Veronica Speck

Veronica Speck began her career in New York City at publishing houses including Condé Nast and Hearst. In 2010, while in the Special Events Department of Vogue, she assisted in the planning of the “American Woman” Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Leveraging her experience in the art world, Veronica joined Bernardaud as the global Director of Public Relations, promoting artist collaborations and limited-edition objets d’art with Jeff Koons, Vik Muniz, JR, Marina Abramovic, Julian Schnabel, David Lynch, The Campana Brothers, Sarah Lavoine, and the Alexander Calder, Joan Miro, and Marc Chagall Foundations. She also formed strategic partnerships with MoMA, MoCA, Sotheby’s, and Gagosian, and hosted press events during Art Basel, Bocuse D’Or, Design Miami/, Frieze, Maison et Objet, and partnered with Architectural Digest to design the 2015 Academy Awards Greenroom with Commune Design.

In 2018, Veronica oversaw the opening of The Future Perfect’s galleries in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and managed all exhibition openings, art fair participation, press, marketing, and events during Art Basel, Frieze, Salon Art + Design Fair, NYCxDesign, Design Miami/, and New York Fashion Week. She also hosted affinity partnership events with The New York Time’s T Magazine to celebrate their annual “Greats” Issue, Fendi’s ‘Made to Order’ program, as well as with Ruinart, Hermès Art de la Table, Puiforcat, Le Labo, Aesop, Vogue 100, and many more.

In 2019, She joined Michelin-starred Chef Daniel Boulud as the global Head of Brand Marketing and Public Relations and helped raise over 1 million dollars for City Meals on Wheels during the annual Sunday Supper Gala at Restaurant Daniel. Le Pavillon restaurant at One Vanderbilt in New York City, designed by Brazilian architect Isay Weinfield, is the latest venture set to open in 2021.

In 2020, VHS Ventures was established in New York and California with international operations in Asia, Europe, and South America. Current clients range from Ferrari and Fine Art to Fragrance and Fine Jewelry. VHS is a Founding Partner of luxury fragrance brand Maison d’ Etto.

3 words to describe Nature?

Calming. Intriguing. Vast.

3 things Nature taught you?

Appreciation

Gratitude

 Hope

3 most treasured Nature spots?

The Torrey Pines State Reserve in La Jolla, CA, which is dedicated to preserving its namesake, the Torrey Pine (Pinus Torreyana) tree, and other indigenous wildlife in its native environment. The tree only grows there and on Santa Rosa Island off the coast of Santa Barbara. The hike to the top affords views of the Pacific Ocean and the cliffs of Blacks Beach, which are reminiscent of the Algarve in Portugal. It is also next to Torrey Pines Golf Course, one of the most beautiful golf courses (in my opinion). Big Sur, Muir Redwoods, Lake Tahoe, and Palm Springs desert in California are also special. 

The Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. The last time I was there, it was turtle nesting season, and watching hundreds of baby turtles make their way to the sea from the sand was magical. 

The Mighty 5 National Parks in Utah—Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion. Hiking amongst the red Hoodoo rocks is reminiscent of Mars (not that I have been…yet!) Afterward, rent a boat and explore Lake Powell and enjoy a restorative stat at Amangiri in the desert.

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

Peaceful and nostalgic. I grew in San Diego, California so the ocean will always hold a special place in my heart. Swimming, surfing, scuba diving, sailing, parasailing, kitesurfing, snorkeling or simply watching the sun rise or set. 

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

Curious. I love to explore and look through the trees for wildlife or up towards the sky for birds. I spent hours in the cloud forests of Costa Rica. 

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

Adventurous and energized. I hiked Volcanoes National Park in Hawai'i after it erupted a few years ago, and was truly in awe of the natural landscapes and black sand beaches made of basalt and formed from hot lava clashing with the ocean water. 

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

Renewed, restored, romantic. 

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

Excited. I love thunderstorms, especially tropical ones. I took it for granted growing up, but San Diego has nearly perfect weather year-round so I naturally crave the opposite and love the excitement of storms. I was in New York during Hurricane Irene and Sandy and still remember the sound of the thunder, rain, and wind. 

