Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and a Canadian citizen, Keith Bellows was named Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic Traveler magazine in January 1998 and a vice president of the National Geographic Society in March 2000. Under his stewardship, the magazine has been nominated for two National Magazine Awards, won more than 60 Lowell Thomas Awards for best travel writing (it has been named best magazine eight of his 11 years), and seven Folio Awards for Best Travel Magazine, as well as leading the way and embracing today’s new media.

In addition to editing National Geographic Traveler, Bellows developed a major spinoff of the magazine’s website built around the award-winning special issue 50 Places of a Lifetime. He also writes “One on One,” a regular interview column with compelling figures—Al Gore, hotelier Ian Schrager, Steve Case, Dolly Parton, futurist Andrew Zolli, Island Records founder Chris Blackwell—who have something important to say about how we travel and where we go. He helped position National Geographic Traveler as a leader in sustainable travel and has made it the travel photography magazine. He also helped create journeystreams, an innovative open-source web program to help students tell stories.

Prior to joining National Geographic, Mr. Bellows was developing internet content as early as 1994. He worked for Rupert Murdoch’s Delphi web service; as Creative Director launched BabyCenter.com (now owned by Johnson & Johnson); was the Executive Producer of Excite.com; and was Founding Partner of WestWorld Media, which developed Metallica’s first website and created the college-based CampusVoice.com.

He was the Editor of the Smart Health/Smart Parenting Division of the New York-based Meigher Communications. He was Founder of the Media Development Group, Inc.., which created print properties for Disney, Utne Reader, Vegetarian Times, and others. As President/Creative of Whittle Communications, he was the Editor of its flagship Special Reports magazine and Executive Producer of the companion “Special Reports TV with Joan Lunden” (combined, America’s largest TV/print network at the time, with more than 40 million consumers). In his 14 years at Whittle he launched and edited 30 magazines.

He has written for Esquire, Sports Illustrated, Parenting, AARP, and many other magazines. He also wrote The Canuck Book and the 1998 Winter Olympics ACCESS Guide for ABC-TV.

He is currently writing 100 Places That Will Change Your Child’s Life, part of a programme he is developing to encourage parents, corporations, and schools to view travel as a critical learning tool. It will be published in October 2011.

Mr. Bellows is a graduate of Gordonstoun School (Scotland) and Dartmouth College. He lectures extensively around the world (and is part of the National Geographic Speakers Bureau) and his more than 200 television appearances include the TODAY Show, Good Morning America, and a regular segment on National Geographic Today.

From Lindblad’s earliest days, the company set out to proactively protect the world's wild places. Sven Lindblad continues to run his business with the approach that respectful adventure tourism can be a key factor in helping to sustain a region and, in some cases, even repair it. With that philosophy in mind, Lindblad Expeditions has built robust travel philanthropy programs in the Galapagos, Antarctica, Baja and Alaska. To date, the company has raised over $7 million to support local efforts in the destinations where it travels.

For his dedication to conservation and environmental stewardship, Sven Lindblad has received international recognition, including the 2009 Clean Air-Cool Planet Climate Champion Award, 2008 National Wildlife Federation’s Corporate Achievement Award, 2007 Global Tourism Business Award, 2007 Seafood Champion Award, U.N. Programme Global 500 Award, and recognition from HRH, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg for his work in the Galápagos archipelago. As a company Lindblad Expeditions has also received numerous awards including but not limited to, being named the #1 Small-Ship Cruise Line (Travel + Leisure's World's Best Value Awards 2006); “The Best Ships in the World” and “The Best Itineraries” (Condé Nast Traveler: Truth in Travel Awards 2008 and 2006).

Shannon is president of the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), the world’s largest professional organization for adventure travel companies and organizations. His education and early profession were spent in environmental chemistry and biology including working for America’s National Marine Fisheries Service in Alaska and then 8 years with an environmental testing firm, working on soil, groundwater and air cleanup projects around the U.S. and Asia. He then co-founded Altrec.com, a successful outdoor and adventure travel gear retailer selling brands such as The North Face, Patagonia, Lowe Alpine, ExOfficio, Eagle Creek and hundreds of others. He directed the company’s business development, affiliate marketing and non-profit relations for six years.

In 2004, Shannon re-energised the ATTA which has held Adventure Travel World Summits since 2005 and has been a global hub for adventure travel professionals. The Summits are on average attended by more than 500 adventure travel professionals from more than 40 countries coming together to learn, network and inspire each other and drive the industry forward on issues such as best practices, sustainability, marketing and more. The ATTA also works actively with industry leaders in partnership including organizations such as National Geographic Adventure, Men’s Journal, Orbitz.com, ExOfficio, Eagle Creek and many more.

Committed to non-profit endeavours, Shannon served for four years on the Board of the American Hiking Society and has worked with his city’s local food bank for 2 years.

