About Jacob

I have spent more than three decades exploring the intersection of nature, health, consciousness, and human potential.

My journey has taken me through many roles: educator, mountain guide, search and rescue technician, emergency medical practitioner, risk management consultant, corporate leader, and holistic health coach. Each chapter taught me something valuable, but the greatest lessons came from nature itself.

Thousands of days spent in mountains, forests, rivers, and remote wilderness landscapes revealed something I could not learn in a classroom: healing, resilience, and purpose are not things we acquire. They are qualities we uncover when we learn to listen more deeply to ourselves and to the world around us.

Today, my work focuses on integrative and preventative health, nervous system regulation, emotional embodiment, consciousness, and the relationship between human well-being and the natural environment. Through writing, education, speaking, and the work of the Tread Lightly, Spread Light International Foundation, I explore how our biology, emotions, beliefs, and connection to nature influence both individual and collective health.

I believe that every person possesses an innate capacity to heal, grow, and discover meaning. My work is dedicated to helping people reconnect with themselves, their communities, and the living world around them.

If I am anyone or anything, I am someone who believes the land can teach us to heal ourselves.

Professional Experience

Tread Lightly Spread Light International Foundation

Founder / Executive Director

March 2025 – Present

Nonprofit organization creating a sanctuary where conservation, personal growth, and community converge to support health, resilience, and connection with the natural world.

Jackson Hole Outdoor Leadership Institute

Founder

April 2010 – October 2025

• Recognized Independent Provider of Avalanche Education by the American Avalanche Association
• National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians – Authorized Educational Institution
• Wyoming EMS – Recognized Wyoming State Provider
• American Heart Association – Training Site
• American Red Cross – Licensed Provider
• SOLO Wilderness Medicine – Authorized Provider

Deputy Director, Training and Helicopter Operations Advisor

Jan. 2010 – Sept. 2018

• Elevated the team to be recognized as a voting member of the International Commission for Alpine Rescue
• Led or assisted an average of 90 rescues per year
• Incident Commander, High Angle Technician, Helicopter Crew Lead & Short Haul Team Lead

American Avalanche Association

Professional Member

2007 – Present

• 2 decades as an applied snow science practitioner

Education Review Committee Members

Sept. 2009 – Sept. 2019

• Established standards, guidelines and oversight of Avalanche Education in the U.S.
• Co-Authored Educational Standards for Motorized Avalanche Education in the U.S.

American Institute For Avalanche Research & Education

Curriculum Development and Instructor Trainer

Sept. 2008 – May 2019

• Developed nation wide standard and curriculum for Avalanche Instuctor Training Program
• Delivered Instructor Training for nearly half of the Instructor pool nationwide

Northern Vermont University – Lyndon Campus

Professor of Outdoor Education & Expeditionary Studies

Sept. 1996 – May 2018

• Led over 100 rock, alpine, skiing and high altitude expeditions in 4 countries

Credentials

Videos

5 Years Ago I Quit Drinking Alcohol – Here’s What Happened