The daughter of immigrant parents from Germany and Latvia, she was the first in her family to attend a U.S. high school and university.

She was a high school All-American in track and cross country, ranking second in the nation in the 1600 and 3200 meter events.

Alexa graduated in 1994 from Stanford University with a degree in Biology before moving to Austin, Texas to join Trilogy Software.

Three years later, she founded HireTECH, a recruiting and consulting company focused on high-tech start-ups, also serving as president and CEO.

She has served on the boards of Lifeworks (homeless youth), Breakthrough (a path to college for disadvantaged youth), Arthouse (contemporary art), The Blanton Museum of Art, GenAustin (raising self esteem in and empowering young girls) and the Austin Film Society.

She remains politically involved, and continues to support Democratic Party candidates at regional and national levels.