Alexandra Horowitz
Alexandra Horowitz is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know; Being a Dog: Following the Dog into a World of Smell; and Our Dogs, Ourselves. She is a dog-cognition researcher and teaches at Barnard College, where she runs the Dog Cognition Lab. She has written about topics as varied as attention, imitation, fairness, guilt, captivity, patents, play, and footnotes; from animal representation in children’s books to things people say to their dogs; from anthropomorphisms of animals to dogs in movies. She has been described as “a New World reverse of the Oulipo eminence Georges Perec,” a “skilled investigative reporter,” and a “reasonably sane adult human.” She lives with her family and two large, highly sniffy dogs, one cat, and one puppy in New York City.
3 words to describe Nature?
Integral. Formidable. Omnipresent
3 things Nature taught you?
Respect the unknown
There is wisdom in tree growth and bird activity and mosses.
Nature is everywhere.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Among giant redwoods
On a walking path in the Japanese Alps
In our local forest surrounded by my family
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Awed. I'm humbled by the ocean, which does not care about me. I treat it carefully.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Delighted that there is such a community without people.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
I've never seen a volcano
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Pleased to have color vision.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Moved to go indoors.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Like smelling into the breeze.
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?
Remembering camping with my dog among quaking Aspen in the high country of Utah, my senses are all awakened: between the perfect clarity of the air, the smell of drying grasses and sage, and the sound of Aspen leaves gently tinkling against each other.
Lera Boroditsky
Lera Boroditsky is a Professor of Cognitive Science at UCSD and Editor in Chief of Frontiers in Cultural Psychology. She previously served on the faculty at MIT and at Stanford. Her research is on the relationships between mind, world, and language (or how humans get so smart).
She has been named one of 25 Visionaries changing the world by the Utne Reader, and is also a Searle Scholar, a McDonnell scholar, recipient of an NSF Career award, and an APA Distinguished Scientist lecturer. She once used the Indonesian exclusive "we" correctly before breakfast, and was proud of herself about it all day.
Get a quick research overview (WSJ and Scientific American)
3 words to describe Nature?
3 things Nature taught you?
To embrace change
To welcome uncertainty
To relish complexity
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Floating down any empty river
Staring at the stars from a natural geothermal hot spring that magically stays at 105 degrees F
Hidden inside a mature fig tree canopy, especially when the figs are ripe
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?
So glad to be so small, and to be surrounded by endless possibilities
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
Hungry for mushrooms and that soft underfoot sous-bois
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
Hopeful that there’s a volcano-warmed river nearby I can jump into
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel…?
How earth-centric of us to keep calling it a sunrise or sunset, when we’ve known for centuries that we’re the ones rotating. Who’s going to come up with a good name to describe these earth-tilts that either reveal or obscure the sun from our view? I’m accepting suggestions.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?
Like we need a little baseline to go with the drums
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel…?
If I’m in a sailboat, excited. Otherwise, like I should find a nice cave to huddle up in.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I live in Southern California, so I can have all 4 in one day. Why choose? :)
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
I don’t think of myself as separate from nature, so 11?
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Mushroom hunting in Belarus with my dad. The birch forests in Belarus are these magical light-filled playgrounds, and looking for mushrooms is an incredible state of focus and flow, and if you’re lucky, with a delicious end.
Amy Webb
Amy Webb is a quantitative futurist and a bestselling, award-winning author. She is a professor of strategic foresight at the NYU Stern School of Business and the Founder of the Future Today Institute, a leading foresight and strategy firm that helps leaders and their organizations prepare for complex futures. Webb is a Visiting Fellow at Oxford University’s Säid School of Business, a Nonresident Senior Fellow in the Atlantic Council’s GeoTech Center, a Fellow in the United States-Japan Leadership Program and a Foresight Fellow in the U.S. Government Accountability Office Center for Strategic Foresight. She was a Visiting Nieman Fellow at Harvard University, where her research received a national Sigma Delta Chi award. She was also a Delegate on the former U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission, where she worked on the future of technology, media and international diplomacy. Webb has advised CEOs of some of the world’s largest companies, three-star generals and admirals and executive government leadership on strategy and technology. She is the author of several popular books, including The Big Nine: How the Tech Titans and Their Thinking Machines Could Warp Humanity, which was longlisted for the Financial Times & McKinsey Business Book of the Year award, shortlisted for the Thinkers50 Digital Thinking Award, and won the 2020 Gold Axiom Medal for the best book about business and technology, and The Signals Are Talking: Why Today’s Fringe Is Tomorrow’s Mainstream, which won the Thinkers50 Radar Award, was selected as one of Fast Company’s Best Books of 2016, Amazon’s best books 2016, and was the recipient of the 2017 Gold Axiom Medal for the best book about business and technology. Her bestselling memoir Data, A Love Story is about finding love via algorithms. Her TED talk about Data has been viewed more than 8 million times and is being adapted as a feature film, which is currently in production. Webb was named by Forbes as one of the five women changing the world, listed as the BBC’s 100 Women of 2020, and the Thinkers50 Radar list of the 30 management thinkers most likely to shape the future of how organizations are managed and led.