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

Attentive, Perceptive, Thoughtful. Ideally, I am curled up inside next to a cozy fire, and listening to the sounds outside. 

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

All!

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

10

Share with us a childhood nature memory?

My father has dedicated the majority of his life to caring for animals and the environment. I grew up next to horse and polo ranches, orange and avocado groves, and vineyards, and with exotic pets my father rescued. Boa Constrictors, Tarantulas, Macaw Parrots, African Grey Parrots, African Spur Tortoise, Chinchillas, and even a saltwater aquarium with small sharks, an octopus, living coral, and exotic fish. I celebrated many birthdays as a child at Sleepovers at the San Diego Zoo where guests could spend the night at a campsite and view the nocturnal animals on a guided tour. 

My grandparents are European and when they moved to Los Angeles, they became members of a historic health and wellness retreat from the 1800s called Warner Springs Ranch because the therapeutic natural hot springs and rural beauty reminded them of Bohemia and Moravia. My favorite childhood memories include weekends and holidays spent with family riding horses, golfing, playing tennis, swimming, and exploring the grounds.

 


Michelle Welsch

Michelle Welsch has advised Fortune 500 brands, produced large-scale events, and has raised over $700,000USD for various social causes. Her experiences in government, private, academic, and public sectors have provided her unique insight to help businesses and entrepreneurs refine communications and strategy.

After founding Project Exponential, an invite-only dinner series, she helped bring solar to a monastery in Nepal. Her experiences teaching English to Buddhist monks led to the establishment of Khata: Life, a nonprofit encouraging education and leadership. Her attention is now focused on the Learning House, a community center she built from the ground up to foster creativity and learning.

Michelle earned her masters from Columbia University in New York City and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Colorado. She considers Seth Godin one of her greatest teachers.

3 words to describe Nature? 

Wild. Inspiring. Free

3 things Nature taught you? 

To pause

To be grateful

To listen

3 most treasured Nature spots?

Wonderland Lake in Boulder, Colorado -- so many memories here.

Phewa Tal (Fewa Lake) in Pokhara, Nepal -- a place I visit to ground myself and find perspective.

Central Park in New York City -- the perfect spot to unwind and remember what is important in life.

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

Insignificant, in awe, and thoughtful

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

Curious and filled with wonder

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

Energized yet apprehensive

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

Thankful and at peace

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

A bit of grumbling can be relaxing; louder booms unsettling!

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

Depends where I am, but howling wind tends to make me anxious.

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

Mountain-Forest combo

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

10

Share with us a childhood nature memory?

Growing up in Colorado, nature was always important to me. We didn't have a lot of money, but my mom made sure we took advantage of our "backyard playground." From fishing to hiking, picnics in fields, or drives up into Estes Park, I was fortunate to learn early on that nature isn't something to fear but something to respect and embrace. I could spend hours in the grass watching clouds pass. No matter where I have lived --- New York City, Nepal --- nature has been my grounding point, the place I return when I need clarity or inspiration.

 


Andrew Zuckerman

Andrew Zuckerman is a photographer, filmmaker, creative director, and curator. In 2019 he co-founded The Slowdown, a media company focused on culture, nature, and the future. Much of his work is concerned with the intersection of nature and technology. His immersive investigation of the natural world has produced multiple books and exhibitions collected in three volumes Creature(2007), Bird(2009), and Flower(2012). A year-long curatorial residency at Chamber Gallery NY, spanning four exhibitions of design and art that bring nature into the living environment, and an installation for the windows of Barneys NY commissioned by Dries Van Noten are invitations to the public to consider nature in new ways. Most recently, he worked with the California Academy of Sciences as their 2016 Osher Fellow creating a body of work about the Twilight Zone, a relatively unexplored depth of the oceans.

