Joe Jacobson is a nonresident senior fellow with the Nuclear Energy Policy Initiative at the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center. He brings extensive Alaska and global investment and economic development experience, most recently working as a partner with McKinley Alaska Private Investment, where he led the development and deployment of a $117 million private equity/venture capital fund. In this role, Jacobson sourced and led investments related to nuclear microreactors, clean hydrogen, green shipping, biorefining, autonomous systems, aviation, and broader climate themes. 

Prior to joining McKinley, Jacobson served as the vice president of business development at Huna Totem Corporation, an Alaska Native corporation in southeastern Alaska. Additional roles include serving as director of the state’s Division of Economic Development, international director for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, and senior consultant with McDowell Group. 

Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, Jacobson has also lived, worked, and studied in a variety of US locations as well as internationally, including Bolivia, Brazil, China, Mexico, Mongolia, and Spain, among others. Jacobson holds an MA in international relations from the City College of New York and a BA from Alaska Pacific University.