Kevin Kelly
Kevin Kelly is Senior Maverick at Wired magazine. He was the founding Executive Editor for Wired in 1993, until 2000. His latest book is called The Inevitable, which is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller. He is also founding editor of the popular Cool Tools website, which has been reviewing tools daily since 2003. Every Sunday he and the Cool Tools team mail out Recomendo, a free one-page list of 6 very brief recommendations of cool stuff.
3 words to describe Nature?
Complex. Self-correcting. Flux.
3 things Nature taught you?
First nature taught me about the importance of constantly learning. Secondly, it also taught me about doing it my own way. Life is always hacking the rules and figuring out some solution. It is eternally surprising how every creature has figured out its own crazy livelihood by hacking the "rules" of biology. Each individual species is incredibly unique, even when they are related. Thirdly, it taught me that I am part of nature. I realized that there is only one life. Not in a poetic sense, but in an actual technical sense. That literally the lives of everybody and every living thing all go back, without interruption, to the very beginning of the first cell. There is just this one life that we keep replicating. Really there is only one life.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
I really enjoy Yosemite. There is something about the scale, the depth and proportions of Yosemite that is very special for me. It is a type of wilderness that is accessible and touchable.
I have a particular relationship with the Himalayas since I have I spent a lot of time there. There is something about that giant wall of snow stretching over the horizon as far as one can see. It affects me in a way that is hard to describe. These mountains have their own gravity and I can feel it the same way that I feel the Earth’s gravity. I am pulled to the Himalayas.
I am not a scuba diver, just a snorkeler, but the underwater is for me really an out-of-this-planet experience. I will never leave Earth but watching those sponges, corals and otherworldly creatures gives me the sense of exploring worlds that are beyond my reach. The underwater is an endless Star Trek movie for me.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Small. I see the ocean everyday. I am nothing, it is so huge, and powerful.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Comforted. I feel really comfortable in a forest. There is something about a kind of presence of trees. Those wooden beings have some sort of elder wisdom. Except though at night. I can get spooked walking in a forest in the dark. I know it is totally irrational but I do. Maybe because the trees are watching.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Smart. I know it is bizarre to say. There is something primevally basic about volcanos and lava. Seeing them reminds me of how far we have come from rock. Billions of years separate us. Lava and rock is everything that I am no longer.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Time. I feel the cycle that happens every day, and every time I look at the sun's arrival or departure, I find something new and interesting. There is a childlike spell to it.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Very excited. Thunder doesn’t come without lightning and I think lightning is just amazing.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
When the wind comes, my responsible mature home-owner mode kicks in. In my head, I am going through a checklist. Are the latches shut and locked? Is everything tied down? Are we secured? I am immediately thinking of safety and security.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I am not a beach person or ocean person. I am most comfortable in the forest and mountains, but when I am in the desert, I am probably closer to my true self.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
To be honest it is probably an 8 for me personally. I am fortunate and have the privileged of living in a place that is right at the edge of a National Park. I mean literally our backyard touches it. The bobcats and mountain lions are right behind our house. We are also only less than a mile from the Pacific ocean. But we have a yard and garden and live only 9 miles from San Francisco. Wilderness is a tough place to be. I don’t think it is necessary that we live in wilderness, but it is important that it remains available. Like a bank we go to, to rejuvenate ourselves as a species. I think it is crucial that wilderness be there for humans. We need to protect it not just for its sake, but for ours. In the perspective of our human well-being, it is a 10.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I grew up in Northern New Jersey, and at that time, one block over from where we lived was a patch of trees that we called “The Woods”. In retrospect, it wasn’t very big, but as a kid, it was everything. We were free range kids. I mean our mom would send us out in the morning and we would ride our bicycles for miles away. I spent a whole lot of time in “The Woods”. We were doing all kind of stuff. I remember we were digging and looking for Native American arrow heads. I know now there are no Native American arrow heads out there, but we were looking for them, and then making our own bows and arrows. I also planted seeds in different patterns on the ground hoping that some day the plants would be growing in that pattern, creating some weird arrangement. People would wonder what was going on with those bizarre plants. “The Woods” was very important for me as a kid. At one point I made a nature museum. While the other kids were interested in kit models making planes and cars, I was making bird models so that I could identify them. It is hard to imagine how different my life would be had it not been for “The Woods”.
