Mary Poffenroth
Whether through making original content for TEDed and Wiley & Sons, writing for Science & Forbes, or speaking to live audiences at TEDx & SXSW, Mary Poffenroth’s goals are the same: Make Science Accessible for All. A Salzburg Global Fellow and first generation college student, she holds two masters degrees, one in biology and the other in science communication from Imperial College London. She is the author of Write Present Create: Science Communication for Undergraduates and has taught nearly 20,000 students both in person and online since 2007. Her work has been featured in legacy media outlets such as Time magazine and National Geographic as well as garnering views in the millions with YouTube’s Mahalo. Mary began her research career in astrophysiology at NASA Ames Research Center Moffet Field in 1999 and now focuses her research on the intersection of fear science, communication, and personal/social change as STEM faculty for San Jose State University. Listen to a recent interview with Allie Ward about Fear here Part 1 & Part 2
3 words to describe Nature?
Cleansing. Terrifying. Balancing
3 things Nature taught you?
To be self reliant
To duck under a bush when being shot at
To not pee on your pants while being a lady peeing in the woods
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Muir woods
Big Sur
Any beach on the planet
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Like I’m Home
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Like adventure is afoot
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Exhilarated
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Sunrise = refreshed
Sunset = most likely a bit tipsy if I have taken the time to watch, I am most likely with friends drinking wine on a beach
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Ooohh when is the lightning gonna come
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Ready to jump into (faux) furry blankets with my puppy and a good audio book
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean first, Mountain and forest are the same for me as an equal second, desert is a stark last place
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10… obvi
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I was the outcast for loving nature in my family. My mother abhorred it unless it was tamed by a planter box. But i would find ways, big and small, to sneak into and onto the wild in an attempt to connect to something I did not have words for at the time.
Chunlei Guo
Chunlei Guo is a professor in Optics and Physics at University of Rochester. He is a Fellow of American Physical Society and Optical Society of America. He also serves as the Editor-in-Chief for one of the most widely recognized handbooks in lasers and optics, CRC Handbook of Laser Technology and Applications (2nd Edition).
Often inspired by species in nature, from lotus to butterflies to spiders, his research at Rochester led to the discoveries of a range of highly functionalized materials through laser processing, including the black and colored metals, and superhydrophilic and superhydrophobic surfaces. These technologies have a broad range of applications and have been covered extensively by the media, including the New York Times, CNN, MSNBC, BBC, Discovery, The Economist, Popular Science, Time, ABC, and many more (read here). Over the past few years, he has been working closely with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in developing technologies for global sanitation, water conservation, renewable energy, and sustainability. He discussed his work in the TEDx below.
3 words to describe Nature?
Peaceful. Inspiring. Eternal.
3 things Nature taught you?
Humility
Kindness
Knowledge
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Okavango delta (Botswana)
Himalaya mountain range (Tibet)
Cappadocia (Turkey).
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Calm
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Curious
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Energized
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Passionate
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Awakening
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Reflective
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I like them all.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
A hiking trip with a few childhood friends. We were going further and further along a woody road with no end in sight. We were nervous but all wanted to keep going...
John Coyle
John K. Coyle, #TheTimeGuy, is a world leading expert in innovation and Design Thinking, and best-selling author of Design For Strengths: Applying Design Thinking to Individual and Team Strengths (2018) and The Art of Really Living Manifesto (2016). A graduate of Stanford University’s Product Design Program, John is an NBC sports analyst, two-time TEDx presenter, and sought-after keynote speaker. He earned an Olympic silver medal for speedskating.
John is a thought leader in the field of chronoception—the study of how humans process time. He lectures and teaches innovation courses at Marquette University, Northwestern University and CEDIM University Graduate School in Mexico. His mission is to innovate the human experience.
3 words to describe Nature?
Wind. Sand. Water.
3 things Nature taught you?
The oxymoron that I am tiny in the grand scheme if things… yet I matter.
Color and light are a core source of joy.
I am never alone in nature - only in cities with people.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Sonoran sunsets
Yucatan cenotes
Utah snowfields
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?
