our speakers

	Wade Davis Anthropologist Wade Davis is perhaps the most articulate and influential western advocate for the world's indigenous cultures. Wade believes humanity's greatest legacy is the "ethnosphere," the sum total of all thoughts and dreams, myths, ideas, inspirations, intuitions brought into being by the human imagination since the dawn of consciousness. With stunning photos and stories, Wade beautifully articulates the intellectual and emotional reasons for us all to celebrate the wonder and integrity of the myriad cultures of the world. More about Wade Davis
	David Breashears David Breaheasrs is the world's foremost high-altitude filmmaker and five time Everest summiter. His audacious and forward thinking achievements range from the first live broadcast from the summit of Mount Everest in May of 1983 to being the leadership and filmmaking mastermind behind the unprecedented worldwide success of the "Everest" IMAX film. His leadership and professional imperatives are clearly defined; Never quit. Never do the expected. Never rest on your laurels. Never think great is good enough. More about David Breashears
	Ed Viesturs Ed Viesturs is regarded as one of the all-time greats in the world of mountaineering and is familiar to many from the IMAX Everest documentary. "Seeking the Highest Places" is the inspirational account of Ed's fourteen-year pursuit of all the world's peaks above 8000 meters. Ed makes a clear and dramatic connection between commitment to integrity and superlative achievement. Ed shares his view of life and of success, with uncommon messages of focus, passion, desire and patience. "Seeking the Highest Places" PDF (1.5MB)
	Peter Hillary The name Hillary is synonymous with adventure. Like his father, Sir Edmund Hillary, Peter has climbed Mt Everest and has reached the South Pole overland. In his presentations he talks about developing sound judgment, seeing excitement in uncertainty; of balancing risk with caution; and of achieving extraordinary goals through preparation, perseverance and passion. Peter Hillary's presentations combine heart-stopping excitement and humor with practical applications. "Peter Hillary: Adventurer and Inspiring Speaker" PDF (460K)
	Chad Pregracke Founder and President of Living Lands & Waters, Chad Pregracke raises the bar on leadership and proves that one person can make a difference. Disturbed by the trash on the shorelines of the Mississippi River, Chad (then a college student) decided to do something about it - one piece of garbage at a time, one river at a time. Since 1997 Chad's not-for-profit organization has mobilized over 25,000 volunteers to remove over 4.5 million pounds of garbage from America's Rivers. "Helping to Clean America's Rivers" PDF
	Chris Noble Chris Noble is a photographer, writer, lecturer and social activist whose work focuses on the transition to a more mindful, compassionate, and sustainable world. His images have appeared in hundreds of publications and books worldwide. Noble is a veteran of over thirty expeditions to the world's wildest regions, including the Himalaya, Alaska, Asia, and Africa. Taking as his moto Rumi's suggestion that we allow the beauty we love, to be what we do, Noble has an international reputation for creating timeless soul-filled images that re-connect people and nature. "The Adventurous Heart" PDF More about Chris Noble
	Ed Bernbaum Edwin Bernbaum, Ph.D., is a climber, author, scholar and world authority on mountains as sources of inspiration and meaning. In "Peak Paradigms" Ed uses dramatic stories and striking images of celebrated mountains, ranging from Mount Everest to Mount Sinai, to provide inspiring models for developing key aspects of leadership and teamwork needed to complete projects and build organizations. Ed is one of eight mountaineers featured in "Beyond the Mountaintops: Extraordinary Climbers," an exhibit at the American Mountaineering Museum in Golden, Colorado. "The Heights of Leadership and Teamwork" PDF (250K)
	Kirsten Shilakes In Raising Spirits Kirsten Shilakes creates dynamic and unique experiences by fusing art, food and wine together in a single event. Art enters at every angle in her progressive dinners and cocktail parties, which blend the visual and culinary arts. Experience the history of wine in Asian art unfold before you in a fascinating a digital multimedia presentation as Kirsten Shilakes, art historian, author and sake aficionado synchronizes four sake tastings with art and wine vignettes featuring the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco's collection. "Raising Spirits" PDF
	Marc Lesser Marc Lesser's passion and skill is assisting individuals and organizations to fully engage with their strength, power, and innate wisdom. As a CEO, Zen teacher, MBA, Marc integrates the focus and savvy of success-driven leadership with the wisdom and warm-heartedness developed from a 30-year Zen practice. Marc is the author of Z.B.A. Zen of Business Administration; is an executive coach at Google, and facilitates retreats for CEO's. Marc Lesser Presentation PDF
