🏔️Issue 14: From Alaska to AI: Jenn's Wild Week + Gadgets That'll Save Your Summer
TODAY in Alaska, Techish in Awe: Glacier gear, crypto chaos, travel tech that actually works—and deep, heartfelt gratitude for every step, story, and person along the way.
A moose a day and trying to keep the mosquitoes at bay… I’m back home in Alaska this week, just wrapped up an amazing day filming with the TODAY Show’s 3rd hour at the top of a mountain—and now I’m tucked inside one of the most peaceful places on Earth: my aunt and uncle’s remote cabin, nestled in a protected cove at the base of a waterfall in Kachemak Bay.
📺 WATCH THE SHOW ON JUNE 20TH AT 9AM ON NBC!
I’m writing this newsletter from the couch at the end of a 20-hour day, marveling at how lucky I am. I’m looking out at snow-capped peaks, calm reflective waters, our family boats gently swaying on the currents, everyone and everything resting before our next adventure.
This is home. It’s wild and beautiful and humbling.
In the past few days, I’ve seen Denali on a crystal-clear day, watched a mom and baby moose lounge around my bestie’s hillside home, marveled at the most chill sea otter I’ve ever shared a few square feet of dock space with … and … spent time with my family, reconnected with old friends, and made new ones who instantly felt like part of the same soul-circle. The ties here run deep, woven through shared memories, wild places, and that unshakable sense of being part of something so much bigger than ourselves.
There’s something about this place—about the way the tide rolls in, the way the mountains hold the light—that makes time slow down just enough for the gratitude to catch up.
You can see all my photos of my entire trip on Instagram @JennJolly. We’re in places with spotty WiFi and connectivity, so keep checking back for updates. The moose and otters are worth it! (And all the candid behind-the-scenes with Dylan and Al!)
Alright alright alright…with all of that in my heart, here’s what this week’s newsletter is all about:
✨ What I showed off on the TODAY Show.
📰 Quick update on my USA TODAY Coinbase investigation — 🔗Read the full story here.
🔐 Mike’s must-do digital safety checklist — coming soon to Techish.com.
✈️ A few travel gadgets that could actually save your summer — coming next week!
💛 And a huge, heartfelt thank you to my husband, Roddy, and our dear friend, Jonathan White, owner of the world-famous SteamDot Coffee.
Alaska Fun Finds!
✨ Here are the Alaska-made products I packed, wore, brewed, slathered on, and shipped home
These are my go-tos—the hoodies I live in, coffee that fuels my marathon life, skincare that keeps my face glowing through glacier winds and red-eye flights, and the tastes that instantly bring me back to where it all started. They aren’t just random products from the Great North. This is what I wear, brew, gift, live in, and love—and this week, I finally get to share them on the TODAY Show. Introducing the world to these Alaska-made essentials is like opening the door to some of the best parts of home. Let’s dive in!
AK Starfish Co. Clothing Designs | $38 & up
Alaska’s not just a place, it’s a feeling—and the AK Starfish Co. line of casual comfort clothing is the closest I’ve come to being able to wear that feeling. I’m talking sweatshirts that are velvety soft on the inside, but tough enough for glacier hikes, and stylish enough for city errands.
Marci Nelson, the artist and owner, is a third-generation Alaskan woman (like me!), and you can feel her deep-rooted connection to nature and reinvention in every single piece. She started it with a hand-drawn starfish—sketched from a nearby tidepool—and grew the collection to include a series of symbols that represent the people and nature of Alaska.
I wear them year-round—even in the Lower 48—on hikes, red-eyes, coffee runs, and couch days. They’re made to be lived in and last forever.
It’s woman-owned, artist-led, and Alaska-loved—with a fast-growing fanbase across the country.
Whether you're buying a gift or treating yourself, these pieces wrap you in a story—and a state—you won’t want to take off.
SteamDot Coffee: Glacier-Fed, Globally Sourced, Alaska Roasted
Alaskans are serious about their coffee. It’s not just a drink—it’s fuel for all that life brings. There’s a coffee stand or drive-thru on practically every corner.
Anchorage has one of the highest coffee shop-per-capita rates in the country. Blame the long winters and dark mornings—or credit world-class roasters like SteamDot.
SteamDot is the premier coffee roaster in the state, sourcing top-tier beans from all over the world and roasting them with care right in Anchorage.
But what really sets them apart? Their cold brew is made with glacier water from the Eklutna Glacier. Yes, actual glacier water. It doesn’t get cleaner—or cooler—than that.
They also run Alaska’s only pour-over coffee bars, where every single cup is brewed to order to highlight the specific flavors of each bean's origin. It’s like wine tasting… but for coffee lovers.