Candice Cook
Candice Cook Simmons is the Managing Partner at The Cook Law Group, a published writer, noted philanthropist, and business strategist in the technology, entertainment, and corporate sectors.
Her career began in private practice as a litigator where she represented luxury hotels, television and cable executives, real estate developers, technology companies, and an assortment of Forbes' and Fortune's notable business executives and corporate giants. Cook later expanded her experience beyond litigation to include a vast array of intellectual property, media, telecommunications, and social media issues. Her success in finding creative business-oriented solutions resulted in her invitation to join the Advisory Committee of several startups including music industry technology startup BlazeTrak, Para Music Group, and fashion industry pioneer, Fashion Advance. Today, Cook's firm has handled groundbreaking intellectual property matters—including the trademarking and strategy behind Dominique Ansel’s Cronut™ pastry—and business, entertainment, social impact/entrepreneurship, and talent issues for clients across the globe including Japan, China, Israel, Monaco, Mexico, France, U.S., UAE, and the UK.
Her success resulted in her being honored as a Pearl Honoree in 2009, selected as a finalist for Atlanta's Power 30 Under 30 Award, and a winner of the Celebration Award in Law in 2012. In 2013, she was selected as the Hollywood Power Player by Hollywood & Vine Magazine and in 2014 she was selected as the Barrier Breaker award recipient for her work in the field of law and for her vast hands-on philanthropic engagement addressing education, humanitarian matters, and social justice. She appeared in the HBO documentary "Good hair," the 2009 winner for Special Jury Prize for U.S. documentary at the Sundance Film Festival as well as the documentary Sag Harbor on the OWN network as part of the #Selma50 network campaign. She has also appeared in the American Bar Association Journal, O Magazine, Elle Magazine, The Today Show, and Sirius Radio. She was cited as one of the top interviews for the “Talentedly” platform of 2015 as well as one of the top-five podcast interviews for “Today’s Leading Women.” In 2015, she was the number 1 downloaded interview on the business podcast “Beyond The Business Suit”.
Cook is a contributing writer for the Levo League, Women 2.0, and Conscious Magazine and was a contributing author of the book Conquering The Bar Exam and Co-Editor of the Culture Shift Labs 20 People To Watch of 2015. She serves as an Advisory Executive Member for the United Way of New York's Young Professional Board, is an Advisory Board Member for TheHistoryMakers in Chicago, works to increase engagement as a Committee Member for Jazz at Lincoln Center, served as the Young Professional Board Member for both the Apollo Theater and New York Needs You and served on the Leadership Board for the Council of Urban Professionals. For the past two years, Cook has worked with the 12 Days of Christmas Organization in New York to provide necessities to families across the five boroughs in New York during the month of December and she has also worked to increase STEM awareness through her Advisory Board Work with the M.O.B. Accelerator and CultureShiftLabs. Most recently, Cook was proud to see her work with the rich history of TheHistoryMakers (the single largest archival collection of African-American oral history) rewarded via its acquisition by the Library of Congress. In 2014, Cook served as a Host for the Andrew Goodman Foundation Hidden Heroes Award. In addition to her legal practice, Cook is currently using her platform to aid the Ford Foundation via its Think Tank to assist with the “innovation economy” of Detroit.
3 words to describe Nature?
Calming. Authentic. Transformative.
3 things Nature taught you?
Nature has taught me to be patient; to respect life's process and the universe's unquestionable power; and to be reminded that all things are connected and each action has a direct consequence that affects things that are directly seen and also unseen by me.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
I am from Atlanta, Georgia. Although I live near the concrete jungle now, I am blessed to have a beautiful backyard at my childhood home that is deep green with rose bushes and honeysuckle. My yard had plum trees, muscadines, and figs and the trees provide a balance of beauty and strength.
