Andrei Jacobs is Indigenous Programs Manager at Alaska Venture Fund. He is Yup’ik and Inupiaq and a citizen of the Orutsararmiut Traditional Native Council in Bethel, Alaska.

At Alaska Venture Fund, Andrei works to strengthen Indigenous-led initiatives across Alaska by combining project management, communications and relationship-building with Tribal communities and philanthropic partners. He leads the development of the Native Nation-Building Toolbox, an initiative designed to share practical tools and knowledge that support Tribal sovereignty, governance and long-term sustainability in Alaska Native communities.

Andrei’s work is rooted in a lifelong commitment to Indigenous leadership and advocacy. In 2008, he participated in the American Indian Movement’s Longest Walk II, walking across the United States to support the protection of Indigenous sacred sites and sovereignty. He later served as Director of Tribal Partnerships for the U.S. Semiquincentennial (America250), helping engage all 574 federally recognized Tribes and Native Hawaiian communities in the nation’s 250th anniversary.

He currently serves as Chair of KYUK Public Media in Bethel and is a First Nations Futures Program Fellow at Stanford University. Andrei holds an MPA from Baruch College and a BA from Canisius College.