From Capitol Peak to Global Impact: Jason Glaser ’97 Tackles a Hidden Epidemic

Walking through the Catskills between work meetings, Jason Glaser ’97 reflects on the journey that took him from a self-described “hot mess” at CRMS to the frontlines of a global health crisis. As founder and CEO of La Isla Network, an organization dedicated to ending heat-related illnesses among workers worldwide, Jason has built a reputation as a formidable advocate for some of the world’s most vulnerable laborers. Recently named to TIME’s 100 Next list for his groundbreaking work in occupational health, Jason credits much of his resilience and perspective to his time at Colorado Rocky Mountain School.

“I was a hot mess, they never should have let me in,” Jason laughs, recalling his arrival at CRMS after struggling at two previous schools. What was intended as a one-year stay became the foundation that would shape his future. The Wilderness experience, in particular, instilled a discipline he still draws upon today. “That Wilderness trip up Capitol Peak with a 70-pound pack makes you a much more resilient individual,” he explains. The combination of autonomy with thoughtful guidance created what Jason describes as “viscous concrete” — a foundation that took time to set but proved unshakable.

Jason’s path after CRMS wasn’t immediately obvious. He earned his GED and went on to study cinematography and film production at Columbia College Chicago. His career began in New York, moving lights and cameras around for NBC and HBO — “blue-collar work with white-collar pay,” as he puts it. But a deeper curiosity about global supply chains was brewing, influenced by his Detroit upbringing and questions about exploitation in global commerce: “Do we really need to be this exploitative for a banana?”

This question led Jason to documentary filmmaking, where in 2007, while shooting “Banana Land,” he stumbled upon a humanitarian crisis that would change his life. In Nicaragua, he discovered young, previously healthy sugarcane workers dying of chronic kidney disease (CKD) at alarming rates. The community called itself “La Isla de Viudas”— the Island of Widows—a testament to the devastating toll the disease was taking. What began as a documentary project evolved into an investigation of a medical mystery that scientists were struggling to explain.

Following a series of dramatic events — including the murder of a labor leader he had interviewed in Honduras, surviving an armed attack, and the death of his colleague Bob, an undercover investigator who had become his partner in this work—Jason found himself at a crossroads. At just 28 years old, he made the decision to use funding from their undercover work against the Dole Food Company to establish La Isla Network, focusing on the CKD epidemic devastating worker communities. “None of that would have been possible without my CRMS experience,” Jason emphasizes.

The work required both scientific rigor and boots-on-the-ground engagement. Jason eventually pursued a Master of Science in Epidemiology from the University of London, bringing academic credentials to match his passionate advocacy. His organization has built a core team of over 30 professionals who collaborate with university professors seeking impact beyond publication, working alongside local partners—over 120 people in total. This network conducts critical research into the causes and prevention of heat-related illnesses that lead to early mortality and diseases such as kidney failure.

Their groundbreaking work revealed that the combination of extreme heat and physical exertion without adequate protections was driving the CKD epidemic. Sugarcane workers were cutting up to seven tons of cane daily in scorching conditions. The solution, while conceptually simple, required meticulous implementation: a protocol of rest, shade, and hydration throughout the workday. The former epicenter of the crisis, Ingenio San Antonio sugar mill, has now become La Isla Network’s most valued partner and a model of good practices they call a “Center of Excellence.”

Despite these successes, Jason now faces perhaps his greatest challenge. The organization relies on the federal government for 85% of its funding through merit-based cooperative agreements, with support from the State and Labor Departments and endorsement of career ambassadors. This funding structure, which Jason describes as “formally the most stable and impactful  funding source in the world,” is now in jeopardy due to shifting political priorities. “One day you wake up and it’s frozen,” he says, the weight of responsibility for his team and their global partners evident in his voice.

The irony isn’t lost on Jason that while his organization’s work on heat stress is “100% applicable in the U.S.,” with lessons from Central America relevant to workers from Oregon and California to Texas and Florida, domestic politics threaten to undermine their global mission. The skills and insights developed abroad could help protect American workers facing similar conditions, yet “everything is performative politics” in the current climate. Somehow we have survived the cuts that decimated so many other programs, but for how long, or even why we don’t know. The administration is a black box.” 

When asked what teachers at CRMS influenced him most, Jason doesn’t hesitate: “Kevin McCarthy, Rich Furze—nuts, but exactly what I needed. A.O. [Forbes ‘69] giving the geopolitical class that talked about our place in the world; Mark Rice in chemistry; Pablo the art teacher; Kayo Ogilby—I really liked him because he treated us like little adults.” This approach of being respected while guided continues to inform how Jason leads his organization through complex global challenges, embodying the CRMS ethos of responsibility, resilience, and mindful action.

Looking back at his journey from that Wilderness trip up Capitol Peak to creating centers of excellence for worker protection around the world, Jason offers a powerful testament to the lasting impact of his CRMS experience. “CRMS created a sense of responsibility and maturity that took a while to settle in,” he reflects. “That’s what I drew on. I know where that foundation is from.” For the “hot mess” kid who found his footing on the CRMS campus, that foundation has supported a life’s work of tackling one of the world’s hidden health crises, protecting vulnerable workers in a changing climate one protocol at a time.