Andrew’s precise and determined images create unique correlation points between the viewer and the subject. His works, often at life scale, have been exhibited and acquired by public institutions and private collections. Andrew’s ongoing portrait practice utilizes both photography and filmed interview formats to examine human perspectives. With the support of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, he released Wisdom in 2008 as a book, a feature-length documentary film, and a global traveling exhibition. Over 50 individuals from across disciplines participated in the project, including Nelson Mandela, Andrew Wyeth, Jane Goodall, and Madeline Albright. Following Wisdom, Zuckerman expanded this series to musicians including Iggy Pop, Ornette Coleman, Yoko Ono, and Herbie Hancock for the Music film and book. Andrew’s narrative film work includes directing High Falls, which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and was awarded Best Short Film at the Woodstock Film Festival the same year as well as producing a feature documentary on the musician Bill Withers, Still Bill, which premiered at the 2009 SXSW film festival. Zuckerman’s books have been translated into numerous languages and published in 18 international editions.

Andrew has collaborated extensively for many brands as a photographer, filmmaker, interviewer, and creative director. Designed by Apple in California, a book released in 2016, was the result of a multiyear commission exploring 20 years of Apple design. From 2008-2017 Andrew served as Executive Creative Director of Creature Pictures, a boutique production company he founded, which worked on numerous media projects for Apple. In May 2019 Andrew co-founded The Slowdown, a multi-platform media company to explore culture, nature, and the future.

Andrew donates time and resources to a number of not-for-profits, having created media for One, the ACLU, Starving Artist, Red, and United Way. He currently serves on the board of the Children’s Museum of Arts in New York City. Andrew lives in New York City with his wife and three children.

3 words to describe Nature?

Living. Self. Interdependence.

3 things Nature taught you?

Humility

Rhythm

To slow down

3 most treasured Nature spots?

My body

The Hudson Valley

New York City

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

Connected

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

Protected

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

Cautious

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

Reset

When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?

Anxious

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

Curious

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

Forest

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

10

Share with us a childhood nature memory?

I have vivid memories of long walks through the grassy fields, under the buzzing power lines in suburban Maryland, wondering what it was like before the houses were built and the foreboding steel structures were needed to keep them on life support. I’ve always been interested in that intersection of industry and nature.

 


Katie Losey

A lifelong wildlife enthusiast, KATIE LOSEY loves to explore the world’s most far-flung corners and hopes to inspire others to live out their wildest adventures through her words and images. At the heart of what guides most of her decisions is learning from the natural world, a strong thread throughout her life. Out of college, she began working at nonprofit Puppies Behind Bars, and too many times found herself reading National Geographic articles about the plight of African and Asian elephants. A year later, she was at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand. Her experiences connecting with these brilliant creatures continues to shape her world.

After returning to NYC from Southeast Asia, Katie found a home at an experiential travel company that plans private, custom journeys. Her trips have put her beneath orangutang swinging across Borneo’s canopy, gliding alongside sharks in Cuba, dancing on a 10,000 year-old glacier in British Columbia, and tracking gorillas in Uganda. Katie’s passion to link travel with conservation spearheaded Absolute Awareness, which connects travelers with the world’s wild places, creatures, and traditions to help champion and protect them.

In 2015 she became a member of The Explorers Club, whose mission is to advance field research, scientific exploration, resource conservation, and the ideal that it is vital to preserve the instinct to explore. In 2017 she co-chaired the 113th Explorers Club Annual Dinner, helping conceptualize and execute the longest standing philanthropic event in NYC history and a gathering of > 1200 world-class explorers in New York City.

3 words to describe Nature? 

Genius, wise, interconnected

3 things Nature taught you? 

Be patient

Seek symbiotic relationships

Find your own rhythm.

3 most treasured Nature spots? 

Malaysian Borneo Rainforest

Underwater world

The stream behind my house growing up in NY suburbs.

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

Calm

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

At ease

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

Inspired

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...? 

Serene

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

Forest

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

8

Share with us a childhood nature memory? 

Everyday after school I would go down to the stream behind my house and hang over a log that had fallen across the stream and watch the minnows, crayfish, and would just be so happy. I would bring my friends down there and I would know every rock, every fish hiding spot, the sunny spots, the bugs ones...loved it down there!