Kirstine Stewart

Kirstine Stewart is the Head of Shaping the Future of Media and a Member of the Executive Committee at the World Economic Forum where she leads a team working with the CEOs, Chairs and other CSuite execs from more than 40 major global media companies including Google, Facebook, Tencent, NBCU, Bytedance and more. The team works with these media leaders to keep the industry on the leading edge in a disrupted marketplace. 

Kirstine first worked at the intersection of tech and media when she led the Media and Content Teams as VP North America for Twitter, transitioning after she built the fastest-growing Twitter ad sales office in the world, located in Canada. As VP Media in New York, Kirstine led teams driving content creation and business partnerships in News and Government, Entertainment, Music, and Sports. 

Before moving to Twitter, Kirstine was the Head of Canada’s national broadcaster the CBC. She is credited with reviving the public broadcaster by introducing such hit shows as Dragons’ Den, Murdoch Mysteries, Heartland, and more, expanding CBC’s reach across TV and Radio and taking the Corp through a major digital transformation marked by the 2014 Olympics. 

Over her career, Kirstine held series of executive positions in Canada, and the US focused on the global expansion of US brands including leading Canada’s HGTV and Food network and management and programming 37 international channels for Hallmark with offices in Denver, Hong Kong, New York, and LA. 

Prior to her work at the Forum, Kirstine held C-suite positions at two successful tech startups, the most recent being digital transformation company TribalScale working with John Hancock and Emirates among other international Fortune 1000 companies. She has served on a number of public, private, and nonprofit boards and advisories including TheScore, WOW (Creators of Castlevania) PSP Investments, and Ryerson University’s DMZ. 

Kirstine is also the author of the bestselling leadership book published by Random House “Our Turn”.

3 words to describe Nature?

Overwhelming. Beautiful. Respect

3 things Nature taught you?

That there are literally things bigger than yourself. 

That humans are not in control. 

But that humans can do damage on a horrendous scale.

3 most treasured Nature spots?

The pitons of St Lucia

The Niagara escarpment

The Colorado Rockies

When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?

Calm

When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?

Inquisitive

When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?

Trembling

When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?

Alive

When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?

Guttural

When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?

Displaced

Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?

Lake & river

On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?

10

Share with us a childhood nature memory?

Falling in the 16mile creek catching crawfish at school


James Wallman

James Wallman is an international bestselling author, entrepreneur, futurist, and experience strategist/designer. He runs the strategy, innovation, and futures consultancy The Future is Here. Clients include KPMG, HSBC, KFC, IDEO, and Facebook. He has written two best-selling books: Time And How To Spend It (Penguin, April 2019) and Stuffocation (self-published 2013; Penguin, 2015; now in 7 languages). Wallman has advised companies from Absolut to Zurich Financial and has given talks from Amsterdam to Las Vegas; at venues including the Googleplex and 10 Downing Street. He advises the British government and is a 'Sector Specialist, Experience Economy' for the Department for International Trade. His opinions have appeared in the New York Times, the Financial Times, the Economist, and Wired and has appeared on TV and radio from Australia to Brazil and the US. James lives in London with his wife and two children.

3 words to describe Nature?

Green. Furry. Nice 

3 things Nature taught you?

Just the one: nature is us and everything in us and around us. It's what we call the crazy random experiment our planet is in the middle of. Everyone and everything here is reaching up for energy from the sun, rising from seed to flower, then falling back again. It's a funny, beautiful journey. 

3 most treasured Nature spots?

Only 3?? I can’t

First, anywhere with my kids. 

Then the view from any mountain in the Alps; the Mediterranean sea; Big Sur; Rhossili Bay; the jungle around the Tambopata River and Platja Mitjorn.

When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?

Like I want to jump in and float on, surf on, sails on, get thrown about on the waves.

When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?

Like I want to walk through it, climb its trees, hear its silence, its sounds, and just listen.

 When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?

Like I wish it would explode, but without killing me. Stromboli is good for this :-)

When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?

Grateful that I had that day or that I'm about to have a day. Aware that time is passing.

 When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?

Yay! The gods are laughing. 

When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?

Alive

 Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?

Ocean, Mountain & Forest. (But Deserts can be fun too)

 On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?

Ha! Trick question. It's essential for all our wellbeing. So much science proves it. Hence 3rd rule of the STORIES checklist - the simple way to remember what you should do to be happy & successful - is Outside & Offline.

Share with us a childhood nature memory?

In the late 70s, it used to snow, and way more than it does now. My brother and I got dragged around the garden by our dad on a sled. And then at some nearby hill. Sledding is way too much fun. I miss it.

Also, I remember swimming off Corfu with my mum and my brother in the early 80s. No one was around so we were all swam naked... we were all confident swimmers so we went for a long swim, way out of our depth... the water was so pure and clear, glistening in the sun on the surface but you could see 20-30 feet to the sandy bottom. I get to the Mediterranean most summers... and every time I swim I feel refreshed, young, silly, alive.

