Higher Ground USA

What Higher Ground USA does

Higher Ground USA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2007 by Nathan and Tanya Hicks and headquartered in Rome, Georgia. It delivers customized outdoor adventure experiences designed to inspire personal growth, develop leadership, and build team cohesion. The company organizes programs around eight core activities (backpacking, climbing, rappelling, caving, paddlesports, challenge course, teambuilding and leadership initiatives, and other activities such as day hikes, camping, and orienteering) and delivers them through five primary program tracks (Schools, Churches, Camps, Corporate, and Families) plus a Custom Programs option for any group. Group sizes range from approximately five to over one hundred participants, programming is offered year-round, and all major gear, instructors, and logistics are supplied by the company.

The business is primarily a community-led, professional services operation rather than a technology platform. Instructors complete discipline-specific training and hold wilderness medicine certifications, with adherence to industry standards from the Association for Experiential Education (AEE), Professional Climbing Instructors Association (PCIA), Leave No Trace (LNT), Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT), and American Camping Association (ACA). Pricing is quote-based and customized per program; the company states its costs are below comparable-caliber organizations. Revenue comes from two streams: adventure program fees from groups and tax-deductible donations received as a registered non-profit.

Customer acquisition is driven by word-of-mouth referrals and direct outreach, with a minimal digital footprint (basic website, Facebook, Twitter, mailing list). Operations are concentrated in the Southeastern United States with select national and international engagements. The organization is founder-owned, with nine employees, and has no disclosed institutional funding, parent company, or acquisition activity. Named clients include Girls Preparatory School, Montgomery Bell Academy, Harpeth Hall, Westminster Christian Academy, Dawson Memorial Baptist Church, First Baptist Church Pensacola, Covenant Presbyterian Church Birmingham, Alpine Camp For Boys, Youth For Christ, and Southeastern Mills.

Name

Higher Ground USA

Legal name

Higher Ground USA

Website

https://hgusa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Higher Ground USA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2007 that designs and delivers customized outdoor adventure programs for churches, schools, camps, corporate groups, and families across the Southeastern United States, with nine employees based in Rome, Georgia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Adventure Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Outdoor Training & Team-Building Programs (Experiential Learning) (THAAAOAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Adult Skill-Building Expeditions & Courses (Leadership, Survival, Navigation) (THAAAOAC), Ropes Courses & High/Low Challenge Courses (THAAACAB), Technical Outdoor Guiding Services (Hiking, Trekking, Mountaineering) (THAAALAA)

Keywords

• Outdoor adventure programs
• Experiential education services
• Team building programs
• Wilderness adventure services
• Leadership development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Rome

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Adventure Program Fees: Revenue generated from providing customized outdoor adventure experiences to groups. Programs are tailored to specific groups with pricing that varies based on group size, activities, duration, and location requirements. The company states costs are below similar organizations of comparable caliber.
2. Donations: As a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit, Higher Ground receives tax-deductible donations from supporters. The organization explicitly requests financial support to accomplish its mission of delivering life-changing experiences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Higher Ground USA provides customized outdoor adventure experiences for groups including schools, churches, camps, corporations, and families. Services span activities such as backpacking, climbing, rappelling, caving, paddlesports, challenge courses, and teambuilding initiatives, delivered as turnkey or custom programs with all gear, logistics, and professional instructors supplied. Programs are designed to develop leadership, build confidence, strengthen relationships, and create transformative personal and group outcomes.

