Localgroup Studio was founded by Alan McConchie. Born and raised in the Fairhaven neighborhood of Bellingham, Alan recently relocated to his hometown from San Francisco, where he is currently Lead Cartographer at Stamen Design, a mapping and data visualization studio. Alan has worked using online map making, visualization, and data science for clients such as Audubon Society, National Geographic, Facebook, and Pinterest. He has taught for Stamen at the World Health Organization, Stanford University, the University of California at Berkeley, and the California College of the Arts. He holds an undergraduate degree in Computer Science & Mathematics and a Master's degree in Geography from UBC. His work with Stamen has been shown at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and in the Istanbul Design Biennial. Alan is excited by the opportunity to support local design work, collaborations, and discussions through his co-working space -- Localgroup Studio.

Since moving to Bellingham, Alan has been active in founding and facilitating FairVote Washington, an organization devoted to electoral reform. In his extracurricular activities, he is especially interested in seeing where design and cartography can intersect for social good.