Founder and C.E.O., NYC SALT
For more than 20 years, Alicia Hansen has empowered young people from underserved communities to tell their own stories through photography, reshaping who gets to define our cultural narrative. She is the founder and C.E.O. of NYC SALT, a nonprofit photography education program in New York City that uses creative and technical mastery as a pathway to social mobility. The program’s alumni – currently numbering over 400 – have achieved a 100% college acceptance rate and now contribute their voices to publications like The New York Times Magazine and leading global brands.
Hansen is recognized for treating visual storytelling as a form of civic participation and cultural bridge-building. Through mentorship and real-world opportunities, NYC SALT fosters new perspectives that challenge dominant narratives and expand collective understanding. Her leadership has been honored with the International Center of Photography’s Photographic Educator Award and the W. Eugene Smith Fund’s Howard Chapnick Grant, as well as recognition from NY1, the “Today” show, and “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”
A former photojournalist, Hansen began her career working alongside National Geographic photographer Joe McNally on the magazine’s first all-digital story, a formative experience that deepened her belief in the power of technology to democratize visual storytelling. She holds degrees in journalism from the University of Georgia and visual communication from Syracuse University.
Her work continues to prove that when every community has access to the tools of storytelling, we build a more inclusive and connected world.
