from a distance it always seems
impossible but impossible is just a
place we haven’t been to yet impossible
is what beckons us to go further to
explore it calls us from the wild lures
us into the unknown asks us to dig
deeper to look at things from new
perspectives and sometimes it forces us
to change the way we see the impossible
appears in the darkest hours taunts us
with answers in the most unlikely places
hide solutions where there once were
none it can drive us to the brink but
it’s what beats in the heart of every
explorer
[Music]
because the further you go into the
impossible the closer we are to making
it possible ladies and gentlemen
National Geographic is proud to present
the 2017 National Geographic explorers
festival please welcome to the stage
president and CEO of the National
Geographic Society Gary knell good
morning everyone and welcome everyone in
the lounge where I know you’re enjoying
breakfast burritos that was a personal
request of mine this year and and all
those live-streaming around the world
today we welcome you to the first big
livestream of this incredible festival
which as you know who have been here
before once a year we bring a amazing
our amazing family our National
Geographic family together our
extraordinary explorers who have
traveled thousands of miles to be here
our amazing contributors who support our
unparalleled research and exploration
storytelling and of course the dedicated
National Geographic staff who worked
higher tirelessly every day to make
National Geographic Society a reality
and the members of our board of trustees
including our visionary chairperson jean
case who’s here today Jean would you
[Applause]
and Peter Raven who is the head of our
Committee on research and exploration
[Applause]
we’re all so privileged to have Lexi
Grosvenor eller here and who has some
connection to the name of this
auditorium mark Moore and Tracy Wolfson
Croft welcome and a special shout out to
my colleague who’s done so much to lead
our media side of the organization to
expand it and integrate it around the
world to reach more people than ever
Declan Moore Declan and and his boss the
chairperson of the chairman of National
Geographic partners and the chairman of
Fox networks group were really pretty
privileged to have an amazing visionary
in in his own light and someone who has
in his own right and someone who has
really contributed and dedicated himself
to the mission of National Geographic
Peter rice Peter
[Applause]
so we’re dedicating this week to the
fact that we live in interesting times
and we think that never before has a
National Geographic been more relevant
we need to protect and preserve species
we need to build a better healthier
planet as we see nine billion people as
Peter Raven likes to remind us here by
the year 2050 and perhaps 11 billion by
the end of the century there are
actually twice as many people on the
planet since the day I graduated high
school which wasn’t that long ago but
that’s a remarkable thing to think about
twice as many people on the planet and
just last year alone China and the in
three years China yes my favorite
statistic used more cement in building
then the United States used in the
entire 20th century so the the rapid
nature of growth the rapid nature of
population the critical state of climate
all comes together and at the same time
National Geographic has been there for
129 years to chronicle this progression
and to give voice to those who are
trying to do something about it a
hundred years ago this year National
Geographic magazine offered a series of
moving portraits in an article called
our foreign-born citizens it was a year
before World War one ended when many
were flocking to the United States for a
new life including my grandparents we
brought attention to immigrants striving
to come to this country and start over
we showed the world their faces their
fears their hopes and joys and we made
their struggles relevant to all those
that we reached exactly one century
later National Geographic continues to
shine a spotlight on the plight of the
world’s refugees and migrants raising
awareness of the often
heartbreaking challenges that they face
through the work of pew litter Prize
winning journalist and National
Geographic fellow Paul Salopek and many
others and exactly 65 years ago this
year National Geographic published our
first photos by jacques-yves cousteau
pioneering a new age of underwater
research and revolutionising
oceanography and ocean conservation
fifty years ago with the help from dr.
