By Kellie Cutler

In a town with few options for teen entertainment, The Aspen Collective provides a safe sober space for teens by teens, and hosts inclusive concerts focused on harm reduction and mutual aid. The non-profit was founded in July 2023 by local high school students Eliot Lowe, Leo Murrell and Nico Bolen. 

At 16, Leo has mastered the art of nonprofit community engagement, producing with co-founders Elliott and Nico ‘Hibernation Fest’ for Kings Beach Fox Cultural Hall, running a booth at major summer festivals including the Truckee Roundhouse Makers Show, and hosting a ‘Punk Pride Show’ during Truckee’s first ever Pride Week in 2024. 

This summer at Truckee Thursdays, Leo focused on selling The Aspen Collective swag to support an upcoming teen-led Back to School Bash, distributing NARCAN with Tahoe Forest Hospital District and outreach to local teens.

As he enters his senior year at Truckee High, Leo juggles The Aspen Collective programming, executing a recently awarded Truckee Cultural District Mini-Grant, and nonprofit succession planning. To learn more about how The Aspen Collective supports the needs of Truckee’s underrepresented teen community or to find upcoming concerts and events, follow The Aspen Collective on Instagram @theaspencollective_truckee.