Shannon co-authored a book in 2008 published by National Geographic on Adventure Travel: Riding the Hulahula to the Arctic Ocean- A guide to 50 Extraordinary Adventures. He has studied Mandarin Chinese and has traveled the globe extensively speaking on adventure tourism and sustainability practices.

After graduation in 2000, ranking #1 in Aeronautical Engineering from Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, he was selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to design an experiment that he had proposed as a student in 1998. Lopez-Urdiales worked at ESA's main technology centre, ESTEC, under the guidance of German astronaut Ulf Merbold, the first non-American to fly on NASA's Space Shuttle. Lopez-Urdiales then moved to Paris where he earned an MBA from the College des Ingenieurs and worked part time on Europe's largest rocket manufacturing center, Les Mureaux. Later he was awarded a fellowship to join the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Aeronautics and Astronautics Department. He has since worked for the Boston Consulting Group, Boeing's advanced research and development unit Phantom Works and as Executive Director of the Barcelona Aeronautics and Space Association from 2006 to 2009. He was also the President of the Local Organizing Committee of the International Space University (ISU) Space Studies Programme held in Barcelona in 2008.

Throughout his career, Lopez-Urdiales has been active on the topic of private spaceflight. In 2000, one year before Dennis Tito, Earth's first "Space Tourist" flew to the International Space Station, Lopez-Urdiales published some of his thinking on how to provide balloon-borne sustainable private Space exploration as part of the report "Space Tourism: From Dream to Reality", edited by ISU in Valparaiso, Chile. In 2002 he presented in the World Space Congress (Houston, TX) the seminal paper "The Role of Balloons in the Future Development of Space Tourism". While at MIT he drafted the first business plan of his vision for sustainable private spaceflight, which was presented to the MIT 50K Business Plan competition. Headquartered in the Mediterranean port of Barcelona, Zero 2 Infinity was founded in 2009 with the mission to elevate humanity's planetary consciousness. Operating a fleet of Bloons© beyond the edge of the blue skies, Zero 2 Infinity will provide travelers with experiences that are elevating both in the physical and human senses. It is a true start-up built on a vision of sustainable, peaceful, private and overall ethical Spaceflight.

Jose Mariano has a patent pending related to high altitude human flight. Through his lecturing in Space Vehicles and Space Propulsion at the Universidad Politecnica de Cataluna he prepares a new generation of planet-friendly aerospace engineers.

Praveen was born and grew up on safari in Uganda. As Co-Founder and Managing Director of Volcanoes Safaris, the No. 1 Gorilla Safari Company, in the World, he now divides his time between London and Africa focusing on great ape eco-tourism. Praveen’s responsibilities include designing and building Volcanoes eco-lodges, training and empowerment of staff and developing the company’s Eco-tourism Partnership programmes. Praveen regularly lectures in the USA and Europe on the unique great ape eco-tourism model that Volcanoes has created and acts as a consultant to governments and non-profit organisations.

Praveen has a first degree in the Biological Sciences from London University and a Masters from Cambridge University. Before he founded Volcanoes, he had a career in policy making and politics in the UK and the European Union, including working for Lord Heseltine, the former Deputy Prime Minister. He worked as a member of the Cabinet of Lord Cockfield, Vice President of the European Commission, working on the creation of the European Internal Market; and as a member of the secretariat of advisers for Conservative MEPs in the European Parliament dealing with development issues. He also ran a property development company. Praveen is a trustee of Seva Mandir UK, a respected Indian charity working with rural communities in Rajasthan, India and is a former VSO volunteer in Jamaica. He is on the Advisory Board of the Association of Adventure Travel Trade Association in the USA.

Ralph Bousfield, Owner of Uncharted Africa Safari Co., comes from a long line of African pioneers and adventurers; embarking on his first safari at merely six weeks old. His family has guided safaris for five generations, with the first Guide in the family being his maternal great grandfather, Major Richard Granville Nicholson, who escorted Princess Eugenie to see her son’s grave and the site where he was killed in the Zulu war on the 1st June 1879.

Ralph studied Nature Conservation and did his thesis on the Wattled Crane as an Indicator Species of Wetland Habitat Destruction. He furthered his studies at the International Crane Foundation in Wisconsin under the famous George Archibald, who captive-bred the whooping crane back from extinction. Ralph then worked with his mother to establish Botswana’s first Wildlife Orphanage and Education Centre. In 1998 Ralph co-produced and presented a sixteen part series for the Discovery Channel entitled “Uncharted Africa”, which was filmed in Botswana, Namibia, Kenya and Tanzania.

Ralph’s passion for the Kalahari began at a very young age; he was lucky to have one of the greatest teachers and mentors, his father, Jack Bousfield, who came to Bechuanaland from Tanganyika in 1962. Having grown up on safari, and having hunted as a professional his whole life, Jack worked with some of the greatest traditional hunters and trackers in Africa. His respect for the Bushmen as trackers was obviously going to rub off on Ralph, and from a very young age, he had the good fortune of spending all of his free time on safari with his father and his team.

