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Alycin Bektesh is an award-winning multimedia journalist recognized for her public affairs reporting and newsroom leadership. She currently reports on government affairs, local non profits, and community concerns for Aspen Public Radio, and can be heard each day hosting Morning Edition or All Things Considered. Alycin is a Colorado native, growing up in Boulder and Fort Collins before heading to Vermont where she obtained her undergraduate degree in Photography and Playwriting in 2006. She then spent three years in New York City running the studios at PhotoManhattan photography school and working as a photographer and columnist for Brooklyn culture magazine Pomp & Circumstance.

In 2010 Alycin obtained her Masters Degree from Indiana University’s Ernie Pyle School of Journalism, and went on to lead the newsroom of WFHB Bloomington Community Radio for the next five years. In her time as a journalist, Alycin has won numerous awards for her reporting from the Society of Professional Journalists, including being recognized for producing 2014’s Best Newscast and Best Election Day Coverage in the state of Indiana. Alycin has also been recognized by the Association of Women in Communications and was named the 2015 Emerging Leader by the City of Bloomington’s Commission on the Status of Women for her work in mentoring young female journalists and covering issues of social justice and inequality.

Alex Brough is an entrepreneurial force and Co-Founder of Keneh Ventures, a Private Equity Fund focusing on deploying capital to the ancillary cannabis space. With his proven expertise in the entertainment industry, as well as the cannabis industry, he has been instrumental in cultivating and managing Native Roots Aspen, part of the largest cannabis dispensary chain in the world, with 19 locations in Colorado. Within the entertainment space, Alex produced and was the executive producer of the award winning documentary, Charles Bradley: Soul of America. In addition, he has worked with the Overthrow, a culture collective promoting music and culture in Miami. At Studio 411, Alex worked in sales and marketing for the world’s largest distributor of action sports content at the time. As a cultural marketing strategist, he has organized and executed huge brand activations and created poignant content in numerous industries. Alex has curated art exhibits, produced successful music videos, managed artists, has been a valuable asset in organizing music festivals, and collaborated with promoters and brands to create impactful culture marketing strategies. Alex’s diverse experience is invaluable on the AYPA board, he is an entrepreneur, content producer, trendsetter and a taste-maker.

Stephen was born in Houston, TX where he spent the entirety of his childhood and teenage years. For Undergraduate studies, Stephen attended the University of Oklahoma where he majored in Accounting. After a brief stint as an Auditor with the State of Texas, Stephen moved to Denver where he began graduate studies at the University of Denver. Finding a career in Aspen, Stephen currently works as an accountant at the Snowmass Country Club. Finding a completely new lifestyle in the mountains, Stephen has taken to snowboarding, backcountry skiing, hiking and discovering new mountain sceneries on his dirt bike.

Melissa Dunfee is a polished, media-savvy Artistic Director at Poss Architecture + Planning and Interior Design, who believes that her mission in life is to connect communities and establish lasting relationships for organizations. She is truly in her element planning local events, working with media to promote and grow attendances, and planning every detail of a campaign from inception to completion. Melissa earned her Associates in Liberal Arts from Ohio State University in 2005, Associates of Applied Science in Digital Media Design from Central Ohio Technical College in 2007, Bachelors of Fine Art in Fine Art Photography in 2009, and Masters of Arts in Arts Administration in 2016. Before moving to Aspen in January 2016, she worked as a producer, on-set stylist, and assistant photographer on commercial photography and videography projects in the Midwest, as well as owned both a fine art gallery and furniture consignment estate sale business in Cleveland, OH. Now an active part of Aspen’s community as Co-Chair of the Aspen Art Museum’s Contemporaries, a board member of Aspen Young Professionals Association, and a member of Aspen Entrepreneurs and Investors Network, Melissa’s passion for creativity, organization, and community has grown and continues to make an impact locally.