Louis Leakey and grants from National
Geographic and others Dian Fossey began
her monumental 18-year study of mountain
gorillas her work would fundamentally
change the way that we view these
magnificent creatures and their
relationship to humankind these
milestones serve as reminders of the
world-changing impact of all that we do
with all of you today our planet faces
increasingly urgent challenges from
overpopulation to climate change and
beyond and the global conversation
around many of these issues continues to
be polarized as evidenced by the recent
u.s. withdraw from the Paris agreement
in many ways our work is more critical
than ever before and we have the people
the organization and the tenacity to
push forward to advance the world
science and research to tell stories
that build awareness and spur action to
educate and create change
a year and a half ago we took a major
step forward creating a new funding
model here at National Geographic to
allow us to expand and accelerate our
research exploration and storytelling
nearly every day we are hearing of major
media organizations or nonprofits that
are being forced to cut back or shrink
their mission but not National
Geographic we’re moving ahead at full
steam we now have a sustained
way to fund our future in the form of a
1.2 billion dollar endowment this is
allowing us to lean in to be bolder and
to be more proactive
for example our expanded resources have
made it possible to build some amazing
public facing elements around this
symposium creating our first-ever
explores festival to showcase our
explores work to the world just last
week we took another major stride we
announced we will direct 50 million
dollars of our enhanced endowment into
impact investments or financial vehicles
designed to promote a greater good such
as protecting the environment with this
move we are building on our commitment
to protect the planet and help create a
more sustainable future we are reaching
further and moving more decisively than
ever to carry forth our mission and
everyone today in this room has a
critical role to play I want to take a
moment now to acknowledge that to
acknowledge you first I’d like to ask
our explorers to stand up what a thrill
it is to have you all here today to work
with you the ideas and innovation that
you bring
these men and women show bravery they
make incredible sacrifices they uncover
amazing discoveries they make National
Geographic what it is and they make an
extraordinary mark on the world we are
in awe of you and these include of
course our explorers in residence in the
audience and please PLEASE wave or stand
up to be acknowledged Sylvia Earle Bob
Ballard
[Applause]
you’re gonna see Lee Berger and reek
solace shortly there they’re being you
know kept kept in there for now and a
special shout out because I know they’re
tuning in to our incredible explorers in
residence Beverly and Derek Chabert
[Applause]
we know your you are here and we know
that you’re telling me right now to
stand back from those animals so next
I’d like our contributors to stand
because your spirit of generosity and
diehard support of our mission allows
National Geographic to travel to the
most remote places on earth to develop
and harness revolutionary new
technologies to take on the planet’s
toughest challenges and to solve some of
the most intractable problems we’re so
grateful for all that you do please our
ico a and other donors
[Music]
and finally I would like to ask the
National Geographic staff to stand
because from program management to
marketing and communications lawyers and
accountants financial people and fund
raisers the magazine channel travel
licensing and digital and beyond you all
pull together to make this symposium
week-long festival and everything at
NatGeo happen take take a bow please
[Applause]
[Music]
so I would be remiss if I did not
acknowledge our partners at Rolex
without whom this event would not be
possible this symposium is our chance to
come together to learn and to celebrate
it’s also an opportunity to relax to
refuel our batteries to close the lucky
bar and to rev up our engines for the
year ahead
finally it’s a I don’t get paid by the
lucky bar motto but finally it’s time to
reconnect to our larger purpose to
protect our natural world and make an
incredible difference I ask each of you
to make the most out of this week I know
I will my wife Kim will it’s so
inspiring to all of us we want you to
get to know your colleagues to share
your ideas and to dream together and
then take all of that did you learn back
home and take action to keep pushing and
keep striving to make new discoveries
and to drive much-needed change the
theme of our gathering this year is
anything is possible with our NatGeo
explorers our supporters our staff and
our proud 129 year legacy anything and
everything is possible so let’s have a
great symposium and a great year and
let’s make history
and now I’d like to welcome to the stage
the Society’s executive vice president
and chief program math officer to share
how her team is supporting our Explorer
universe please welcome my colleague
Brooke Runet thanks everyone
[Music]
ah look at you I’m so excited to be here
today this is the this week is the
largest assemblage of returning
explorers we’ve ever had so look around
here you guys are this is more of you
