Jacob Richards was born and raised in Bloomington, Indiana. He studied elementary and special education at Indiana University, where he also captained his cycling team. During the summers, he interned at a bike shop in Ogden, Utah—an experience that sparked his love for the mountains and inspired him to begin his teaching career in Utah.

Jacob started out in Ogden, teaching in a Moderate Special Education classroom for two years. After moving to Salt Lake City in the summer of 2024, he joined the Early Light Academy. This is Jacob's second year teaching at ELA, where he teaches 8th-grade Math, Reading Interventions, and Directed Studies.

Outside of the classroom, Jacob competes semi-professionally in bike racing and enjoys skiing, rock climbing, and traveling.