It is very rare nowadays to have an authentic "experience" in travel. The combination of human and wildlife interaction is for Ralph, the most interesting aspect of being on safari, as it reflects our true position in the natural order of life.

Born in Aalen in southern Germany in 1962, Bernd Kolb studied law. He went on to establish I-D Media in 1988, which he subsequently led to its successful listing in 1999. That same year he was voted medium-sized business entrepreneur of the year. In addition, he has won numerous national and international accolades for his innovative works, including the Oscar of the marketing world, a Clio in gold, and the best innovation award at the New York Festivals.

In 2005, Kolb was appointed to the Board of Management of T-Com, responsible for the newly created division for innovation and terminal devices. The following year he was appointed to T-Online's Board of Management innovation responsible for innovation. In February 2007, Kolb ended his association with Telekom in order to become a social media entrepreneur founding and heading the Berlin-based Berndkolb GmbH. In 2009, Kolb founded his "RE: THINKTANK", based in Berlin and Marrakech, to analyze future trends and help entrepreneurs to understand the challenges, changes and opportunities of tomorrow.

Beside that, Bernd opened AnaYela, his first "place of inspiration", an innovative hotel concept that has already won the world hotel award twice and is listed amongst Conde Nast Travellers "Hotlist 2009". AnaYela, means 'I am Yela' and gets its name after a 16-year-old girl who lived there and left a note, unearthed during the restoration process, written on the eve of her wedding as she prepared to leave her grandfather's house. It feels like a house of love and is a restored 300-year-old palace that offers a genuine Marrakchi experience. Authenticity is key, over 100 local artisans helped to refurbish it, using every traditional technique from silver-beating to wood carving, and working by candle-light throughout. Each month, Kolb holds a special 3-day ‘Seminar of the Future’, the contents of which are tailored to the needs of each individual group.

He was Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Mungo Park, a pioneering Microsoft travel publishing effort, as well as founding terra-quest.com, the first virtual expeditions. Richard was part of the founding executive team of Expedia.com (expedia.com), and served as its Editor-at-Large. He also served as President of Outward Bound; Founded Well-Traveled.com for Slate, and was Founding Editor and Executive Producer of Great Escapes, another Microsoft Travel initiative. He also ran and founded First and Best for MSN, and founded Sobek Expeditions, which in the early 1990’s merged with Mountain Travel to become Mountain Travel Sobek (mtsobek.com), forming the first internet travel site.

Richard Bangs has often been called the father of modern adventure travel and the pioneer in travel that makes a difference, travel with a purpose. He has spent 30 years as an explorer and communicator and along the way led first descents of 35 rivers around the globe, including the Yangtze in China and the Zambezi in Southern Africa. He has published more than 1000 magazine articles, 19 books, produced a score of documentaries and several CD-ROMs; and has lectured at the Smithsonian, the National Geographic Society, the Explorers Club and many other notable venues.

He is currently producing and hosting the new PBS series, Richard Bangs’ Adventures with Purpose, which accompany his books, Adventures with Purpose and Quest for the Sublime (2008), and Quest for the Kasbah (2009).

Richard won the Mark Dubois lifetime achievement conservation award in 2007 and serves on a number of technology, travel and environmental boards.

Francesco Galli Zugaro is Chief Executive Officer and Founder of the award-winning Aqua Expeditions, and is owner and operator of the MV Aqua, a sophisticated, small ship cruise experience that takes 24 passengers deep into the most unspoiled reaches of the Peruvian Amazon.

Now in its second year of operations, Aqua Expeditions has been widely covered in the press and has become a recognized leader in soft adventure travel. The company is highly regarded for its strong commitment to keeping Amazonia “green.” Prior to launching his own business, Galli Zugaro served as Vice President of Marketing and Sales with a boutique cruise operator in the Galapagos Islands, and worked on other luxury travel and telecommunications start-ups.

Galli Zugaro is fluent in four languages and has lived and worked in eight different countries. He holds dual EEC and USA citizenship, and is currently a resident of Lima, Peru. He is a graduate of Boston College, where he studied at the Carroll School of Management.

In 1999 Grootbos was instrumental in establishing the 12 500 hectare, 17 member Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy (fynbos.co.za). This initiative brought together a wide, ranging group of landowners including private, public and NGO’s, who together now share a common vision for conservation in the region. Grootbos staff developed a conservation management plan for the conservancy that has now received international acclaim for its work.

Employing 95 staff, many from previously disadvantaged communities, Grootbos provides the opportunity for business development with many now finding themselves in management positions. This Green Futures Horticulture and Life Skills College (greenfutures.co.za), funded half by the German Development Agency (DEG) and half by Grootbos, is an innovative project combining environmental education with business in a unique role model project. Funds generated from the sale of plants and services are re-invested into the Green Futures program through a Section 21, non-profit company. In this way, each year, students are helping to pay for the next year’s student’s tuition.