Alice Kao is the CEO, co-founder and driving force behind Sender One, a Southern California climbing gym chain, which she has led over 13 years from a single location in Santa Ana to six gyms—with more on the way. Her path to the climbing industry was anything but conventional: A first-generation immigrant who interned at Lehman Brothers, worked in international toy sales, and discovered climbing while navigating heartbreak in London, Alice launched Sender One from savings, SBA loans, and checks from family and friends—eventually bringing on a marquee investor in pro climber Chris Sharma. She has since become a respected voice in the broader climbing business community, championing women’s leadership through her involvement at CWA, and serving on the USA Climbing board of directors before a principled exit.
In this conversation with Scott Rennak, Alice opens up about what it really took to build Sender One—the years of not paying herself, the leap from side hustle to full-time commitment, and the management mistakes she had to unlearn. She also discusses an innovative funding model—a partnership with an impact investment firm to purchase her LAX flagship location—as well as her complicated but ultimately collegial departure from the USA Climbing board. With the 2028 Olympics arriving in LA and her gym sitting eight minutes from the competition venue, she’s having more fun running the business than ever before.
General Topics Covered
- Turning Passion into a Sustainable Business
- Taking Calculated Risks as an Entrepreneur
- Scaling a Climbing Gym Brand
- Leadership, Growth, and Founder Evolution
- Creative Approaches to Financing Expansion
- Navigating Industry Politics and Governance
- The Future of Climbing and the Olympic Opportunity
Show Notes
- Alice Kao on Linkedin
- Sender One website
- Interview discussing Alice’s childhood and being a “parachute kid”
- Details about the Impact Fund that purchased LAX location property
- Alice’s resignation letter from USA Climbing board of directors
Thank you Climbing Wall Association, Rúngne, Walltopia, Cascade Specialty, and Rock Gym Pro for your support!
And thank you Devin Dabney for your music!