In New York, I treasure spending time in Sag Harbor with my son by the pond under a tree near my husband's family home. This spot is perfect for aiding me in lulling my son to sleep, viewing animals in the wild without being intrusive, and engaging in quiet reflection.
I went dog sledding in Utah and forever understood the feeling of losing your breath because of the beauty of nature. I always considered myself a beach person. I love the white Driftwood on the beaches on the Georgia Isles and the white sand of Turks & Caicos. But there was something about the mountains, and the trees under the landscape of a flawless sky that brought me so much peace, serenity, and resolve.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Relaxed
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Motivated
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
In awe
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Blessed (to see another sunset or sunrise is a blessing). There are people who woke up who didn't get to live to see the sunset and there are many who went to bed and did not live to see another sunrise...life is a gift).
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
The need to keep things in perspective...storms come when they come and the only way to get through is to hold your own as best you can while it passes.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
The need to be "ready".
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
8.5
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
My childhood was spent playing barefoot in the grass and grabbing honeysuckle from the vines while perfecting the art of tearing off the end of the honeysuckle and tasting the sweet nectar with friends until the sun went down.
Tina Wells
Tina Wells is the CEO and founder of Buzz Marketing Group, a marketing agency that creates strategies for clients within the beauty, entertainment, fashion, financial, and lifestyle sectors. For more than two decades, Tina has connected thousands of influencers and consumers to brand clients. Since founding her company, she’s developed and managed 30,000 “buzzSpotters” and 7,000 “momSpotters” –influencer and research networks for her clients that include Dell, The Oprah Winfrey Network, and American Eagle Outfitters.
Tina sits on the board of the Young Entrepreneurs Council, the United Nations Foundation’s Global Entrepreneurs Council (emeritus), and the Council of Emeritus Directors of the Philadelphia Orchestra Association. She currently chairs the Programs, Marketing, and Business Development committee of The Franklin Institute where she also serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee.
She is a member of the 2017 Class of Henry Crown Fellows within the Aspen Global Leadership Network at the Aspen Institute and the Academic Director (Practicum) of Wharton’s Leadership in the Business World program at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2018, Wells also joined the board of THINX. Her list of honors includes The Girl Scouts’ Woman of Distinction, Cosmopolitan’s Fun Fearless Phenom Award, Essence’s 40 Under 40, Billboard’s 30 Under 30, Inc’s 30 Under 30, and Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business.
Wells is the author of the best-selling tween fiction series Mackenzie Blue and the marketing handbook Chasing Youth Culture And Getting It Right. Wells’ writing has appeared in the Huffington Post,he Journal of the American College of Radiology, Inc, Black Enterprise, Media Post, and Retail Merchandiser Magazine.
3 words to describe Nature?
Peaceful. Vibrant. Majestic.
3 things Nature taught you?
That there is something much bigger than me and any problem I think I might have. Also, there’s a rhythm to the world and things continue to move in their cycles and serve their purpose.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Lancaster, PA - where I’m from. Gorgeous pastures, rolling hills, absolutely stunning.
Maasai Mara, Kenya - my first safari and trip to Africa, the most beautiful place I’ve ever been
Tuscany, Italy - my brother has lived here for almost 10 years with his wife. I visit often and fall in love all over again each time.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Calm. Just hearing the ocean calms me.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Safe and secure. I also feel in awe at the enormity of it all.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Awestruck...but a little helpless and scared too.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Happy. A sunrise or sunset is an instant mood booster for me.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Curious.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Scared by the power of it.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mountain, for sure!
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
9. When I purchased my home 11 years ago I planted some trees that are now enormous. Just seeing them every single day, in every season makes me feel so happy.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I’m the eldest of six children, and growing up my dad would take all of the kids in the neighborhood on nature hikes and trips to the park. I grew up in the part of southern New Jersey that is known for its farms. I still live there and see deer almost every night. Those park trips with all of my siblings and our friends were the best.