than we’ve ever had in one place before
and they’re probably a bunch of them
spilling into campus still after last
night a little late one of the things
that I think that it’s clear from what
any of you have seen here before but
this is the week that shows what we are
this is really about the core of us the
heart and soul of the organization of
the entire enterprise is explorers it’s
all about you in here and it’s all about
getting you all together which is so
important because collaborating and
showing this community of change is
really what we are and when we feel like
we are at our best because the Explorers
have always have always been at the core
of what we are and what we do we feel
like we are the catalyst and explorers
are the change we are the helpers of
everyone who is here and whether it’s
trying to get you started on the first
grant or
impossible but impossible is just a
place we haven’t been to yet impossible
is what beckons us to go further to
explore it calls us from the wild lures
us into the unknown asks us to dig
deeper to look at things from new
perspectives and sometimes it forces us
to change the way we see the impossible
appears in the darkest hours taunts us
with answers in the most unlikely places
hide solutions where there once were
none it can drive us to the brink but
it’s what beats in the heart of every
explorer
[Music]
because the further you go into the
impossible the closer we are to making
it possible ladies and gentlemen
National Geographic is proud to present
the 2017 National Geographic explorers
festival please welcome to the stage
president and CEO of the National
Geographic Society Gary knell good
morning everyone and welcome everyone in
the lounge where I know you’re enjoying
breakfast burritos that was a personal
request of mine this year and and all
those live-streaming around the world
today we welcome you to the first big
livestream of this incredible festival
which as you know who have been here
before once a year we bring a amazing
our amazing family our National
Geographic family together our
extraordinary explorers who have
traveled thousands of miles to be here
our amazing contributors who support our
unparalleled research and exploration
storytelling and of course the dedicated
National Geographic staff who worked
higher tirelessly every day to make
National Geographic Society a reality
and the members of our board of trustees
including our visionary chairperson jean
case who’s here today Jean would you
[Applause]
and Peter Raven who is the head of our
Committee on research and exploration
[Applause]
we’re all so privileged to have Lexi
Grosvenor eller here and who has some
connection to the name of this
auditorium mark Moore and Tracy Wolfson
Croft welcome and a special shout out to
my colleague who’s done so much to lead
our media side of the organization to
expand it and integrate it around the
world to reach more people than ever
Declan Moore Declan and and his boss the
chairperson of the chairman of National
Geographic partners and the chairman of
Fox networks group were really pretty
privileged to have an amazing visionary
in in his own light and someone who has
in his own right and someone who has
really contributed and dedicated himself
to the mission of National Geographic
Peter rice Peter
[Applause]
so we’re dedicating this week to the
fact that we live in interesting times
and we think that never before has a
National Geographic been more relevant
we need to protect and preserve species
we need to build a better healthier
planet as we see nine billion people as
Peter Raven likes to remind us here by
the year 2050 and perhaps 11 billion by
the end of the century there are
actually twice as many people on the
planet since the day I graduated high
school which wasn’t that long ago but
that’s a remarkable thing to think about
twice as many people on the planet and
just last year alone China and the in
three years China yes my favorite
statistic used more cement in building
then the United States used in the
entire 20th century so the the rapid
nature of growth the rapid nature of
population the critical state of climate
all comes together and at the same time
National Geographic has been there for
129 years to chronicle this progression
and to give voice to those who are
trying to do something about it a
hundred years ago this year National
Geographic magazine offered a series of
moving portraits in an article called
our foreign-born citizens it was a year
before World War one ended when many
were flocking to the United States for a
new life including my grandparents we
brought attention to immigrants striving
to come to this country and start over
we showed the world their faces their
fears their hopes and joys and we made
their struggles relevant to all those
that we reached exactly one century
later National Geographic continues to
shine a spotlight on the plight of the
world’s refugees and migrants raising
awareness of the often
heartbreaking challenges that they face
through the work of pew litter Prize
winning journalist and National
Geographic fellow Paul Salopek and many
others and exactly 65 years ago this
year National Geographic published our
first photos by jacques-yves cousteau
pioneering a new age of underwater
research and revolutionising
oceanography and ocean conservation
fifty years ago with the help from dr.
