Farhoud Meybodi

Farhoud Meybodi is an award-winning writer, director, and executive producer focused on storytelling projects that inspire social change. Over the past decade, he has collaborated on a variety of television and digital projects that have been seen over two billion times, raised millions of dollars for terminal illness research, and even helped overturn an unjust Presidential Executive Order. At his core, Farhoud believes in the power of mainstream storytelling to entertain and help heal the political-social divide of the present day.

3 words to describe Nature?

Hallowed. Life-giver. Muse.

3 things Nature taught you?

Resilience

Inner-peace

Patience

3 most treasured Nature spots?

Hot Springs, Arkansas

Astara, Iran

Delphi, Greece

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

A sense of deep reverence and gratitude

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

Like I’m in divinity’s sacred cathedral

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

Humbled yet resilient, like Frodo taking in the awesomeness and fiery peril of Mount Doom after a long long journey through darkness.

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

Older

When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?

Microscopic

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

Like I’m hearing the whispers of my ancestors

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

Jungle

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

10 - My happiness, balance, well-being, and sense of self are deeply and intrinsically connected with Mother nature. She is EVERYTHING.

Share with us a childhood nature memory?

When I was a little kid, maybe five or six years old, my parents would take us to Yosemite, CA every year for an epic camping trip with friends and extended family. Over the course of a week, twenty of us would swim in Yosemite Falls, hike the Muir Trail to Half Dome, and roast marshmallows around the campfire, telling ghost stories while taking the grandeur of the seemingly limitless starry night. These trips are some of the most magical memories of my youth, and we didn’t have mobile phones, personal computers or WIFI to get in the way of the experience.

This was also around the time I was obsessed with the film, The Karate Kid. One time, I remember hiking down to the river with my friends — and while they ran around, having fun, I opted instead to sit on the banks of the roaring river by myself. I remember feeling the urge to close my eyes, breath deeply in and out, and move my hands up and down out ala my hero at the time, Daniel Larusso, just like he before his big championship match in the film. When my friends finally found me, sitting there doing my Karate Kid breathe-work, they laughed at me like I was some confused weirdo. In hindsight, I think I was just a little ahead of the curve — recognizing the beauty of nature and tapping into the stillness within to savor the special moment. Also those kids who mocked me are now probably spending tons of money each month on yoga and Qi Jong breathe work classes. :)


Ardy Sobhani

ARDY SOBHANI is an entrepreneur and business strategist, energized by ideation, iteration, and systems design. After earning an MBA in Design Strategy from California College of the Arts in 2012, Ardy helped launched Oru Kayak via Kickstarter with his two co-founders. The response to the project was incredible, with over 700 backers supporting the folding kayak company. In three years since, Oru Kayak has grown quickly, from a weekend hobby to young and scrappy startup to international brand. all under the guidance of Sobhani, Oru Kayak's CEO.

Today the company markets and sells through a wide variety of channels, has a robust and efficient manufacturing and fulfillment process in Southern California, and has developed key partnerships with , and many other major distributors. Looking forward, the company--which has doubled in growth each year since its founding--is poised for rapid expansion, riding a wave of good fortune and a dedication to the aggressive strategies put forth by Ardy and the rest of the executive team. Oru Kayak's dream of changing the way people experience the outdoors is closer than many believe.

As a leader, Ardy is motivated by a desire to use human-centered design to make the outdoors more accessible for all. He believes that clever, forward-thinking solutions will soon create game-changing products and services in the outdoor industry, and that Oru Kayak is position well to be a catalyst for this change. Ardy uses design thinking frameworks to inspire innovative thinking, merging design and business to create and deliver value to the customer and faster growth for the company.

3 words to describe Nature?

Freedom

Fresh

Recharge

3 things Nature taught you?

Ecosystem - Everything has a purpose and nothing is wasted.

Flow - the easiest path forward. Nature always finds it.

All the answers we are looking for are in nature, but they are hard to find.

3 most treasured Nature spots?

The waters that surround the cities. We need to utilize these natural water parks!

The Beautiful North of Iran " Shomal"

My favourite tree in the neighbourhood

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

Calm and at the same time strong. Always there to take care of you and never let go.

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

Respect. Our elders with much wisdom

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

Never seen a volcano in person but it is very powerful. It's time for the earth to breathe.

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

Another day about to start or end :) Future or the Past. Both are very powerful.

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

Love it! Louder, please!

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

Something is about to go down! We need to listen closely to what the wind is telling us.

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

I grow up in Tehran, Iran mountains city but lived in California for the most of my life. I love the desert for it vastness and its honesty. I love the ocean as it takes care of us. Mountains for their powerful stand and they are fun to play in. Forest for the oxygen the make. How about mountain forest next to ocean or lake.

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

10. I need more of it.

Share with us a childhood nature memory?

Camping in the forest of Iran. I LOVED it!