My name is Gavin McGahan. I’m a 23-year-old lifelong Alaskan and the founder of a brand new tourism company called Find Alaska LLC, based out of Fairbanks, Alaska.

For the past seven years, I’ve worked as a guide all across the state, from giving cultural tours as an Alaskan Native guide to leading snowmachine adventures and road-based sightseeing tours. I’ve spent thousands of hours sharing my home with travelers from around the world.

Now I’m finally taking the leap to build something of my own.

Find Alaska is my attempt to create something real, a local, year-round, boots-on-the-ground tour company that shows guests the Alaska I grew up in. Not the polished version. The raw, beautiful, unpredictable, unforgettable version.

Recently, I purchased five acres of remote land on a lake in interior Alaska. There’s no road, no electricity... just a trail leading into the unknown. If all goes well, I’ll build a cabin or yurt on the land and use it as a base for winter snowmachine, ice fishing, and Northern Lights tours.

But to make any of this possible, I need help.

This is what I've gotten done so far:

- Finalized legal structure: Holding company, Find Alaska LLC, insurance, permits, web domain, etc.

- Secured an older 12-passenger van to get my foot in the door

- Early stage marketing: Logos, social media, website, brochures, business cards, etc.

- Preliminary admin tasks: Web development, booking platform, business credit building, building affiliate relations, etc.

- Asset acquisitions: Tour van, 5 acres of raw land near Fairbanks

I’ve launched a GoFundMe to raise funds for the core startup costs:

- A reliable 4x4 tour van to run road-based excursions year-round

- Snowmachines to diversify my tour offerings

- Building materials for the lakefront cabin

- Further website development, signage, and marketing costs

I’m not asking for handouts. I’m asking for a chance. A shot at proving what’s possible when someone chooses to stay in Alaska, invest in their community, and build something from the ground up with integrity and heart.

If you’re able to donate, or just share this story with someone who might, it would mean the world to me. Truly.

This isn’t about going viral or getting rich. It’s about doing something real. About helping people from around the world "Find Alaska", the way I’ve come to know it.

Thank you for reading this far. And thank you for believing in people like me.

From the bottom of my heart,

Thank you.

Gavin McGahan

Founder & Guide, Find Alaska LLC

Website