“When we open doors to nature, we open doors to confidence, joy, and belonging.”
Matthew Udal, Ameriprise Financial
We’re proud to recognize Matthew Udal, of Ameriprise Financial in Farmington, CT, as a Catalyst Award finalist for the 2026 Invest in Others Awards. Over the past five years, Udal has been a consistent and transformative presence for Open Doors Outdoors, a Glastonbury, CT-based organization dedicated to taking veterans, their families and young people into the outdoors for reconnection, healthy activity, and healing.
Open Doors Outdoors was founded in 2018 to serve veterans and their families, offering no-cost outdoor adventures that create space for reconnection, healing, and community. Udal has been instrumental in expanding that reach to new audiences facing their own barriers to the outdoors.
Udal became involved with Open Doors Outdoors because, as a parent of a daughter with autism, he understands the challenges families experience in finding inclusive spaces where they can thrive. “I got involved because no family should be excluded from nature’s therapeutic benefits,” says Udal. “When we take veterans, their families and young people outdoors, we’re offering what every family deserves: a place to belong, heal and rediscover strength.”
Open Doors Outdoors has reached thousands of people experiencing isolation, every one of whom becomes part of a community built around connection, healing and outdoor adventure. Udal has helped expand that reach to young people, launching programs for high school and elementary students and helping transform Open Doors Outdoors into an organization that serves entire communities.
Udal has served as board chairman and built the fundraising committee from the ground up, serving as its chair while helping to raise more than $200,000. He also volunteers roughly 40 hours of his own time each month.
Despite these achievements, Udal’s proudest moment with Open Doord Outdoors was leading a hike with 50 third graders from Hartford, many of whom had never hiked before. “What moved me most was seeing barriers dissolve,” said Udal. “By the end, they weren’t just walking a trail—they were explorers, adventurers, and believers in their own capabilities.”
“Matt leads by example. His work ethic, optimism, and personal investment in our mission consistently motivates others to step up and engage,” says Davey Edwards, Founder of Open Doors Outdoors. “He has a unique ability to inspire participation by helping others see the tangible impact of their involvement.”
