Nigel Bennett

Nigel Bennett is an award-winning entrepreneur, author, founder of Aqua-Guard Spill Response, and co-host of the podcast "Impact". His company, a global leader in oil spill control, protects water, the world’s most precious resource. 

Both Nigel and Aqua-Guard have received multiple awards for their innovation, business excellence, and entrepreneurialism. 

Nigel received the British Columbia Institute of Technology’s 2018 Distinguished Alumni of the year Award. 

Nigel has devoted his life to environmental and social responsibility and boldly advocates for “risking it all for what really matters” among the entrepreneurial tribes to which he belongs. Nigel speaks and consults with entrepreneurs and young people worldwide about bringing their talents to solving some of our planet’s most pressing challenges. 

In 2012, Nigel set up his business to run without him, See what he did with his newfound freedom and see how he (with the help of his coach) has been able to create a life that most people dream of.

An active philanthropist, Nigel donates all profit from his book sales (Take that Leap – Risking it all for what really matters) and speaking engagements to organizations that support poverty alleviation, human rights, social services, and the environment. 

3 words to describe Nature?

Calm. Great reverence. Beauty

3 things Nature taught you?

To have great respect for all things.

Made me very humble 

Taught me how to heal

3 most treasured Nature spots?

Solo in the wild, on top of mountains, so: 

Whistler area, 

North Vancouver Seymour River valley, 

Mt. Magilvery area (Whitecap backcountry hut)

When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?

Calm and inspired

When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?

Calm and in awe

When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?

In awe

When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?

Beauty and respect for silence

When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?

The power of nature

When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?

Cleansing

Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?

Mostly Ocean, Mountain and Forest

On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?

10

Share with us a childhood nature memory?

When I was 16 I used to climb solo up to the top of Black Mountain in the snow up a gully to the summit and sit and meditate looking out at the Lion Mountains and then return.

 


Aki Soudunsaari

Aki Soudunsaari is the co-founder & strategy director of Naava, a company based in Finland that creates air filtering indoor green walls. The company won the the Contract Best of NeoCon Silver Award in 2019, the Fennia Prize in 2017, and was an Honoree for the Interior Design Best of the Year in 2017.

After working as a teacher of physical education and health sciences, Aki worked on his PhD in the Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics and was a visiting scholar in Silicon Valley Center for Entrepreneurship at San Jose State University. He ran Global Venture Labs' growth venturing programs for a few years, where multidisciplinary students solved companies problems and learned entrepreneurial thinking and processes.

Aki was nominated for EY's Entrepreneur of the Year in 2017, PWC’s Most Valuable Entrepreneur in 2015, Young Academic Entrepreneur in 2014 and was invited by the President of Finland to join the Finland's 100-year ceremonies in 2017.

3 words to describe Nature?

Life. Flow. Responsibility

3 things Nature taught you?

Respect for others and the environment

Healthy humility

The impact our surroundings have on us, biological creatures

3 most treasured Nature spots?

Korouoma. 30 minutes away from my childhood home in Posio, Lapland, Finland, is a natural-born canyon which in the winter times, ices into one of the biggest iced waterfalls, perfect for ice-climbing and enjoying the fresh spring ray of lights. (NOTE: eg https://beyondarctic.com/adventure-collection/korouoma-ice-climbing-adventure)

Hietaranta beach in Helsinki. This beautiful small beach at the seashore is where I beach volleyball multiple times per week in the short Finnish summer - sports, friends, fresh air, nature, sea, and sand.

Lauttasaari. We live in a beautiful small island right outside the Helsinki city center in the archipelago. Surrounded by the Baltic Sea, beautiful parks and forests, this kind of a small village is a perfect place to combine the city living with the calm of nature. 

When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?

Calm like a rock that the ocean caresses with every wave. 

When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?

Mindful - it makes my senses sharpen up. I’m safe and where I belong.

When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?

Small. Imaging the force of time that has shaped the Earth brings my own life to a perspective, making my troubles seem less significant. 

When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?

Aware of that particular moment and my breathing. 

When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?

Powerful, one with the thunder.

When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?

It gives air presence, which is normally a bit difficult. Air is always invisible.

Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?

Forest for sure, so human-friendly and species-specific environment. By the way, have you ever thought that while nature surrounds us, we lock it out? We lock it out with us spending 22-23 hours indoors in the built environment. We are the indoor generation, and I know our biology and bodies have not yet evolved enough for us to be healthy and happy constantly being alienated from nature.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?