Product overview

Higher Ground USA is a non-profit outdoor adventure organization founded in 2007 by Nathan and Tanya Hicks, providing turnkey and custom adventure-based experiences for personal growth, leadership development, and team-building. The company operates primarily in the Southeastern United States with capabilities for national and international programs. The product portfolio centers on eight core adventure activities—Backpacking, Climbing, Rappelling, Caving, Paddlesports, Challenge Course, Teambuilding and Leadership Initiatives, and Other Activities—which are delivered through five primary program types: Schools Programs, Churches Programs, Camps Programs, Corporate Programs, and Families Programs, with Custom Programs available for any group. All programs include professional instructors, gear, and logistics planning, with activities adaptable to groups of all experience levels ranging from 5 to over 100 participants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Backpacking Multi-day backcountry adventures where participants carry gear on their backs, focusing on simplicity, perspective, physical challenge, and communion with nature.
• Climbing Rock climbing activities at local crags, emphasizing pushing beyond perceived limits, trust development, and mutual support among participants.
• Rappelling Cliff descent using rope and carabiner systems, providing opportunities to examine lessons related to commitment, trust, and overcoming fear.
• Caving Underground exploration involving scrambling, crawling, and climbing through cave environments, providing unique adventure experiences for participants.
• Paddlesports Water-based activities including flatwater paddling and whitewater rafting, fostering teamwork and adventure experiences on rivers.
• Challenge Course Ropes course programs offered at various sites throughout the Southeast, providing meaningful single-day or multi-day team-building activities.
• Teambuilding and Leadership Initiatives Sequential games and problem-solving activities designed to develop leadership, build group cohesion, and identify team strengths and areas for improvement.
• Schools Programs Adventure learning programs for schools emphasizing spiritual formation, personal growth, and leadership development for students, available as in-school, extracurricular, spring/fall break, and summer programs.
• Churches Programs Adventure experiences adapted for church demographics including youth groups, men's/women's groups, mission teams, and leadership teams, designed to encourage growth in Christ.
• Camps Programs Adventure programming partnerships with camps offering outsourced offsite programming, staff training, and expanded off-season offerings.
• Corporate Programs Corporate training programs addressing team communication, trust, and purpose through adventure-based activities conducted on-site or offsite.
• Families Programs Programs designed to strengthen family relationships including fatherhood adventures, motherhood adventures, couples trips, and family trips.
• Custom Programs Tailored adventure experiences built from the ground up to meet the specific needs of any group, incorporating experiential learning adaptable to various purposes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Programs yield life-changing results that remain long after the program concludes
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Reputable River OutfittersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher Ground partners with reputable river outfitters for rafting portions of paddle sports programs due to insurance regulations and U.S. Forest Service permit restrictions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Outward Bound USA: The largest U.S. nonprofit experiential education provider, offering wilderness-based programs for youth, adults, schools, and corporate groups. Comparable to Higher Ground in activity mix and group-based mission, but operates at far greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Young Life: Faith-based youth organization with extensive adventure and outdoor programming in the Southeast. Comparable to Higher Ground in mission orientation and church-fed referral networks, though its core product is relational ministry rather than adventure programming.
• REI Co-op Experiences: The outdoor retail co-op runs guided multi-sport adventure trips and classes nationally. Competes with Higher Ground for group-based outdoor programming demand, but at significantly larger scale and with broader secular appeal.
• Backroads: Active-adventure travel company delivering multi-sport trips globally. Overlaps with Higher Ground's premium custom-program positioning and group-format delivery, though at significantly higher price point and adult-focused.
• National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS): Premier U.S. wilderness education nonprofit delivering backpacking, climbing, and leadership expeditions. Overlaps with Higher Ground on guided adventure activities and leadership-development outcomes, with broader curriculum and longer expeditions.
• The Mountaineers: Pacific Northwest-based outdoor club offering hiking, climbing, and skills courses under a club-membership and structured-instruction model. Comparable to Higher Ground on guided outdoor instruction but operates as a volunteer-led club rather than a custom-program provider.
• Appalachian Mountain Club: Long-standing nonprofit running hiking, paddling, climbing, and skills workshops across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Comparable activity mix to Higher Ground with strong institutional credentials and outdoor-instruction heritage.

Direct peers

• Venture Expeditions: Small-group adventure education provider offering customizable outdoor expeditions with leadership-development themes. Closely mirrors Higher Ground's experiential learning, custom program design, and group-format delivery.
• Adventures Cross-Country: Teen adventure travel company running multi-week summer programs with activities including backpacking and water sports. Closely comparable to Higher Ground in target audience (youth groups), activity set, and custom-group customization model.

Emerging players

• Earth Treks / Movement Climb: Indoor climbing gym and outdoor adventure experiences operator running group climbing programs and team-building events. Overlaps with Higher Ground's climbing and team-building offerings as a facilities-based competitor in the Southeast corridor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hghrgrnd
• Facebookfacebook.com/267888600852
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/higher-ground-usa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Higher Ground USA