Annie Kao

Annie Kao is the Vice President of Social Responsibility at Alterra Mountain Company, which operates a portfolio of iconic mountain destinations and the Ikon Pass offering ski and snowboard access to over 70 mountain destinations around the world. At Alterra, Kao leads the company’s social impact, community philanthropy, and other social responsibility actions advancing fair access and a welcoming culture of belonging for a wide range of people in the snowsports and outdoor industries.

Prior to Alterra, Kao was a Social Impact consultant providing strategic advice to prominent outdoor organizations including the U.S. Ski & Snowboard team, Mountain Hardwear, the Colorado Tourism Office, and a range of outdoor brands and ski areas. Her work built upon a prior 18-year career as an attorney, including over a decade as a lawyer and Assistant General Counsel within the ski industry.

Kao’s community and volunteer contributions have included service on the State of Colorado’s Independent Ethics Commission and being a founder of the national Coalition of Outdoor Asian Professionals (COAP). She has also served on a wide range of non-profit boards, including the National Ski Areas Association, the Alterra Mountain Company Community Foundation, the Share Winter Foundation, the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association supporting over 80,000 legal professionals nationwide, and is a past President of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Colorado. Kao has guest lectured at the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business and a range of other higher education institutions. Kao is a graduate of The George Washington University Law School and Amherst College.