Jake Strickler was born in Denver, Colorado, and grew up comfortable with a nomadic lifestyle due to his father's successful career in human resources with global engineering and construction companies. Jake and the rest of the family had the good fortune of joining him on extended assignments in Adelaide, Australia and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as well as on the side trips and global adventures that these postings afforded them. By the time Jake entered college he had spent time in nearly 20 countries, shaping his global mindset and cementing his desire to attain the same sort of international lifestyle for himself.Jake completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Colorado, graduating with degrees in Journalism and Film History in 2011. What was supposed to be a short-term stint in restaurant management changed his path when a group of investors selected the small, family-owned Cuban restaurant Jake was working at as a potential major chain. Over the next three years, Jake played a key role in opening two more restaurants, staying at one of them as General Manager for two of those years. During this time, Jake discovered his talent for business management, and rekindled his desire to get back overseas, leading to his decision to attend Thunderbird.At Thunderbird, Jake focused on international finance, global corporate strategy, and product market adaptation and localization. He also served as Editor-in-Chief of the school newspaper, Das Tor, spearheading a number of collaborative and individual publications dealing with Thunderbird history during his tenure. One such project was a long-form investigation into the 1982 disappearance of a Thunderbird professor while en route to a teaching position in Guadalajara.In his spare time, Jake collects rare books and records, and has a deep love for the history, music, film, and literature of mid-century America.