Leadership
Photo Credit: IN-Q
Strong leadership requires a commitment to something greater than ourselves; service drives success. Meet the original thinkers who are changing the way we live, work, and play, helping us take in the big picture, and inspiring others to create something special.
Pioneer.
Bridge Builder.
Rule Breaker.
The answer “No” is merely a rejection of the status quo and an opportunity to reinvent your world. This is one of the many lessons that fleeing Iran as a young girl during the revolution taught Sheila.
Battle-tested.
Chief Medical Officer.
Emergency Physician.
This ER surgeon launched Italy’s first pediatric trauma center, but it’s his most recent role—guiding Walgreens through COVID—that required him to draw on everything he’s learned.
Bridge Builder.
Artist.
Cultural Visionary.
Through her photographs and films, Endia Beal reveals the people in our communities who feel mostly unseen and unheard. Merging fine art, quirky humor, and uncanny insight, Beal engages her audiences in revelatory discussions.
Turnaround Queen.
Publishing Icon.
Chief Fun Officer.
A trailblazing figure in publishing and programming, Melina Bellows has a boundless imagination and a passion for education that has elevated every project she has undertaken.
Rocketman.
Space Engineer.
Optimism Personified.
Driven by the pursuit of knowledge and an insatiable curiosity, NASA’s Chief Engineer for the ambitious Europa Clipper Mission is convinced he has the best job on Earth.
Nuclear Engineer.
Clean Energy Visionary.
Queen of Possibility.
Leslie her early career redesigning nuclear reactors to make them safer and reduce the amount of waste they produce. Now she's focused on a bigger obstacle in the race towards a carbon-neutral future: us.
Organic Architect.
Thought Leader.
Fixer.
His deep passion and commitment to making “every building a green building” inspires audiences of all types to change how they look at their buildings, their facilities and the world at large.
Exploration Evangelist.
Global Policy Advisor.
Blue Water Protector.
Terry Garcia served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Science and Exploration Officer for the National Geographic Society for seventeen years, launching more than 400 scientific field research, conservation, and exploration projects annually.
Storyteller.
Global Women’s Champion.
Revolutionary.
With National Geographic and at the creative helm of her nonprofit, Ripple Effect Images, Annie travels the planet to show the vibrant tapestry of human experience, and how much we share—oceans apart.
Himalayan Mountaineer.
Global Philanthropist.
Climbing Royalty.
The name Hillary is synonymous with Himalayan mountaineering and philanthropy. Peter Hillary has been on 40 expeditions around the world, including five to the top of the world—Mount Everest.
Yellowstone Champion.
Disruptor.
Yellow Border Chief.
After 20 years as a Nat Geo photographer, Chris Johns was the first to be elevated to Editor-in-Chief of the venerable magazine. Under his direction, National Geographic earned 63 nominations and 23 National Magazine Awards.
Summit Slayer.
Superhuman.
Austrian Alpinist.
Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner is a climbing legend—the first woman to have submitted all 14 8,000-meter peaks without supplemental oxygen and high-altitude porters.
Mama Bear.
Community Builder.
Visual Storyteller.
Whether documenting her journey through depression or celebrating the world through the eyes and words of her two boys, Photographer Marvi Lacar is the consummate creator.
Futurist.
Polymath.
Ironman.
Author of the bestseller, Hacking Darwin, Jamie is a leading technology and healthcare futurist who has served in the U.S. National Security Council, the State Department, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Conservation Photographer.
Ocean Advocate.
Enough.
Cristina’s commitment to conservation extends beyond the Ocean to what it means to be human...understanding that the history of every living thing that has ever existed on this planet also lives within us.
Blue Mind Thinker.
Entrepreneurial Marine Biologist.
Innovative Movement Builder.
J pioneered the concept of Blue Mind, a flow-state that acknowledges the physical, ecological, economic, cognitive, emotional, psychological, and social benefits of being on, in, or near water. (In Memoriam)
Chief Wagon Officer.
Brand Evolution King.
Big Kid.
Robert’s grandfather started Radio Flyer in 1917—naming it after two of the most important inventions of its time. Today, Robert has reimagined the brand in ways his grandfather never could have dreamed.
Environmental Hero.
Entrepreneur.
Visionary.
Meet CNN Hero of the Year and the founder of the world's only "environmental-strength" river clean-up organization—the personification of optimism and sheer will.
Former First Lady of Iceland.
Writers Retreat Co-Founder.
Novelist.
Journalist, editor, and critically acclaimed author of Secrets of the Sprakkar: Iceland's Extraordinary Women and How They are Changing the World.
Serial Entrepreneur.
Brand Accelerator.
Multitasker.
Moms are the original multitaskers, this is why former attorney and Brown grad, Jill Salzman decided to build her third company as an accelerator for this untapped juggernaut of talent.
Chief Innovation Officer.
Biomedical Engineer.
World’s Best Minister.
A Bill Gates Hero in the Field, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Education and Chief Innovation Officer strives to improve lives through reforming, and redesigning healthcare and education systems.
Adventure Filmmaker.
Wilderness Explorer.
Risk Embracer.
This extreme filmmaker talks about 360-degree leadership, risk management, and why he aims to work at the edge of failure to produce authentic and memorable content.
Big Wall Climber.
Best-Selling Author.
The North Face Athlete.
Mark Synnott is a New York Times best-selling author, a pioneering big wall first ascensionist and one of the most prolific exploratory climbers of his generation. This quest has taken him on more than three dozen expeditions.
Astronaut.
Fighter Pilot.
Entrepreneur.
Commanding U.S./Italian/and Russian crews on the ISS for 200 days during the Russian invasion of Crimea showed Terry Virts that anything is possible with diplomacy and constant innovation.
Left Seater.
Trailblazer.
Afghan Refugee.
What if the first Afghan woman to earn a commercial pilot’s license went on to break the world record as the youngest woman to fly solo around the world in a single-engine plane? Meet Shaesta.