Lara Dawson, born on January 22, 2002, in Beverly Hills, California, is a member of the U.S. Special Forces, specialized in operations in hostile environments and high-risk missions in sensitive areas worldwide. Her military career has led her to work in extreme contexts, often marked by armed conflicts, environmental crises, or the collapse of human infrastructures. This constant exposure to the tensions between strategic, humanitarian, and ecological challenges has shaped a comprehensive and deeply committed vision of action on the ground.
Aware that security cannot be considered solely from a military perspective, she has developed a broader approach that integrates the cultural, social, and environmental dimensions of the territories in which she operates. This conviction led her to found the Alyeska Foundation in 2023, an independent organization dedicated to preserving fragile ecosystems and promoting local knowledge, with particular attention to indigenous communities and areas with strong cultural identities.
The initiative is rooted in experiences with populations facing profound upheavals, the collapse of cultural landmarks, loss of collective memory, and accelerated degradation of living environments. Today, the foundation acts as an interface between fieldwork, research, conservation, and social innovation, in a dynamic of direct action, intergenerational transmission, and collective resilience.
Based in Alaska, the organization implements projects in often hard-to-reach regions, coordinating missions that combine scientific research, cultural documentation, ecological conservation, and support for community initiatives. Operations are conducted with an interdisciplinary spirit, mobilizing teams composed of researchers, indigenous experts, ecologists, anthropologists, former military operators, and young people committed to defending life and cultural identities. The foundation’s work rests on several pillars, safeguarding endangered cultural practices, creating accessible digital archives, transmitting oral knowledge, organizing immersive exhibitions, and implementing educational programs for younger generations. These efforts are carried out in close collaboration with the communities involved, following a logic of shared governance and respect for local dynamics.
The field experience acquired is leveraged to coordinate complex missions, secure expeditions, and negotiate intercultural dialogues. This ability to operate between tactical rigor and sensitive listening allows the organization to address territorial issues with nuance, pragmatism, and humanity. The commitment also extends internationally, through active participation in conferences, applied research projects, exchanges with academic institutions, and partnerships with NGOs working for climate justice and cultural sovereignty.
The vision guiding all these actions is based on a fundamental principle, protecting territories cannot be conceived without protecting the peoples who inhabit them, their cultures, memories, and their capacity to build a sustainable future.