10. Nature is powerful, it surrounds us, astounds us, cleanses us, makes me who I am - the reason why we exist. We are not separate from nature, we are a part of it. Nature is everything. 

Share with us a childhood nature memory?

I grew up in the Arctic Circle, Lapland, Finland, just next to where Santa Claus lives. It is a very rural area, the density is about one person per square kilometer. I spent all my childhood outdoors, in the middle of untouched forests and crystal clear lakes, under the Northern Lights, breathing the cleanest air in the world. I had a privilege that I didn’t appreciate it at the time. It was a luxury I didn’t understand before traveling all around the globe in megacities, not being able to choose the air I breathe or jump out to nature whenever I felt like it. I appreciate and cherish the human-friendly childhood environment more and more every day.


Liza Gershman

Best-Selling Author and Winner of the Gourmand Cookbook Award (2018), Liza Gershman has nearly two decades of industry experience working in all facets of Commercial and Editorial photography and writing, including 12 published books and hundreds of newspaper and magazine stories. She specializes in Lifestyle, Food, and Travel. Her passion for people, culture and cuisine, has taken her to more than 51 countries and 47 U.S. States during her career.

Her 12th book, Cuban Flavor, has garnered many accolades, and has been featured on CBS, in National Geographic, Travel & Leisure, Budget Travel, NPR and many additional local and national publications and radio shows. Liza was honored to speak for Talks At Google, and on the prestigious campuses of Twitter, Oracle, and Disney to name a few.

As a photographer and Art Director, she regularly teaches, writes and presents for celebrated companies: Creative Live and Canon USA. She was honored to nationally launch the 6D for Canon, and the T6. Prior to that she worked as the in-house Senior Digital Photographer for Williams-Sonoma and continues to freelance for clients such as Goldman Sachs, Hyatt Hotels, Restoration Hardware, Safeway, Party City, Getty Images, AirBnB, Visa. In 2010, Liza was Governor Jerry Brown's campaign photographer, and in 2014 was a photographer for the RedBull Youth America's Cup.

She has been a regular contributor to the San Francisco Chronicle Travel Section, writing tips on top destinations for a monthly column called “5 Places”, and continues to write about travel, food and culture in articles and book form.

Many of Liza’s notable clients include celebrity chefs, restaurants, wineries, beverage brands, fashion brands, spas and hotels.

3 words to describe Nature? 

Beauty. Peace. Serenity

3 things Nature taught you? 

How to go into my inner self 

How to be still

How to observe

3 most treasured Nature spots? 

The Russian River in Sonoma County

The beaches of Nantucket 

The open skies of Wyoming

When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...? 

Introspective

When you see a forest, it makes you feel...? 

Grounded and most like myself

When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...? 

In awe

When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...? 

Lucky to be part of the world, inside of a painting

When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...? 

Excited! I love a great storm as long as everyone is safe

When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...? 

Like getting under covers

Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person? 

Forest and lakes first, then ocean, then desert, but I love all of it!!!

On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being? 

11

Share with us a childhood nature memory? 

Canoeing down the river. That's my happiest activity. Smelling the ferns and mint and redwood trees all around.

 


Ian McAllister

Ian McAllister is a co-founder of the wildlife conservation organization Pacific Wild. He is an award-winning photographer, film director and author of nine books, his images have appeared in publications around the world. He is a member of the International League of Conservation Photographers and a fellow of the Royal Geographic Society; a recipient of the North America Nature Photography Association’s Vision Award and the Rainforest Action Network’s Rainforest Hero award and Time Magazine’s “Leaders of the 21st Century” award for efforts to protect British Columbia’s endangered rainforest. He recently directed the Great Bear Rainforest IMAX film, the film is narrated by Ryan Reynolds and produced by MacGillivray Freeman Films. 

3 words to describe Nature?

Life-support. Metamorphosis. Fragility

3 things Nature taught you?

Love of earth

Curiosity

That working in defense of nature is the most fulfilling life pursuit that I can think of. 

3 most treasured Nature spots?

Where the Pacific ocean meets the temperate rainforest

Anywhere underwater

Staring into the eyes of a wild wolf

When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?