Amy serves on a script consultant for films and shows about artificial intelligence, technology and the future. Most recently, she worked on The First, a sci-fi drama about the first humans to travel to Mars. She is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and has served as a Blue Ribbon Emmy award judge.
3 words to describe Nature?
Essential. Quantifiable. Mysterious.
3 things Nature taught you?
Humility. Humility. Humility. (Seriously!)
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The hiking paths of Mt. Hayachine, which is part of the Kitakami range in northern Japan.
Walking among the giant redwoods of Sequoia National Park.
Hiking the foothills of Stowe, Vermont, especially in fall.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Concerned. The oceans are a vast ecosystem that we've ignored and polluted.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
At home. There is a concept in Japan known as "shinrin-yoku," which is loosely defined as taking a forest bath. Connecting with trees and the sounds of a forest, breathing in the air, and taking time for contemplation and reflection are ways to improve mental clarity, emotional health and physical stamina.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Curious.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Spirited. Some of my fondest memories are of canoeing and camping in Big Bend National Park in Texas and waking up with the sunrise. Even in the summer, the air is fresh and cool, and there's both a calmness and a sense of anticipation for a new day.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Like I'm at work. When I'm researching, reading and writing, I listen to brown noise, which has lower, thicker tones than white noise. Some of the brown noise tracks I listen to include a continuous stream of rumbling thunder.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Cold. Even if it's not actually cold.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mountain
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
There was a small lake near our house, and it was fully alive: snakes, butterflies, fish, frogs, weeds, flowers, trees, and all sorts of bugs. My dad used to take me there just to walk around, look at tadpoles, and observe nature. One afternoon we found a beehive beneath a pile of boulders. We climbed on top and spent hours watching the bees do their work.
Alisa Miller
Alisa Miller seeks to transform and invent media and technology that positively impacts people’s lives. Recently, she was the executive chairman of PRI-PRX, the broadcast network formed when Public Radio International (PRI) merged with Public Radio Exchange (PRX). She led this first-ever public media network merger and created an organization that reaches more than 28.5 million users each month and has more than 58 million monthly podcast downloads - within the top three podcast sources in the US.
She was named CEO of PRI in 2006, the first woman and youngest CEO to head a major public radio network. Before her time with PRI, Alisa headed new digital business development for Sesame Street.
Alisa speaks on how media and technology shapes our lives and on building purpose-driven companies and careers. Her TED Talk on media's power to shape knowledge and action has been viewed 2 million times and been translated into 48 languages. She was named by Fast Company as a Most Influential Woman in Technology, is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and in 2015 won the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
She’s a proud Cornhusker and holds a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Nebraska and a master’s degrees in business administration and public policy, both from the University of Chicago.
When Alisa isn't working or with her kids, she can be found singing or hiking on a mountain trail somewhere.
3 words to describe Nature?
Space. Time. Standstill (I find that the power of nature connects and touches me in these powerful moments — time literally standstill. Its about being awestruck by the scale, beauty and rawness of it.)
3 things Nature taught you?
We are temporary
We are small
Make it matter
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Bridal Veil Falls, Rocky Mountain National Park. My family has had a 3, now 4 generation affair with the Estes Park, Rocky Mountain National Park. Bridal Veil Falls is a hike I first walked as a child and each time I go back, it is not only beautiful but reminds me of family roots and connectedness.
Crescent Meadow, Sequoia National Park. This place literally shimmers and those trees, those ancient trees, are magical.
Sneffles Range, Colorado. The air, the sun, the exertion to get there and to the top. Worth it.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Calm, humble
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Life, hushed
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Awestruck and a touch of fear
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Reflective, grateful to breathe
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Like a little kid
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Alone
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mountain
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10+
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Floating.
Summer rays.
In a prairie freshwater lake.
Watching the bubbles come out of my nose. Diving and feeling the water cool ....
as it becomes darker and deeper.
Down further.
Holding my breath.
Watching fish watch me.