 


Stefan Simcowitz

Stefan Simchowitz is a controversial Los Angeles based art collector, art curator, art advisor and founder of Simco's Club, an art-collecting, selling, and promoting website dedicated to successful, young, and emerging artists around the world. In November 2015, he was ranked #95 in Art Review Magazine's POWER 100, a list of the "most influential people in the contemporary artworld." He was famously dubbed “The Art World’s Patron Satan” by the New York Times back in 2014. Journalist Andrew Goldstein of New York Magazine, Artnet, and Artspace, argues that Simcho is destabilizing outdated art-world archetypes that perpetuate dangerous myths about how art is distributed, displayed, and discussed.

After college, Stefan started a film production company responsible for a number of feature films and shorts, such as Darren Aronofsky's critically acclaimed drama, Requiem for a Dream. He co-founded the celebrity photo and video service, WireImage, which eventually sold to Getty Images in 2007 for $200 million.

Stefan is a vocal proponent of social media as a legitimate way of discovering, distributing, and popularizing the fine arts, primarily using Facebook and Instagram as platforms for self-promotion, discovering new artists, and endorsing those he already manages. 

3 words to describe Nature?

Electron. Neutron. Proton 

3 things Nature taught you?

We are all one and the same

Nature defines the rules of the game

Understand the end is not different to the beginning and you will be fine 

3 most treasured Nature spots?

The hills of Tuscany

The sea of Liguria

The Blue Mountains 

When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?

Like going for a swim 

When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?

Going for a walk 

When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?

Like wishing I was getting a cold brew coffee and pastry 

When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?

Like an ancient human

When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?

Getting inside

When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?

Getting under the duvet 

Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?

Somewhere between the forest and the mountain  

On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?

10 

Share with us a childhood nature memory?

The game reserve, safari.

 


Michael Shainblaum

Michael Shainblum is a landscape, timelapse and aerial photographer based in San Francisco, California. He has been working professionally as a photographer and filmmaker for 11 years since the age of 16. Michael first made a name for himself through his unique creativity and the ability to capture scenes and moments in his distinct style of surreal, visual story telling. A dedication to challenging the boundaries of creativity, as well as a flair for coming up with unique ideas, has since resulted in this dynamic visual artist being commissioned by large clients including Nike, Samsung, Facebook, LG, Apple and Google. You will also be able to find Michael's work published widely by media outlets such as National Geographic, Wired Magazine and The Weather Channel.

3 words to describe Nature?

Majestic. Unpredictable. Therapeutic

3 things Nature taught you?

How to truly appreciate the world we live in and just how much we need to protect it.

It has given me a sense of purpose in my life to be honest, through my photography and my art.

It had also taught me to appreciate the little things in life and to drown out the daily struggles. Laying down for a nap in the Sand Dunes, or enjoying the reflection of a mountain in a lake, these moments have helped me through some tough times.

3 most treasured Nature spots?

Just my most recent nature spot I have been too. Each place is special and I feel like my most recent trips are the ones I have fresh memories about capturing.

When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?

At home, I grew up by the ocean and I do not think I could live far from it.

When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?

Adventurous, nothing like a good hike through the forest.

When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?

Conflicted, so much powerful, yet devastating beauty.

When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?

I have been shooting sunrise for over a week now here during winter in Utah and it has been bone chillingly cold. Yet every time I wake up and get to witness that beautiful morning light, it is worth it. I suppose it makes me feel fulfilled.

When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?

Excited, I absolutely love capturing and witnessing lightning strikes.

When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?

Like hopefully the timelapse camera I have set up is not going to blow over :P

Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?

Ocean just based on how I grew up, but I love capturing everything. The desert is my favorite at the moment, with all the incredible shapes, colors and textures.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?

10, I have dedicated my life now to capturing the beauty of nature and I would not have it any other way.

Share with us a childhood nature memory?

Funny enough I was never fully able to appreciate nature as a kid. I mean I went to the park and to the beach. But camping and hiking came a bit later on in my life during college. My family never had the ability to travel and the outdoors was never something that interested them. I found my appreciation of being outdoors through photography and I am so appreciative of that.


Erick Tseng

ERICK TSENG is a Product Director at Facebook where he oversees product management for the company’s global advertising growth and solutions. Erick joined Facebook in May 2010 as the Head of Mobile Products.

3 words to describe Nature?

Magical, beautiful, essential

3 things Nature taught you?

To take risks, how much beauty there is in the world, how fragile our existence is on this earth

3 most treasured Nature spots?

Yosemite, Galapagos, Himalayas

When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?

Small

When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?

Fresh

When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?

Empowered

When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?

Calm

When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?

Excited

When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?

Cold

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

Share with us a childhood nature memory?

Traveling to a beach near Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and going tide-pooling amongst the rocks. I loved looking for little fish, crabs, and mussels tucked away in the shallow waters. I'd also collect fresh seaweed, and my mother would clean it up, and cook seaweed pork soup that night. Delicious!