About
Our Story
We love discovering new places and meeting new people. Put those together and you’ve got the ingredients for a perfect adventure. That’s what Urban Escapes is all about: social adventures with a group of new faces. From whitewater rafting and brewery tours in Harpers Ferry to hiking and camping in the Shenandoah Valley to rock climbing in New River Gorge National Park, we dream up all sorts of ideas for amazing excursions just outside of Washington, DC. Then we assemble an all-star crew and iron out all the nitty-gritty details—you just have to show up!
It all started in July of 2008. Maia was organizing trips for her friends—there’d be camping one weekend and skydiving the next. Soon friends of friends started calling and asking to come on the trips. It wasn’t long before there was a crew every single weekend. After a successful summer of sold-out trips, it was clear that this was much more than just a hobby, and hence Urban Escapes was born. Shortly thereafter, our unique brand caught fire and we struggled to meet the demand, and so the expansion efforts began. Now we’re the premier provider of social adventures for young professionals in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington DC.
We are dedicated to promoting lifestyles and business operations that are socially and environmentally responsible. To find out more, read our mission statement about socially responsible travel.
Interested in Joining Our Team?
We’re hiring exciting individuals who share our philosophies and love for the outdoors to work with us. Please see our hiring page for more information.
Our Team
Maia Josebachvili, Founder and President
Maia grew up watching too many Indiana Jones movies and decided at a very early age that she was going to try everything in the world once. It hasn’t been easy, but she’s making a dent. She graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in mechanical engineering (that comes in handy when rigging up bear bags in the woods) and went on to be a derivatives trader on Wall Street for two years. That wasn’t much fun compared to her side job though—Maia is a professional skydiver with over 650 logged jumps. She’s also a sponsored mountain-bike racer, marathoner, triathlete, and SCUBA enthusiast with some 200-odd dives.
It really came as no surprise when she quit her trading job to travel around the world for a year. Her journeys have taken her to over 40 different countries on six continents. Highlights include hiking to Everest Base Camp and summiting Kala Patthar (19,208 ft) in Nepal, running an adventure marathon race in New Zealand, extensive backpacking in the Andes mountains in South America, cycle-touring throughout Eastern Europe, and hiking expeditions throughout the Middle East.
Maia has recently returned to New York City to start Urban Escapes and share her love and passion for the outdoors with fellow New Yorkers. She has been guiding outdoor trips for the past six years and is excited to finally be able to do it as a full-time job.
Bram Levy, National Director
After a childhood of herding cattle and clearing brush in the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia, and living in seven cities in the last ten years, Bram has finally settled in New York. Since graduating from Harvard College, Bram has been an elementary-school teacher and a management consultant and is thrilled to now be serving as the National Director of Urban Escapes. Bram absolutely loves developing new trips and wants to hear your ideas!
Having hiked in the Himalayas, scuba-dived in the Great Barrier Reef, sand-boarded in the Sahara, snow-mobiled in the Rockies, and floated in the Dead Sea, Bram is guilty of an insatiable desire for traveling the globe and then gloating about his adventures. His most recent escapades landed him as an outdoor guide in Southwestern Spain through Olive country and at home here in the Pocono Mountains.
Dan Josebachvili, Washington, DC Director
Never one to shy away from a new adventure, Dan has been fueled by phrases like “I bet you won’t” and “you must be at least this tall to ride” for his entire life. Growing up in the badlands of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Dan has had a thirst for excitement since before he could walk. At only 9 months old he threw his pacifier out of a 45-story window with no parental supervision. He hasn’t looked back since. His travels have taken him traversing across the Scottish Highlands wearing nothing but a kilt, swimming in Fiji wearing nothing but a snorkel, and hiking along the Appalachian Trail wearing nothing at all. A self-proclaimed explorer of the known and duck hunt aficionado, Dan has also kayaked through Vermont, glacier trudged in Patagonia, and been involved in snowball fights all across Eastern Europe. When not aspiring to become the Most Interesting Man in the World, Dan can be found wandering the streets of DC looking for pick-up games of any kind.
After graduating from Dartmouth with a degree in philosophy, Dan spent six months meditating alone in a windowless room high above the concrete jungle in Manhattan. It was during this time that Dan decided that he really does exist and that his passion for all things rugged and social would be best satisfied by working full-time for Urban Escapes. A well deserved three-month scouting trip in South America later, Dan is absolutely stoked to be heading up the Washington, DC office. He can’t wait to share his love for the outdoors with fellow Escapers out of our nation’s Capital.
Ben Kind, Washington, DC Director
When Ben was 4 years old, he built a rocket ship underneath his bed, where he blasted off for a week long journey with nothing but Cheerios and a bottle of milk. Presumed kidnapped or dead, Ben’s parents were relieved that afternoon when he turned up in the neighbor’s backyard face down in their drained pool. Since then Ben has been a fiend for fresh snow, shredding up the slopes on almost every North American Mountain along with peaks in the Swiss and Italian Alps. Inspired by too many NFL United Way commercials, Ben later escaped to the British Virgin Islands for a summer to build and restore houses and community centers.
Ben attended the University of Wisconsin, where he studied the arts of Economics and Interpretive Dance (usually simultaneously). After spending countless hours exploring Wisconsin’s lakes, Ben has needed the outdoors for sustenance. This drove him to backpack throughout Italy, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Greece and Israel in a period of eight months. Even after learning that Capitol Hill does not have a chairlift or chili in a bread bowl, Ben is enthused by the opportunity to join the Urban Escapes team. He cannot wait for the adventures that await him in D.C.
Sean Milich, Guide
After being voted the most extreme sports star in his 8th grade class (the requirements weren’t too stringent back then), Sean has avidly sought out experiences to live up to this accolade. With a strong passion for aquatic and terrestrial adventures, Sean has successfully reached the summit of Mt. Whitney (14,505 ft), Mt. Rainier (14,411 ft), Mt. Kilimanjaro (19,341 ft), and Mt. Aconcagua (22,481 ft). His travels have also included surf trips to Costa Rica, Fiji, Vauatu, Baja California, and Hawaii.
Sean’s love of the outdoors took him from his native sand dunes of Southern California out to rural New Hampshire, where he studied economics and environmental studies at Dartmouth College. He spent terms abroad in southeastern Mexico studying Spanish and exploring ancient Mayan ruins as well as southern Africa studying environmental science and the modern art of Safari. Sean’s love of adventure has also led him to complete a 24-hour, 50-mile endurance hike on the Appalachian Trail, canoe 200 miles on the Connecticut River, and take the plunge from the world’s highest bungee jump. Now that he’s finally settled down in Washington, D.C. Sean is excited to share his passion for adventure and knowledge of the outdoors to help D.C.ers discover hidden gems in their own backyard!