Currents pulsing through my fingers. Freedom
Miki Agrawal
Miki Agrawal was named 2018 Fast Company’s “Most Creative People”, 2017 “Young Global Leader” by World Economic Forum, “Social Entrepreneur of the Year” by the World Technology Summit, “Top 20 millennials on a mission” by Forbes, and was one of INC Magazine’s “Most Impressive Women Entrepreneurs of 2016.” That year, she made the cover of both Entrepreneur Magazine and Crain’s Magazine. She is the recipient of the Tribeca Innovation Award and was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in Brooklyn Culture in 2017 by the Brooklyn Magazine.
She co-founded THINX, a high-tech, period-proof underwear brand and led the company as CEO to a valuation of over $150 Million and to Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2017, all while helping tens of millions of women period better.
She also founded TUSHY, a company that is revolutionizing the American toilet category with a modern, affordable, designer bidet attachment that both upgrades human health & hygiene as well as the environment from wasteful toilet paper consumption. She and her team are also helping fight the global sanitation crisis by bringing clean latrines to underserved communities in India through their partnership with Samagra. SNL covered TUSHY after its subway campaign was banned. Watch the clip here.
She is the founder of the acclaimed farm-to-table, alternative pizza concept called WILD with 3 locations in New York City, one in Guatemala and more on the way.
Additionally, Harper Collins published her first book entitled "DO COOL SH*T" on entrepreneurship and lifestyle design. Hay House published her second book “Disrupt-Her”.
3 words to describe Nature?
Alive. Present. Symbiotic
3 things Nature taught you?
That we are tiny specs of dust that are here for a short amount of time, so we must add more to nature than take away from it.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The Catskills
My backyard garden
Redwood forest in California
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?
Ever-present
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
Meditative
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
Powerful
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel…?
Rejuvenated
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?
Energetic
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel…?
Alive
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?
Going camping in Stowe with my family and climbing Mt Orford at 3 years old and feeling very accomplished :-)
Roz Savage
Roz Savage is an ocean rower, speaker, author, sustainability advocate, and thought leader on the big existential questions of the 21st century. Her feats have been described by Sir Richard Branson as “Heroic, epic, inspiring, historic.” Best known as the first (and so far only) woman to row solo across the world’s “Big Three” oceans - the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian - Rosalind Savage inspires audiences to think again about what is possible, and encourages them to step up fully into the potential of their highest selves.
She has spoken to tens of thousands of people across six continents, including Google, eBay, Hershey, Disney, Kaiser Permanente, National Geographic, the Royal Geographical Society, TED and TEDx, plus numerous schools, universities and corporations.
Roz has appeared on numerous TV channels including CBS, ESPN, Fox News, Channel Four and the BBC, and has been a frequent guest on various radio stations including NPR, BBC (Radio Four, World Service), and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
She has been featured in a wide range of newspapers including the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The Sunday Times, The Observer, The Daily Mail, The Daily Express, The Financial Times and the Evening Standard. Magazine features include Sports Illustrated, Grazia, Red, Outside Magazine and Fortune Magazine. She has written for numerous magazines and websites including Forbes and the Huffington Post, and contributed to over a dozen books on conservation, adventure, lifestyle and women
A documentary based on her Atlantic voyage, “Rowing the Atlantic”, was screened in 32 countries as a finalist in the prestigious Banff Mountain Film Festival.
She has authored two books: “Rowing The Atlantic: Lessons Learned on the Open Ocean” (Simon & Schuster, 2009) and "Stop Drifting, Start Rowing” (Hay House, 2013).
In 2010 Roz was named Adventurer of the Year by National Geographic. In 2012 she was a World Fellow at Yale. In 2013 she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to fundraising and the environment. In 2017 she took up a position at Yale, lecturing on Courage in Theory and Practice.
3 words to describe Nature?
Awe-inspiring. Nourishing. Vital
3 things Nature taught you?
Respect
Humility
Confidence
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Holy Isle, Scotland
Californian Redwoods
The beaches of southwestern Australia
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Sad, because they’re in such trouble
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Happy – I love being around trees
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
That the Earth is not as solid or as static as we like to pretend
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Joy
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Excited
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Energised
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mountain
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
11!
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
My mother, sister and I walked the Sandstone Trail when we were living in Cheshire. I especially remember a stretch of the path near Alderley Edge, where there was a row of craggy and scarred Scots Pines fringing the top of a hill. I just loved those trees. They looked like they had experienced so much in their lifetimes. Even now I get that sense when I’m around an old tree – I wonder what changes they have already seen, and what further changes they will see in the future.