Get To Know Us
Ben Wales
Founder
Over a decade in the health and fitness industry has helped shape Ben’s philosophy on work/life balance. He has certifications with the National Academy of Sports Medicine, MovNat, and Russian Kettlebell training. He has ran marathons, played beach volleyball all over the country, and competed on American Ninja Warrior!
Ben loves hiking, biking, and exploring Minnesota, Bali, and everywhere in between. His vision with The Wilderness is to create a coworking space in Minneapolis where it’s easy for people to make healthy choices during their
workday, and encourage daily movement in
whatever form people enjoy!
Henry Gray
Operations & Community Manager
Henry leads community engagement, operations, and special events at The Wilderness. He is deeply committed to building strong connections and a vibrant community within our walls and beyond.​ From welcoming new members, to bringing memorable events to life, Henry is always looking for ways to improve our home away from home.
Henry is an avid reader and cook, always looking for new books and new recipes to try. He also loves going to the movies, playing table top and role-playing games with his friends, and going for long walks with his girlfriend and their dog Dax.
Lydia Lockhart
Lydia has over 5 years experience in the health and fitness industry and is passionate about cultivating positive culture, meaningful connection, and inclusive community spaces. Lydia holds a master's degree in Integrative Health and Wellbeing Coaching and is deeply committed to supporting both mental and physical wellbeing.
Outside of work, Lydia enjoys playing piano and singing, spending quality time with friends and family, reading, and embracing anything active or outdoors. She loves helping people feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to thrive.
Addie Wales
​Addie has 8 years of experience teaching yoga and mindfulness in the workplace. Having worked in an office environment for the last 8 years, she's passionate about incorporating movement throughout the day, and creating a work culture that feels energizing and grounding.
With her experience in marketing, she works behind the scenes doing the marketing for The Wilderness, as well as working full time in marketing consulting and managing 2 short term rental cabins in her hometown of Ely, MN.
You'll find Addie doing yoga, working out, biking, hiking, and traveling any chance she gets. Some of her favorite places to travel are Hawaii, the PNW and Switzerland.
Stacy Spencer
Event Staff
Stacy has over 5 years’ experience in event planning, management, and
operating photobooths.
She loves helping curate spectacular events and capturing special moments in our Minenapolis coworking space. Stacy is a friendly face to approach with any questions or a
problem that needs solving!
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Outside of The Wilderness, you might find Stacy at bungee fitness class, fostering kittens with Wags and Whiskers, walking or biking around the lakes, at a book club, or having a game night with friends.
Bobby burns
Founder
Coming from a production background, Bobby brings his expertise in media creation to The Wilderness.
In addition to The Wilderness he owns Redmond Digital Media, primarily focusing on wedding and commercial filmmaking, which has taken him across the world telling stories.
He also enjoys sharing the knowledge he's gained over his 16 years in the industry via his education platform, Wedding Film School, where he's amassed nearly 175,000 subscribers.
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When he's not working or creating he can often be found outside exploring, playing team sports, training for American Ninja Warrior (how he and Ben met), or relaxing with his dog and company mascot, Kodak.
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Brett donnelly
Founder
Brett Donnelly, Psy.D. is an angel investor, clinical psychologist, business executive, and co-founder of both Acacia Counseling and Wellness
and The Wilderness Fitness & Coworking.
Acacia was named three years running on the Inc 500 fastest growing companies. Brett is also creating a specialized venture capital fund to help young entrepreneurs grow their companies.
In his free time, he enjoys going on hikes, playing piano & guitar, watching
movies, going to concerts, traveling, and
finding great spots to eat/drink.
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