Home. I was raised on a lake and on boats: the scent, reflections and ripples of wind and water return me to my youth and possibility.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
An adventure brewing. What is behind that copse? If I climb the ridge will I see the world?
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
Like climbing to the caldera and looking into the mouth of the world…
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel…?
That despite hedonic adaptation to almost everything (particularly money or success) a sunset NEVER gets old.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?
Fearless. As kids we used to run outside in lightening storms, pelted by the big drops waiting for that first big rush of wind and leaning into it with smiles.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel…?
That I need to move. The wind is the devil: it hounds you, never lets you go, slows you, makes you hot, makes you cold, makes it impossible to relax and read. I need to get the hell out of Chicago… it is always windy.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I am an Ocean/Desert person hence I am moving to the Baja peninsula in August!
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10. I am an “outdoor person”. As my parents used to say, “in or out!” I was always out. Pretty sure I never wore shoes or a shirt until I was 10 or 11 in summer.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I’ve now seen it a couple of times. Late summer / early fall, last hot day with warm rain in the evening spurs a “frog crossing”. Thousands of frogs and toads use the cover of darkness, the wetness and warmth to migrate (to where? a new home?) and like worms after a downpour, they are everywhere. One evening when I was maybe 8, there were 3 white owls swiveling their necks in my driveway eating frogs like they were in a french buffet…
Sharad Kharé
Sharad is the co-founder of media company Kharé Communications. Beside creating content for companies such as Indochino, Innovative Fitness, Microsoft, Goldcorp, UN Women, Emily Carr University, Oncosec, Draper University, TEDx, Rick Hansen Foundation, Arkay Packaging and many others, he has been producing legacy documentaries and interviewing some of the world’s most interesting individuals. His infectious positive energy and communicative talents has allowed to sit down with people such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Meryl Streep, Helen Mirren, Jack & Suzy Welch, Chip Wilson, May Musk, Dr. Ron Burnett, Tim Draper, Bing Thom, and many more.
Sharad has a Masters in Communications and coaches storytelling & branding to leaders in private industries and public companies.
He is the co-founder of “The Indigenous Collective” and has been a prolific collaborator with the Indigenous community, directing and producing video projects that capture First Nations stories and culture. His past projects include the documentary Breaking Down Walls, Building Bridges (BCIT), Diversity Circles project video series, James Hart: The Dance Screen (Vancouver Art Gallery, and an Indigenous-women awareness video featuring Ellena Neel (BWSS).
Sharad is currently the President of TIE Vancouver, a global entrepreneur group that mentors and advises some of the most active entrepreneurs in the world.
3 words to describe Nature?
GREEN, BLUE, GOLDEN
3 things Nature taught you?
EVERYTHING HAS LIFE
WE MUST FEED THE EARTH AS WE FEED OUR OWN BODIES
THE SUN IS LIKE A GOD TO ME
3 most treasured Nature spots?
SANTA MONICA PIER
THE BEACHES OF GOA
DEER LAKE WHERE I GOT MARRIED
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
CALM AND RELAXED
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
LIKE EXPLORING
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
LIKE I AM SO SMALL IN COMPARISON
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
LIKE I AM CLOSE TO GOD
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
ANXIOUS FOR THE NEXT ONE TO COME
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
LIKE THE AIR HAS LIFE
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?
WHEN I WAS YOUNGER WE HAD A FOREST CLOSE TO OUR HOME. MY BROTHER, MY NEIGHBOURS, AND I WOULD EXPLORE IN THEIR WITH OUR BIKES AND PRETEND WE WERE CHARACTERS OF THE HOBBIT. WE WOULD ALSO SEARCH FOR ANIMALS THAT LIVED THERE BUT WE NEVER FOUND ANY.
Kody & Kyler McCormick
Brotherly duo, Kody and Kyler McCormick, founder of The Outbound Life, have never been interested in following the crowd. At young ages they set out to live out their dreams of travel, filmmaking, and entrepreneurship. This non-traditional path lead them to learn from some of their biggest heroes on the planet, receive recognition and sponsorship by some of the top brands in their industries, produce content for Fortune 500 brands, and speak on stages all across the country inspiring youth to chase their passions. The brothers have been seen and heard on platforms ranging from TEDx to Forbes, and LinkedIn’s Official Blog.