Humble, at home, empowered by the beauty and strength of it but also sadness for how our actions are impacting life below the surface.

When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?

Like I am surrounded by a collective of ancient and wise souls. 

When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?

Glad I don't own real estate under it

When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?

Sunrise. A sense of awakening, anticipation. 

When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?

Energized and wide eyed.

When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?

comfort, if I am in a safe harbor, exhilarating if I am offshore.

Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?

I live at the interface between ocean and the rainforest and feel a deep and strong affinity for each environment. 

On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?

10

Share with us a childhood nature memory?

When I was nine years old I opened our front door to find my mothers favorite goat giving its last breath as a large cougar had just crushed its throat. My dad wasn’t sure who was more dangerous at that point, my mom or the cougar. He quickly ran outside and yanked the cougars tail so hard it literally flew across the driveway and quickly climbed a tree. I have never been so close to a cougar since. 


Jan Van Ijken

Jan van IJken is an internationally known documentary photographer and filmmaker from the Netherlands. Self-taught and working mainly autonomously on long-term projects and microscopy, he is interested in human/animal relationships and nature. 

His most recent video BECOMING (2018) has been screened at more than 25 International Film Festivals and received the Award for Best Short Documentary at the Innsbruck Nature Film Festival 2018 and the Vision Science Award at Imagine Science Abu Dhabi 2019. The film went ‘viral’ on the internet, being awarded the Vimeo Staff Pick and watched by a few million people on National Geographic, Aeon, Colossal, Live Science, IFLScience and numerous others.

His ART OF FLYING (2015) movie was Awarded Best Art Film at Pärnu Film Festival, Estonia. It was screened more than 50 times at international film Festivals, Galleries, Biennales, etc.

FACING ANIMALS (2012) won the Grand Prix Short Films at Split Film Festival, Croatia

Jan has published 3 books: Precious Animals (2005), New Neighbours (2004) and A touch of Divinity (2001)

3 words to describe Nature?

The connection with all other life

Pristine beauty

A fragile ecosystem, not to be destroyed by humans

3 things Nature taught you?

To be silent 

That all life is one

To care for other creatures

3 most treasured Nature spots?

The North Sea and Waddenzee (NL)

Kagerplassen (NL)

Waterland (NL)

When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?

Free

When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?

Open

When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?

Humble

When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?

Joyful

When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?

Alive

When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?

Like running

Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?

Definitely Ocean

On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?

10

Share with us a childhood nature memory?

Ice skating in our neighborhood on local waters


Annie Griffiths

One of the first women photographers to work for National Geographic, ANNIE GRIFFITHS has photographed in nearly 150 countries during her illustrious career. She has worked on dozens of magazine and book projects for National Geographic, including stories on Lawrence of Arabia, Galilee, Petra, Sydney, New Zealand, and Jerusalem.

In addition to her magazine work, Griffiths is deeply committed to photographing for aid organizations around the world.  She is the Founder and Executive Director of Ripple Effect Images, a collective of photographers who document aid programs that are empowering women and girls in the developing world. In just five years, Ripple’s work has helped 24 non-profits raise over ten million dollars.

Griffiths has published 4 books, is an accomplished speaker and a regular guest on NPR, The Today Show and other media outlets.

Annie has received awards from the National Press Photographers Association, the National Organization of Women, and the White House News Photographers Association.

3 words to describe Nature? 

ESSENTIAL. COMFORTING. ENDURING

3 things Nature taught you? 

TO PAUSE

TO GASP

TO BE HUMBLE

3 most treasured Nature spots? 

MY CABIN IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN

MY LITTLE HOME ON A LAKE IN VIRGINIA

ANY NATIVE PRAIRIE

When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…? 

SMALL, PEACEFUL

When you see a forest, it makes you feel…? 

SAFE

When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…? 

HUMBLE

When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel…? 

GRATEFUL

When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…? 

THAT ALL LIVING THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET A DRINK

When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel…? 

CAUTIOUS

Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person? 

I’M A LAKE PERSON

On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being? 

10

Share with us a childhood nature memory? 

SO MANY. THE MIRACLE OF FIREFLIES, CATCHING TOADS AND FROGS, CREATING A FORT OUT OF AN OLD SNAG, CATCHING CRAYFISH WITH A PIECE OF CORN ON A STRING. MARVELING AT SPIDER WEBS.