Presence is the summit.
Stephen Koch is the first and only person to snowboard on all Seven Summits, the highest mountain on each continent. He spent 25 years as a professional mountain guide and survived an avalanche on Mount Owen.
On Everest, he and Jimmy Chin pursued a snowboard descent of the North Face with a small team and without supplemental oxygen. At 24,000 feet they turned back.
With humor and honesty, Stephen shares what drew him toward those ambitions, what he endured, and what he learned. His talks bring audiences into the adventure while offering something they can use in their own lives: focus on one next thing.
Presence is the summit. Everything else is just altitude.
Stephen Koch is a keynote speaker, coach, and former professional mountain guide. He draws on 25 years in the mountains, surviving an avalanche on Mount Owen, and turning around on Everest to explore how we respond when the stakes are high.
His talks connect those experiences to the challenges your team faces: making clear decisions under pressure, navigating change, and finding the next useful action when the way forward feels uncertain.
Trusted By Leaders
“If there were a Mount Rushmore for ski and snowboard mountaineering, Stephen Koch would be on it. His experience, leadership, and calm under pressure set a standard few will ever reach.”
Jeremy Jones
Founder, Jones Snowboards and POW (Protect Our Winters)
“Stephen Koch’s vision to climb and snowboard the north face of Everest represents one of the most audacious goals in the history of snowboarding. His decision making under pressure and what he learned from turning around is the kind of story that changes how people think about success.”
Jimmy Chin
Academy Award-winning Filmmaker (Free Solo), National Geographic Photographer
Speaking
Stephen speaks to organizations and leadership teams about high-stakes decision-making, presence under pressure, and what it means to lead when conditions change fast. His stories come from the world’s most extreme mountains. His lessons apply in any boardroom.
Coaching
Stephen works one on one with high-performing men who are winning professionally and know something needs to shift. This is not productivity work. It is presence work.
Client Story
“Through my work with Stephen, he taught me techniques that allow me to quickly deal with stress, anxiety, and negative events and regain my focus to accomplish my goals. I use his methods daily. My Garmin watch shows my stress levels at all time lows. I feel more connected to the world and the people in it, and am better able to support my family, friends, and colleagues.”
Phil
"It truly has changed my life and helped me feel happiness that I deserve."
Brandon
“When I met Stephen I was stuck in a pattern of self-doubt and disempowering beliefs. I blamed anyone and anything around me for my shortcomings. Through my work with Stephen I started to take responsibility in all areas of my life: work, home, and relationships. My friendships have deepened. I am no longer a chameleon, but a steady and dependable friend, father, and husband. Working with Stephen helped me unlock who I truly am and has allowed me to live life in a way that I never thought was possible.”
Austin
Who This Is For
Men who have built something real and wonder why it doesn’t feel like enough.
Men who lead well out in the world and feel the gap inside.
Men who are ready to stop performing and start living.
If you’re succeeding by every measure and it still doesn't feel like enough, this is for you.
If you are leading at a high level and know something needs to shift, let’s talk.
For speaking inquiries, coaching, or media:
P.O. Box 4544, Durango, CO 81302