	Will Steger "Eyewitness to Global Warming" is Will Steger's vivid account of the changes that he's witnessed in Arctic regions over three decades of polar exploration. Will shares stunning photographs from his expeditions along with compelling data and satellite imagery to document the deterioration in the polar ice caps. While the issue is critical, and the presentation is dramatic, Steger's message is one of hope and empowerment. As Will explains, solutions are readily available and by making economically and environmentally smart choices people can make a difference. More about Will Steger
	Susan Ershler Sue Ershler's "Reaching New Heights - Everest and Beyond" recounts the story of her ten-year journey to climb the Seven Summits, the highest mountain on each of the world's seven continents. As if this wasn't enough, during the same decade Sue climbed the corporate ladder serving in a number of management positions for Fortune 500 corporations. Sue uses her training as a leader in sales as the foundation for training to climb mountains. "Reaching New Heights" PDF (500K)
	Helen Thayer Helen Thayer, best selling author, at 50 was the first woman to trek solo to the magnetic North Pole, and at 63 the first person to walk across the entire 1,600 miles of the Gobi Desert. Honored by the White House and named one of the Great Explorers of the 20th Century by National Geographic/National Public Radio, she is the recipient of the Explorers Club Vancouver Award. Helen's dynamic enthusiasm inspires her audiences to know they can live life without limits. Helen Thayer website
	Paul Piana "Higher Aspirations" is a stunning, Emmy Award winning projected video, combined with Paul's compelling live narration. Paul tells the story of the first free ascent of the west face of Ulamertorsuaq in Greenland, climbed with longtime partner Todd Skinner. Paul recognized that the greatest risks and the greatest opportunities stand side by side. By drawing on their teams shared vision, pooling their courage, feeding off their commitment, and struggling upward through unimaginable difficulties and storms, they have achieved their greatest successes. Paul strongly believes the old adage: the harder your try, the luckier you get. "Higher Aspirations" PDF (740K)
	Rick Ridgeway The Executive Vice President of Marketing and Environmental Programs at Patagonia, Rick is also one of the world's most foremost mountaineers and adventurers. Rolling Stone magazine calls him "the real Indiana Jones." Tom Brokaw, of NBC Nightly News says: "When they came up with the phrase, 'been there, done that', they were probably talking about Rick." Rick develops, implements, and promotes Patagonia's commitment to make the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, and use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crises.
	Arlene Blum According to Arlene Blum, author of "Annapurna: A Woman's Place," "climbing the world's highest mountains is a powerful metaphor for achieving any demanding objective." Reaching the summit requires total physical, intellectual, and psychological commitment - and yields the greatest rewards." Arlene Blum website
	Mark Wellman "Your success depends upon your ability to face whatever challenges come your way." is the message that Mark Wellman delivers. In 1982 Mark took a climbing fall in the remote mountain wilderness that left him paralyzed, but the permanent spinal cord injury could not stop him from accomplishing what he loves most, fulfilling his passion for the outdoors. More about Mark Wellman
	Arlene Burns A world-class expedition kayaker and adventurer, Arlene Burns connects people with breathtaking images and stories of extreme risk, wild places, and triumph over limitation. Whether kayaking the wild rivers of Tibet, trekking the salt flats of Bolivia, or exploring Mongolia astride a stallion, she has discovered that community and the spirit of cooperation are determined by mutual purpose, regardless of language, culture or geography. "Balance in Motion" PDF (900K)
	Terri Schneider Terri Schneider motivates audiences to embrace challenge. One of the world's most accomplished extreme ultra-endurance athletes, Terri translates her athletic experiences into an epic adventure that enthrall. Themes include building laser-focused and highly effective teams, the art of calculated risk-taking, adapting instantly to changed circumstances to achieve your goals and executing with confidence every single time. Terri's goal is to inspire your team to reach beyond what they thought was possible for themselves and your company. "Embrace Challenges" PDF (400K)
	Beth Rypins In "The River Wise" Beth crystallizes the lessons gained from 24 years of river running, including countless first descents in 23 countries on six continents, into meaningful messages about leadership, handling fear, the importance of being in action, overcoming adversity, teamwork and how to align behind a goal as a means for dealing with personal differences. "The River Wise" PDF (130K)