Gage Olsen, MBA

Gage Olsen is the Program Director at Engage Young Adult Transitions, a young adult transition program in Cedar City, Utah. He leads the day-to-day environment, operations, and support systems that help young adults build greater independence, connection, and health. Gage has worked with adolescents and young adults for more than a decade, including three years as a teacher, seven years working with 18- to 25-year-olds at BlueFire Wilderness Therapy, and his current leadership role at Engage.

Gage holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication from BYU-Idaho and a Master of Business Administration from Boise State University. His professional background includes education, young adult behavioral health, program leadership, staff development, safety training, and program operations.

At Engage, Gage oversees many of the functions that shape a young adult’s daily experience, including case management, Life Coaching, educational and vocational support, adventure programming, transportation, housing, operations, administration, and budgeting.

He works closely with Engage’s interdisciplinary team to maintain clear communication, consistent support, and a shared focus on each young adult’s goals. He views the Case Manager as a central coordinator who helps connect each young adult with the people, services, and resources needed to move those goals forward.

Gage’s approach to young adult development is centered on balancing meaningful support with genuine autonomy. He believes young adults should have opportunities to demonstrate competence rather than simply report it, and that support should gradually decrease as skills become more consistent. His approach progresses from showing a skill, to doing it together, to providing oversight, and ultimately stepping back as the young adult develops greater confidence and independence.

This approach is particularly relevant during emerging adulthood, when expectations around education, employment, relationships, decision-making, and independent living increase quickly. Gage focuses on creating environments where young adults can practice independent living skills in real-world settings while still having access to support, feedback, and accountability.

Gage has significant experience in education and career development, young adult motivation and accountability, behavioral health program leadership, staff development, and program operations. At BlueFire, he supervised 42 field instructors, recruited and trained staff, and served as the primary safety-certification trainer for more than 100 employees. At Engage, he has led the development of staff training and operational systems designed to improve consistency, young adult experience, and program effectiveness.

Gage believes lasting growth is supported by genuine relationships, especially peer relationships, along with empathy, curiosity, meaningful personal goals, access to appropriate resources, and consistent routines and habits. He is particularly interested in developing environments of care and building cohesive teams that help young adults translate treatment goals into meaningful progress in everyday life.

Outside of work, Gage enjoys hiking and backpacking and has spent significant time in places including the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, Zion National Park, Glacier National Park, and Sawtooth National Forest. He has three sons and enjoys spending time with his wife and family. He is also a lifelong music enthusiast who plays guitar and sings with his band.