Alec moved to Telluride looking for the perfect home base to work hard and then immediately get out to run, ski, bike and climb hard. He's a National Geographic Young Explorer and works abroad as a photographer and writer (alecjacobsonphoto.com). He helped to found the San Juan Independent in town as a nonprofit source of in-depth journalism. He's involved in local social and political organizing, including rebooting the Telluride Ideas Festival and with the San Miguel Democratic Party. And he's involved in an early-stage tech startup.