company 's founder and CEO , Maia Josebachvili , 25 , on the path to becoming a business owner . While attending Dartmouth College , Josebachvili developed a passion for sky diving . To pay for the pricey dives , she began to lead trips for her friends and her friends ' friends . Soon she realized that the people she was guiding were outside of her original social network , and an idea began to emerge . After graduating from Dartmouth and working as a trader on the New York Stock Exchange , Josebachvili decided working in the concrete jungle was not for her . At 24 , Josebachvili started a business out of something she had been doing for years during college -- leading outdoor adventure trips . The company launched in early 2008 , just months before the economy tanked . `` I started to wonder if this is really going to work , '' Josebachvili said . But with trips designed with budget and value in mind , the suffering economy did not stunt the business . Josebachvili said the company was able to break even within six months . The business relies on social networking
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Summer excursions seem out of reach to many struggling young professionals , and the faltering economy is n't helping . But one New York City company , offering trips aimed at the young and thrifty , is capitalizing on the urbanite 's desire to get away -- and finding success despite the downturn . A group of Urban Escapes NYC hikers stops for a snack during an expedition in New York 's Harriman State Park . As a slightly broke young professional myself , with a taste for adventure but living in a very expensive city , the idea behind Urban Escapes NYC was intriguing . The company offers an array of activities -- from short hiking , sky diving or canoeing trips to international journeys that combine various activities . On the company 's user-friendly Web site , I scrolled through the offerings . There were trips ranging from one-day hiking or fruit-picking excursions priced at around $ 60 to $ 800 weeklong international expeditions . The average trip includes ground transportation , the cost of the activity , guide fees , equipment rental and meals . Jumping out of planes put the