Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexis Karpf.
Alexis, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
North American Canicross really started with a shared love of being active with our dogs and the realization that there was an opportunity to build something that didn’t yet exist.
We founded North American Canicross in 2019 after discovering canicross and experiencing firsthand how much more there was to the sport than simply running with a dog. There’s a unique partnership that develops when you’re connected to your dog, learning to communicate, trust each other, and work toward something together.
At the time, canicross was still relatively unknown in the United States. We wanted to create a place where people could discover the sport, learn how to participate safely, find others to run with, and feel like they belonged, whether they were experienced runners and dog sport competitors or had never stepped onto a starting line before.
We started small, building a community and looking for ways to make canicross accessible to people no matter where they lived. Our Canicross Titling Program was one of the first ways we did that, giving dog-and-handler teams the opportunity to participate from home, set goals, track their progress, and earn recognition together, even if they didn’t have access to a local canicross community or race.
From the beginning, education, safety, good sportsmanship, and the well-being of the dogs were incredibly important to us. As the community grew, so did what we offered, expanding into clinics, educational resources, organized races, community events, and local meetups that gave people even more ways to experience the sport.
What has been especially rewarding is watching people come into the sport thinking, “I’m not a runner,” or “My dog could never do that,” and then seeing them complete their first race, earn a title, explore a new trail, or simply discover something they genuinely love doing together.
Since 2019, that little community has grown into an organization reaching more than 60,000 people across our social platforms, with NACC Ambassadors hosting meetups and building local communities throughout the U.S. and Canada. Our website received more than 152,000 visits over the past year, our Titling Program now includes more than 1,100 dog-and-handler teams, and our racing events have grown significantly as more people discover the sport.
Today, NACC is led by two women and working moms who continue to balance our families, careers, and everyday lives with growing a community and sport we believe in. We haven’t lost sight of why we began: we love dogs, we love what happens when people get outside and do something meaningful with them, and we believe in the power of the community that forms around that relationship.
We came for the dogs, but somewhere along the way, we built a pretty incredible pack of people too.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t always been a smooth road, but I think some of the challenges have ultimately shaped what North American Canicross has become, and what it is still becoming.
One of the biggest challenges from the beginning was simply that canicross was still relatively unknown in North America. We weren’t stepping into an established sport with a clear roadmap. We were often building the roadmap as we went, figuring out how to create safe events, develop rules and standards, educate people about proper equipment and training, and make the sport approachable to someone hearing the word “canicross” for the first time.
There has also been the challenge of growing responsibly. It’s exciting to introduce more people to the sport, but when dogs are involved, growth can’t come at the expense of their well-being. We’ve had to be willing to set standards, make difficult decisions, and sometimes say no when something doesn’t align with the safety or sportsmanship we want our community to represent.
And, like a lot of small organizations, we’ve had to learn how to wear a lot of hats. We’re balancing families, careers, events, customer service, social media, partnerships, merchandise, education, and everything else that happens behind the scenes. There have definitely been plenty of moments where we’ve learned by doing.
The financial side of growing the sport has probably been one of the most difficult challenges to navigate. Right now, the money NACC generates largely goes straight back into the organization so we can continue building and expanding the sport. Insurance rates, venue and vendor fees, event services, awards, and other operating costs continue to rise, while monetary sponsorships can be difficult to secure.
At the same time, we don’t want growth to mean sacrificing the experience we provide. We work really hard to give our competitors quality awards, professionally organized events, strong safety measures, and an experience that feels special from the moment they arrive. That requires a significant investment.
At this stage, we don’t take salaries from NACC. We continue to reinvest in the organization because we believe in what we’re building and want to create more opportunities for people and their dogs to experience this sport.
Figuring out how to make that growth sustainable while staying true to what matters to us is probably one of the biggest challenges we’re navigating as NACC enters its next chapter.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My professional background is actually pretty different from what people might expect. I’ve spent more than 16 years working in television and film as a set decorator and graphic designer, and so much of what I learned in that industry has carried directly into building North American Canicross.
Working in television teaches you how to take an idea and build an entire world around it. You’re constantly thinking about visual storytelling, branding, logistics, problem-solving, budgets, deadlines, and, maybe most importantly, the experience you’re creating for an audience. I approach NACC in much the same way.
My graphic design background has also allowed us to develop much of NACC’s branding, marketing, educational materials, merchandise, race identities, awards, and social content in-house. I think that has helped us create a recognizable personality around the organization and around canicross itself. We want the sport to feel exciting and approachable while still taking education, safety, and good sportsmanship seriously.
What we specialize in is really creating ways for people to participate in canicross. That includes our Canicross Titling Program, races, clinics, virtual challenges, community meetups, educational resources, gear and harness fittings, and a growing Ambassador network throughout the U.S. and Canada.
You can create a logo, build a race, design an award, or launch a program, but you can’t manufacture community. Watching people form friendships, travel to races together, celebrate each other’s dogs, encourage new runners, and genuinely feel like they’re part of something is incredibly rewarding.
My career taught me how to build worlds and tell stories. With NACC, I get to use those skills to create a platform where our community gets to be the story.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is the importance of intent. Knowing who your audience is, why you’re doing something, and what you want people to feel when they interact with what you’ve built.
Some of our biggest successes have come from doing things differently. That can be risky. When you create something people haven’t seen before, there isn’t always a roadmap or proof that it’s going to work. You have to be willing to trust your idea and, more importantly, understand the people you’re creating it for.
I’ve also learned that growth isn’t always about saying yes. Sometimes protecting what you’re building requires you to say no. When you’re starting something, you want every opportunity. You want to collaborate, accommodate everyone, and take advantage of anything that might help you grow. Over time, I’ve learned that not every opportunity is the right opportunity, and trying to be everything to everyone can actually pull you away from what made people connect with you in the first place.
As NACC has grown, we’ve become much more intentional about our decisions. Does this benefit the dogs? Does it serve our community? Does it align with our standards for safety and sportsmanship? Does it move the sport in a direction we believe in? If the answer is no, we’ve learned that it’s okay to walk away, even when saying yes would be easier.
I’ve also learned to trust the community we’ve built. You don’t have to control every part of something for it to grow. Sometimes your job is to give people the tools, create the opportunity, and then get out of the way and let them make it their own.
Ultimately, success isn’t just about how big you can build something. It’s about knowing what you’re building, who you’re building it for, and why, and being willing to protect that along the way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nacanicross.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nacanicross
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nacanicross
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@northamericancanicross
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@nacanicross
