Jean-Daniel Petit
JEAN-DANIEL PETIT is the Co-Founder of abitibi & co., a Canadian canoe and kayak company that inspires great adventures and protects the great outdoors. He is also the founder of Beside, a media who aims to bridge the gap between humans and nature—with high-quality editorial content and immersive experiences.
Petit is the Former Creative Director at N/A Montréal, a new kind of marketing agency with a singular goal: to connect people and brands in ways that affect positive social change. Jean-Daniel has worked on several local and international accounts such as: RISE Kombucha, McDonald's Canada & U.S, Paramount Picture and more. Previously, Petit worked at SID LEE for over three years as an Art Director for New Era, Coca-Cola, Bacardi, Square Enix, Georges St-Pierre and more.
3 words to describe Nature?
Welcoming. Interconnected. Resilient
3 things Nature taught you?
To be humble
That life is a circle
To keep using all of my senses
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The Abitibi-Témiscamingue Region, in Northern Quebec, and its 15 000 lakes and rivers.
The Bonaventure River in Gaspésie, Quebec. Probably the most beautiful river in the world.
Anticosti Island, also in Quebec.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Grounded
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Small
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Powerless
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Alive
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Excited like a kid
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Fragile
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
A Lake
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I grew up in Northern Quebec surrounded by lakes, rivers and forests. Most of my childhood was spent outside, building tree houses, exploring the woods and observing small wildlife.
That said, there’s one memory that has a lot to do with who I am now. From the moment I was 11 until my late teenage years, I spent my entire weekends on a small island with two of my best friends. We would borrow a small boat from a relative and navigate our way there every Friday after school. This unnamed island felt like it was ours, like no one else had ever been there except us.
We learned to be on our own, to make good use of simple tools and to analyze our surroundings. We learned friendship and solitude through laughter and silence. We learned to fish, to make a fire and to leave as little trace as possible. We learned to be creative, independent and brave, but also silly once in a while.
During the day, we would fish and swim. And before nightfall, we would head to the mainland on a treasure hunt, to collect enough deadwood to sustain our campfire all night.
I never realized back then how important these little getaways were… until now.
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!
Dave Freeman
DAVE FREEMAN have traveled over 30,000 miles by kayak, canoe and dogsled through some of the world’s wildest places, from the Amazon to the Arctic. National Geographic named him and his wife, Amy Freeman, Adventurers of the Year in 2014. Their images, videos, and articles have been published by a wide range of media, from CBC, NBC, and FOX to the Chicago Tribune, National Geographic, Outside, Backpacker, Canoe and Kayak, and Minnesota Public Radio. When Dave and Amy aren’t on expeditions or speaking tours, they guide canoe, kayak and dogsled trips near their home on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Northern Minnesota. Check their educational company - Wilderness Classroom.
3 words to describe Nature?
Calming, dynamic, grand
3 things Nature taught you?
Confidence, humility, happiness
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Lake Superior
Amazon Rainforest
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Small
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Alive
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Young
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Calm
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Alert
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
It depends on the situation anywhere from excited to terrified.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean and Forest, but lakes and rivers more than anything.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I remember by first canoe trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness when I was 12. I remember listening to loons calling on calm evenings and catching small mouth bass. It felt like we were in the middle of a vast Wilderness even though we had just scratched the surface.
Davis Smith
DAVIS SMITH is the founder and CEO of Cotopaxi, an outdoor gear brand with a humanitarian mission. He is also a member of the eight-person United Nations Foundation's Global Entrepreneurs Council. Davis is a serial entrepreneur who previously started Baby.com.br, Brazil’s Startup of the Year in 2012. Davis holds an MBA from the Wharton School, an MA from the University of Pennsylvania, and a BA from BYU. Davis is an adventurer who has visited 70 countries. He has floated down the Amazon on a self-made raft, camped in the Sahara Desert, kayaked from Cuba to Florida, and explored North Korea.
3 words to describe Nature?
Raw, Fragile, Inspiring
3 things Nature taught you?
I began spending time in the outdoors before I can remember, but some of my first lessons learned while adventuring with my father are that:
1. Nature needs to be respected because while infinitely beautiful, it will eat you alive.
2. In my lowest moments, nature has lifted me up and inspired me.
3. I’ve always felt that nature has shown me that there is something bigger than myself. Spending time in the outdoors connects me with things that are truly important.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
1. The red rock canyons of Southern Bolivia, where I lived for a number of years as a young adult.
2. Cotopaxi national park in Ecuador, where I spent some of my childhood and early teen years.
3. The Wasatch Mountains that tower above Salt Lake City, where I currently live.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?
Small and vulnerable.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
Safe, overwhelmed with beautiful sounds, smells and sights.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
Humbled and melancholy (I grew up in the Andes surrounded by amazing volcanos which I often summited with my father).
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel…?
Overwhelming joy. Is there anything that can fill a heart or bring a smile faster?
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?
An urge to run and duck for cover!
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel…?
Somewhat intimidated, but I love the sound when I’m in a tent.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I’ve spent eight years living in the Caribbean, so I’m obsessed with the ocean. I love kayak touring, diving, snorkeling, spearfishing and camping on the beach. That said, I’ve lived in Utah for a number of years now and have really grown to love the mountains.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is to your well-being?
8. I love the outdoors, but I own an outdoor gear brand and have a small family, both which keep me indoors quite often. I’ve found that surrounded by people I love, I can also get immense joy even when not outdoors.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Some of my fondest memories as a child were spending time adventuring with my dad. We once built our own raft and floated down the Amazon river fishing for piranha. We also survived on uninhabited islands in the Caribbean, spearing fish with home-made spears. My brother and I spent hours every day exploring and building forts in the jungle behind our home when we lived in Puerto Rico. My childhood is full of memories in nature. Most incredibly pleasant, but some memories are of times that were terrifying and scary. It was those moments, however, that gave me such a deep respect for nature and taught me to respect it and always be prepared for the worst.