Practically majoring in paddling with the amount of time he spent on the water during college, Darryl Knudsen began adult life as a river guide. But when he stood on the banks and realized he didn’t have the tools needed to make the impact he wanted, he took a different course. Once he’d honed the skills that the rivers needed, they called him back. Find out how picking the right path in the current, while hard, can be transformative.
Guest Darryl Knudsen, Dartmouth '96, was technically a comparative literature major in college, but one could be forgiven for thinking he was a paddling major given the amount of time he spent on the water. Unsuprisingly, he began adult life as a river guide. But when he stood on the banks at one point and realized he didn’t have the tools needed to make the impact he wanted, he took a different course.
He embarked on a career in human rights and business—one he needed to forge for himself as there was little in the way of corporate social responsibility in either grad school or businesses. Starting first with socially responsible investment funds, he then found his way into Gap, Inc. where he honed his skills over the next decade and then found himself working globally on everything from improving working conditions to curtailing child exploitation. And once he had the tools of negotiation in the human and environmental rights context, the rivers called him back.
In this episode, find out from Darryl how picking the right path in the current—sometimes going with the flow and sometimes against it—while hard, can be transformative …on ROADS TAKEN...with Leslie Jennings Rowley.
About This Episode's Guest
Darryl Knudsen is Executive Director of International Rivers, an organization devoted to protecting rivers and defending the rights of the communities that depend on them. The tailor-made role allows him to meld his love of rivers with two decades of experience in human rights and global corporate responsibility honed during his time at Gap Inc. and other experiences representing the interests of workers, communities, and environments.
Also Mentioned in this Episode
Established in 1920, Ledyard Canoe Club is a student-run organization at Dartmouth College that supports flatwater and whitewater canoeing and kayaking.
Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley
Music: Brian Burrows
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