I’ve known the owner, Jonathan White, since my college days. His products are smooth, bold, and deeply flavorful—perfect for the caffeine snob in your life or the person who just wants to taste something that feels fresh, wild, and expertly made.
Once you try it, you realize why they ship it all over the country.
Alaska Glacial Essentials Skincare | $14 & up
If you’ve ever wondered how people survive the coldest, driest air on Earth and still have glowing skin—this is how. Alaska Glacial Essentials is skincare straight from the source—formulated with glacier water, wild blueberry extract, and glacial silt mud that’s rich in natural minerals. This isn’t just marketing—it’s science and sustainability bottled together.
Glacial silt mud is packed with over 60 trace minerals—like magnesium, potassium, and calcium—known to detoxify, brighten, and gently exfoliate without stripping your skin. It’s been naturally filtered through ancient ice and untouched earth for centuries, which means it’s pure, powerful, and totally unique to this region.
And the woman who started it all? A commercial fisher turned skincare formulator. She knows harsh weather, long days on the water, and what it takes to defend skin in those extremes. This is real-deal protection with a pioneering edge.
This is clinical-grade, eco-conscious skincare with wild roots—and it makes your skin feel like it just took a clean, cold plunge in a glacier-fed stream.
❄️BUY IT ALL HERE and on Amazon!
Prince William Sound Salt Co.
You can actually taste Alaska in this.
Prince William Sound Sea Salt is small-batch, hand-harvested, and sun-dried in one of the most pristine rainforests in the world. The mineral content is higher, the flavor is cleaner, and the process is entirely sustainable.
No single-use plastics. Just renewable packaging, real salt, and a company that treats nature with the respect it deserves.
This is what we all get to gift as souvenirs, host and hostess gifts, and as a way to spread a little more love, straight from Alaska. It’s more than seasoning—it’s storytelling. Sprinkle it on food, and you’re tasting the ocean that sculpted this part of the world.
10th and M Seafoods
Straight from dock to door—this is the place for wild Alaska seafood. 10th & M is a family-run company that’s been doing this for decades. They specialize in shipping wild-caught salmon, halibut, crab, and more—fresh from Alaska straight to your front door.
They know their fish, and they handle every order like it’s going to their own family.
We Alaskans are serious fish-snobs. We’re picky. Our seafood has to be wild, flash-frozen within hours, and handled with absolute care. Halibut cheeks? Yes please. Smoked salmon? Always. King crab legs the size of your forearm? Sign us up.
10th & M knows their fish and ships it like it’s going to their own table. If you’ve never had wild-caught Alaska salmon frozen the same day it left the water—get ready for a dinner that you will never forget.
📺 Watch the TODAY Show’s 9AM 3rd Hour segment from June 20 to see some of these incredible brands featured live from Alaska!
📰 A quick update on my USA TODAY Coinbase investigation
The story’s finally live. Victims are speaking out. And we’re asking the billion-dollar question: Will companies ever do the right thing for the very people they can’t exist without?
🔗Read it here.
🔐 Mike’s must-do digital safety checklist
Cybercriminals are getting smarter—especially with AI in the mix. Mike breaks down five things to do right now to keep your digital life from falling into the wrong hands.
That story, coming next on Techish.com.
✈️ A few travel gadgets that could actually save your summer
From a next-gen handheld fan with 100 wind levels to an AI trip planner that handles Europe like a pro, these picks punch way above their weight.
Experience these in next week’s letter!
💛 And a huge, heartfelt thank you to my husband, Roddy, and our dear friend, Jonathan White
You know those moments on award shows when people start thanking everyone and inevitably forget someone important? That almost happened live on the TODAY Show. I gave a quick shoutout to the family standing right next to me—my mom, daughter, aunt, and sister—but two more insanely important people were just off camera, making the whole thing happen.
First and last and everything in between — my husband Roddy—he takes nearly every single photo you ever see me in. He’s my anchor. He shows up, always and in all ways—capturing the behind-the-scenes magic, hauling gear, keeping things on track, and being the steady force that lets me do what I do. I love working side-by-side with you, Roddy, and I am so deeply thankful for you.
And Jonathan… well, we go way back. Life took us in different directions for a long time, and now here we are—back in each other’s lives when we’re all crushing it—and it reminds me just how much it means to have people in your corner who truly get it. Thank you for showing up all these years later—keeping us laughing and fueled, and making everything smoother, warmer, and more meaningful.
I’m incredibly grateful—and lucky beyond words.
No, you’re Schmoopie.
And finally…
🌞 A solstice sign-off from the land of the midnight sun.
Here’s to longer days, deeper connections, and this wild, beautiful ride we get to share with those we love.
XO,
Jenn