Matt’s Story

Matt Zeller is a U.S. Army combat veteran, CIA analyst, and lifelong advocate for those who serve. After surviving a near-fatal ambush in Afghanistan, he dedicated his life to supporting veterans through community, purpose, and healing. His work helping resettle more than 300,000 Afghan and Iraqi wartime allies taught him that survival alone isn’t enough — veterans need a path to reclaim their well-being, identity, and sense of belonging.

That path revealed itself in the mountains. After years of battling PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and the weight of transition, Matt found that skiing offered something no clinical setting ever had: a quiet mind, a regulated nervous system, and the profound relief of being fully present. The mountain became the first place he felt truly alive again. He began to wonder — what if this experience could be scaled, studied, and shared with every veteran who needs it?

This question led Matt to create the Aspen Elevation Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to delivering evidence-based, adventure-driven therapy for veterans. By integrating skiing and snowboarding with trauma-informed clinical care, neuroscience, and peer support, Matt is building the program he wishes had existed when he needed it most. His mission is simple: help veterans rediscover themselves, rebuild their resilience, and experience the healing power of the mountains.