3 words to describe Nature?
Adventure. Peace. Recalibration
3 things Nature taught you?
To relax
To push my body physically
To live with less
3 most treasured Nature spots?
BC Canada
Northern California
Colorado Rocky Mountains
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?
Small and humbled
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
As alive as ever.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
Curious of the science behind it
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel…?
Eager to explore
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?
God is in control
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel…?
Determined to push on.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mountain/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’ll never forget taking ski trips with my family as a kid to Colorado. Beyond the hours spent carving fresh powder, my favorite part has always been to ski to an area where I was alone on the mountain where I could sit down and take in the view. The sounds of the world seem to drown away in the surrounding snow and the crisp air has a way of recalibrating the soul. This has been one of my favorite past times and I make it a point to be alone for awhile on every ski trip.
Phil Boissiere
PHIL BOISSIERE is an accomplished executive coach, cognitive performance expert, and Silicon Valley entrepreneur. He brings his zest for life, professionalism, humor, and love of the natural world to all aspects of his work. He has dedicated himself to helping business leaders and entrepreneurs excel with purpose and passion. He believes that when motivated people are given the tools to succeed they will reach their goals and live a life that is rich with meaning. He brings education and an understanding of neurology and it’s role in optimal performance to his clients. Phil holds a certificate in functional nutrition, which allows him to provide valuable education and insights into the role of nutrition in optimal brain performance.
Phil’s lectures and trainings have been well received by many institutions, including: Northwestern University, University of San Francisco, The American Family Therapy Academy, and TEDx.
He also works with organizations, educational institutions, and businesses to create custom curriculum, trainings, and lectures.
Phil co-founded the Elite Focus Clinic in the Silicon Valley specializing in the treatment of adult ADHD, especially amongst entrepreneurs, business professionals, and attorneys connected to the tech world.
He also founded Beyond Focused a web-based video learning series providing simple and proven methods for improving focus and performance.
3 words to describe Nature?
Grounding. Powerful. Wise
3 things Nature taught you?
That the noise of the world in my head is just that, noise.
That we are inseparable from the natural world and our arrogance as humans has tricked us into thinking we can and therefore leading us to destroy it.
What living really is.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
A mushroom shaped reef on the backside of Buck Island off of St. Thomas USVI (if it still exists post hurricanes of 2017).
The “Salt Caves” in Purisima Creek Preserve, in San Mateo County.
Salmon Hole, a swimming hole in Butte Creek outside Chico, CA
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Alive, unbelievably alive. The ocean has always had the power to make me run, jump, swim, cry, and laugh all at the same time. My little ones have the same experience. Our shoes are off rain or shine before we even hit the sand.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
The forest makes me feel healthy and calm. I tend to have the feeling that I want to curl up under a decaying log or fern in a redwood grove and become one with the cool and damp earth.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
I’ve only seen an active volcano in my dreams. I dreamt often of them when I was a child. Maybe I’ll call a therapist to find out what it means ;)
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Frozen, in a good way. I tend to stop everything and look, look, look, and comment on the beauty. Doesn’t matter if I am in mid conversation. My daughter used to say “Daddy, you are always talking about how pretty the light is.” Now, she is able to identify in advance when the clouds are in just the right place for a great sunset. I do prefer sunrise though. The feeling of optimism of the new beautiful day is incredible.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Excited! Very excited. I love the rain that comes with thunder and lightning.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Anxious. Wind has always had a weird effect on my mood. Makes me cranky. Unless I am on a sailboat, then bring it on!
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I spent most of my life as an ocean person. I still am, but have developed a deep love for the mountains. Snow or no snow, the power of a mountain top cannot be beat.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
Does the dial go to 11? If it does, turn it up.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
One of my fondest nature memories as a kid is holding my mom’s hand as little guy on the beach as the surf buried out feet in the sand. I feel like growing up before the zombie era of technological distractions was a gift. A gift of mindful connection to nature and myself. I try to give my kids the same. No TV in our house, and we are out and about exploring the coastline and urban forests of San Francisco rain or shine.