Louis Leakey and grants from National
Geographic and others Dian Fossey began
her monumental 18-year study of mountain
gorillas her work would fundamentally
change the way that we view these
magnificent creatures and their
relationship to humankind these
milestones serve as reminders of the
world-changing impact of all that we do
with all of you today our planet faces
increasingly urgent challenges from
overpopulation to climate change and
beyond and the global conversation
around many of these issues continues to
be polarized as evidenced by the recent
u.s. withdraw from the Paris agreement
in many ways our work is more critical
than ever before and we have the people
the organization and the tenacity to
push forward to advance the world
science and research to tell stories
that build awareness and spur action to
educate and create change
a year and a half ago we took a major
step forward creating a new funding
model here at National Geographic to
allow us to expand and accelerate our
research exploration and storytelling
nearly every day we are hearing of major
media organizations or nonprofits that
are being forced to cut back or shrink
their mission but not National
Geographic we’re moving ahead at full
steam we now have a sustained
way to fund our future in the form of a
1.2 billion dollar endowment this is
allowing us to lean in to be bolder and
to be more proactive
for example our expanded resources have
made it possible to build some amazing
public facing elements around this
symposium creating our first-ever
explores festival to showcase our
explores work to the world just last
week we took another major stride we
announced we will direct 50 million
dollars of our enhanced endowment into
impact investments or financial vehicles
designed to promote a greater good such
as protecting the environment with this
move we are building on our commitment
to protect the planet and help create a
more sustainable future we are reaching
further and moving more decisively than
ever to carry forth our mission and
everyone today in this room has a
critical role to play I want to take a
moment now to acknowledge that to
acknowledge you first I’d like to ask
our explorers to stand up what a thrill
it is to have you all here today to work
with you the ideas and innovation that
you bring
these men and women show bravery they
make incredible sacrifices they uncover
amazing discoveries they make National
Geographic what it is and they make an
extraordinary mark on the world we are
in awe of you and these include of
course our explorers in residence in the
audience and please PLEASE wave or stand
up to be acknowledged Sylvia Earle Bob
Ballard
[Applause]
you’re gonna see Lee Berger and reek
solace shortly there they’re being you
know kept kept in there for now and a
special shout out because I know they’re
tuning in to our incredible explorers in
residence Beverly and Derek Chabert
[Applause]
we know your you are here and we know
that you’re telling me right now to
stand back from those animals so next
I’d like our contributors to stand
because your spirit of generosity and
diehard support of our mission allows
National Geographic to travel to the
most remote places on earth to develop
and harness revolutionary new
technologies to take on the planet’s
toughest challenges and to solve some of
the most intractable problems we’re so
grateful for all that you do please our
ico a and other donors
[Music]
and finally I would like to ask the
National Geographic staff to stand
because from program management to
marketing and communications lawyers and
accountants financial people and fund
raisers the magazine channel travel
licensing and digital and beyond you all
pull together to make this symposium
week-long festival and everything at
NatGeo happen take take a bow please
[Applause]
[Music]
so I would be remiss if I did not
acknowledge our partners at Rolex
without whom this event would not be
possible this symposium is our chance to
come together to learn and to celebrate
it’s also an opportunity to relax to
refuel our batteries to close the lucky
bar and to rev up our engines for the
year ahead
finally it’s a I don’t get paid by the
lucky bar motto but finally it’s time to
reconnect to our larger purpose to
protect our natural world and make an
incredible difference I ask each of you
to make the most out of this week I know
I will my wife Kim will it’s so
inspiring to all of us we want you to
get to know your colleagues to share
your ideas and to dream together and
then take all of that did you learn back
home and take action to keep pushing and
keep striving to make new discoveries
and to drive much-needed change the
theme of our gathering this year is
anything is possible with our NatGeo
explorers our supporters our staff and
our proud 129 year legacy anything and
everything is possible so let’s have a
great symposium and a great year and
let’s make history
and now I’d like to welcome to the stage
the Society’s executive vice president
and chief program math officer to share
how her team is supporting our Explorer
universe please welcome my colleague
Brooke Runet thanks everyone
[Music]
ah look at you I’m so excited to be here
today this is the this week is the
largest assemblage of returning
explorers we’ve ever had so look around
here you guys are this is more of you
than we’ve ever had in one place before
and they’re probably a bunch of them
spilling into campus still after last
night a little late one of the things
that I think that it’s clear from what
any of you have seen here before but
this is the week that shows what we are
this is really about the core of us the
heart and soul of the organization of
the entire enterprise is explorers it’s
all about you in here and it’s all about
getting you all together which is so
important because collaborating and
showing this community of change is
really what we are and when we feel like
we are at our best because the Explorers
have always have always been at the core
of what we are and what we do we feel
like we are the catalyst and explorers
are the change we are the helpers of
everyone who is here and whether it’s
trying to get you started on the first
grant or
Please follow and like us: