Greg Mortenson is the co-founder of nonprofit Central Asia Institute and a former Mountain climber. He was born in Minnesota in 1957, and grew up on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (1958 to 1973). His father was a founder of Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center, a 480 bed teaching hospital, and his mother founded the International School at Moshi.

He served in the U.S. Army in Germany during the Cold War (1977-1979), where he received the Army Commendation Medal, and later graduated from the Univ. of South Dakota (1983), and pursued graduate studies in neurophysiology.

On July 24th, 1992, Mortenson's younger sister, Christa, died from a massive seizure after a lifelong struggle with epilepsy. In 1993, to honor his sister's memory, Mortenson attempted to climb Pakistan's K2, the world's second highest mountain, in the Karakoram range. His failed attempt proved to be a turning point in his life.

Recognition

Mortenson is now a living hero to rural communities of Afghanistan and Pakistan, where he has gained the trust of Islamic leaders, military commanders, government officials and tribal chiefs from his tireless effort to champion education, especially for girls. He is one of few foreigners who has worked extensively for fifteen years (spending over 65 months) in the region now considered the front lines of the war on terror.

His cross-cultural expertise has brought him to speak on Capital Hill, D.C. think tanks, the Pentagon, Dept. of Defense, libraries, outdoor groups, universities, schools, churches, mosques, synagogues, business and civic groups, women's organizations and more. From March 2006 through 2007, he has visited over 110 cities to talk about his message of peace through education.

NBC newscaster, Tom Brokaw, calls Mortenson, “one ordinary person, with the right combination of character and determination, who is really changing the world”.

Congresswoman Mary Bono (Rep – Cali.) says, "I've learned more from Greg Mortenson about the causes of terrorism than I did during all our briefings on Capitol Hill. He is a true hero, whose creativity, courage, and compassion exemplify the true ideals of the American spirit.”

Al Neuharth, founder of USA Today, and the D.C.-based Freedom Forum, says “Mortenson doesn’t just climb mountains. He moves them, and through his courage, he gives hope and has changed the lives of thousands of children in a region of turmoil considered the front lines of the war on terror”.

While not overseas half the year, Mortenson, 49, lives in Bozeman, Montana with his wife, Dr. Tara Bishop, a clinical psychologist, and two children.

The Central Asia Institute

As of 2007, the Central Asia Institute has successfully established 58 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, which provide (or have provided) education to over 24,000, with an emphasis on girls' education. A few additional projects are in Mongolia (rural health education) and Kyrgyzstan (teacher training scholarships).

Over the first decade of CAI's evolution, their programs and projects expanded to several regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan with an emphasis on education, health issues, environment and cultural preservation. Central Asia Institute community projects continue to primarily focus in remote, underserved regions where few organizations serve.

Since 2005, CAI refined and focused its priority to focus mainly on rural education and literacy, especially for females. This also includes ongoing teacher training programs, to establish libraries, and provide temporary education in regions of natural disaster or crisis. CAI also continues to pioneer and promote education in regions where there a few or no education opportunities. They now put more resources into sustainable initiatives, to improve the quality of education, support teacher training, and help motivated students to achieve their education goals with higher education, and are reducing the number of new schools built and funds put into mere brick and mortar to build buildings.