Meet the team behind The River Valley Road Rally.
Alex Martinez, co-founder of River Valley Road Rally. Also known as Alex.Martini__ as an automotive content creator.
Alex Martinez | Alex.Martini__
Alex Martinez co-founded River Valley Road Rally in 2015 with Gretchen Gausmann after a brief meeting in Central Wisconsin following an event called “La Crosse Speedway Car Show,” hosted by another organization owned by Alex.
Gretchen’s concept of a relatable, genuine event that allowed enthusiasts of all types to enjoy a road rally was met with equal enthusiasm from Alex and shortly after that meeting, the River Valley Road Rally was born. Alex took the concept and built it into a structured event with a unique tone and connection to the Midwest automotive community.
Alex is also known as Alex.Martini__ on Instagram, or AlexMartini on Youtube as an automotive content creator. Surrounded by the automotive culture, Alex spends his time as a self-employed business owner of 4 companies; MetaMartini, LLC, Wisconsin Car Enthusiast Club, River Valley Road Rally, and….
Gretchen Gausmann; co-founder of River Valley Road Rally.
Gretchen Gausmann
The initial concept of a Midwest road rally came from Gretchen Gausmann; a La Crosse, Wisconsin native who had a passion in the automotive community. After pitching the idea to Alex Martinez, Gretchen immediately got to work developing a route that was fun, safe, and encouraged drivers of all skill sets to join the event.
After the success that followed the 2017 event, Gretchen became even more involved in growing the organization through volunteer outreach, comprehensive point systems, and the introduction of an all new event for 2022; The Riverside Rally.
Gretchen spends her off time modifying her Ford Mustang, acting as a prominent leader in Wisconsin Car Enthusiast Club, and finding new ways to scale The River Valley Road Rally events.
Socials: Instagram
Dustin Korth; VP of Operations of River Valley Road Rally.
Carissa Kissinger-Schnell; Merchandise Manager of River Valley Road Rally.
Dustin Korth
As a truck and car enthusiast, Dustin Korth has pioneered the logistical success of River Valley Road Rally. After spending years as a prominent leader and Vice President in Wisconsin Car Enthusiast Club, Dustin Korth was brought on by Alex and Gretchen to scale the operational efficiencies of the organization.
Dustin, owner of VInylworkx, has assisted in the networking of the River Valley Road Rally and is commonly seen on the front-lines of our events to ensure each team has exactly what they need to have a good time. If you’re looking to know more about Dustin, understand that he drinks his coffee black, prides himself on his vinyl work, and will always go above and beyond for the teams that participate in our events.
Dustin is also known as dusti_lbz on Instagram and Youtube as a content creator. Surrounded by the automotive culture as well, Dustin spends his time as a self-employed business owner, marketing manager, and avid cigar enthusiast.
CARISSA KISSINGER-SCHNELL
Carissa Kissinger-Schnell has been a part of the River Valley Road Rally events since the first one in 2017. After years of volunteering for every single event and becoming a prominent leader in Wisconsin Car Enthusiast Club, Carissa took over the responsibility of managing all apparel and merchandise for the organization.
Carissa is commonly seen working at one of the River Valley Road Rally checkpoints and selling merchandise during the after-parties at each event. She has a passion for apparel and creating high quality keepsakes for everyone to cherish for years to come.
Carissa is a social butterfly and can be found connecting with the teams that participate in our events. She spends her off time reading books and selling aftermarket car parts for MartiniWorks.
Socials: Instagram