and brand.

And also being an African American female from Chicago, you really don't see us often in the wilds.

When Maya started, she didn't know what she was doing in the outdoors.

Now, she's a role model for people who want to feel just at home on a hike is in the city.

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