Greg Smith
Greg Smith is CEO of Icebreaker part of VF Corporation. Prior to this, Greg was General Manager for Icebreaker NZA (Australasia) having joined the company in 2013.
Greg has worked in a number of retail positions over the past 25 years and as GM for NZA was a key part of the Global Executive team spearheading the expansion of the traditionally wholesale led business into the new omni channel consumer led world we now live in.
Greg’s role gives him a unique opportunity to oversee the ongoing profitability and growth of wholesale and eCom side of the business along with retail.
His philosophy on success is simple. Recruit great people, give them clear responsibility and accountabilities and let them win.
Born and raised in New Zealand, when Greg is not in the market, he can be found catching the best surf breaks, playing football, or running around with his wife keeping up with the keen pursuits of their five children.
3 words to describe Nature?
Everything. Powerful. Beautiful.
3 things Nature taught you?
Humility
Appreciation
Perspective - it makes you realize how connected we are to something bigger, it helps you understand the role that we play in the Universe. We are One with the Universe.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Cardrona, New Zealand
Mangawhai Heads, New Zealand
The Catlins, New Zealand
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?
Energized
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
Calm
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
Small
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Satisfied
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?
Excited
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Scared
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10, it brings me peace, wellness and happiness, but I also can cope without it. I just need to return to nature every time I need to replenish myself, after a lot of traveling or working for long periods in the city.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I was skiing with friends on Mt Ruapehu - the conditions were great, the weather superb and everybody was having fun. Then a series of small events led us into a really unfortunate situation and suddenly we found ourselves fighting for our lives. I didn’t know if I was going to survive, it was really scary, but it was also an extremely powerful experience. It taught me about humility and perspective, how you can enjoy nature one minute, feel like you are heaven, then within a blink of an eye, you struggle to survive. Never take anything for granted.
Jacqueline Raposo
Jacqueline Raposo has written over three-hundred interview-focused features articles for major food publications. Her stories center around the culture of food – how eating connects and disconnects us – as well as the challenges facing those in the hospitality industry today. She also pens essays on functioning in a busy world as an adult with lifelong chronic illness. Her first book – The Me, Without: A Year Exploring Habit, Healing, and Happiness – publishes in January.
Jacqueline finds humans fascinating, and believes everyone has a story to share. She walked barefoot in the New England woods often as a child of the early nineties, got Lyme disease, and lives with complications to this day. Jacqueline still goes camping, identifies trees and birds, and takes her dog (who’s had Lyme, too) out in the grass any chance she gets. She can’t go far, but she goes deep.
3 words to describe Nature?
Detoxifying. Fortifying. Unanswerable.
3 things Nature taught you?
Talk less, listen more.
Pay attention – a hawk can kill a junco in two seconds flat – don’t miss the moment.
Nothing I create will ever be as beautiful as a walk with my dog during a snowstorm.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Overlooking the Atlantic from Sao Miguel in the Azores, where my father is from.
The honey locust, tree of heaven, and plants deskside on my windowsill in New York.
Any forest in New England I can go into with my best friend, Lyndsey.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Small and powerless and insignificant and humble. In the best possible way.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Ready for a very slow walk to make up stories, identify things, and whisper quietly so to not wake sleeping trolls.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Like an upward adventure is about to happen.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Like I can almost see the ghosts of all those who have stood in that same spot before me, equally in awe.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Like I should stop what I’m doing and observe the sky, so I’ll know how it’s changed later.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel…?
Like it’s time to get out a notebook and fountain pen.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Forest. I’m never more at home then when with the trees, nestled alongside water. If I can be in water surrounded by trees, even better. Hot springs? Never leaving.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10. I live in a city, yet surround myself with Nature. I find it everywhere. I cannot live without it.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
My favorite books in childhood were those about running away to live in the woods: The Boxcar Children, My Side of the Mountain, etc. I succeeded only in decorating an empty shed with plates made from broken floor tiles, building a fire pit in the woods behind our property and, eventually, trying to heal my dad’s poison ivy with a soak made from ferns. It was something.