ANN BANCROFT
Born: 1955 | Minnesota, USA

THIRSTY for girls and women to follow their dreams, creating access to our potential and power as individuals. 

Ann Bancroft is one of the world´s preeminent polar explorers and an internationally recognized leader who is dedicated to inspiring women, girls and audiences around the world to unleash the power of their dreams. She is Founder of the Ann Bancroft Foundation, an organization that supports girls to live their wildest dreams. Ann is a Fellow and Trustee at Wings Women of Discovery. Through her various roles as an explorer, educator and sought-after speaker, Bancroft believes that, by sharing stories related to her dreams of outdoor adventure, she can help inspire a global audience to pursue their individual dreams.

LIV ARNESEN
Born: 1953 | Bærum, Norway

THIRSTY for an international dialogue between youth, creating access to a way for people to make a difference in the world.

Liv (pronounced ‘leave’) Arnesen’s rich life experiences, both on and off the ice, have made her an internationally recognized leader and role model for women and girls. A self-proclaimed ‘keen’ but not fanatical outdoors enthusiast, Arnesen is most interested in the development of adults and children. Through her diverse roles as a polar explorer, educator and motivational leader, Arnesen inspires others to reach beyond their normal boundaries and achieve their dreams by sharing her own stories about exploring the most remote places on earth.

For speaking inquires: LivArnesen.com

LISA TE HEUHEU
Born: 1981 | Turangi, New Zealand

Lisa is a Māori women from Aotearoa (New Zealand) and has tribal affiliations to Ngapuhi, Ngati Raukawa, Waikato and through her husband Gerard affiliation to Tūwharetoa. Lisa has had an extensive career in Māori Environmental Management for almost two decades driving environmental outcomes led by Māori perspective and values. She is currently an active indigenous researcher and sought after indigenous governor with multiple projects inclusive of:

• Oceans project looking at ocean management and conservation led by traditional indigenous knowledge with case studies based in Aotearoa and Internationally

• Research focused on the indigenisation of conservation estate currently under government management and control with specific focus on Tongariro National Park

• Independent advice to Te Matawai an organisation dedicated to nurturing Te Reo Māori language in Māori homes and communities

Lisa has been with Bancroft Arnesen Explore since 2009, and was the first Māori Women to raft the length of the Ganges River in 2015 and participated in the 2016 Kontiki Science Expedition sailing on a Balsa Log Raft from Rapa Nui to Chile.

OLFAT HAIDER
Born: 1970 | Haifa, Israel

Thirsty for multicultural connection, creating access to empathy and equality.

Olfat is proud to be both Palestinian and Israeli. She gets influence from both cultures. Her roots are Palestinian, but she was born and raised in Israel. As an Arab in Israel, Olfat often felt like she was living in conflict. She faced discrimination from both Jewish and Arab societies as she struggled to find her place. That experience fueled her to lead outdoor adventures to promote peace between Jews and Arabs through outdoor adventures. Olfat is the Program Manager at Beit Gaefen – an Arab-Jewish Center in Haifa. One of her projects involves leading an annual student expedition to the Alps. Olfat was born and raised in Haifa, Israel, where she lives today. As an outstanding young volleyball player, she joined the Israeli National Women’s Team, as its only Arab member. She has been involved in several projects promoting peaceful co-existence between Jewish and Arab youth in Israel. She has also led and facilitated numerous multicultural and multi-ethnic groups of various ages in wide-ranging projects and initiatives.

JIAOJIAO HU
Born: 1988 | Yunnan, China

THIRSTY for a sustainable future, creating access to a global community and international cooperation around water.

With a bachelor’s degree and four master’s degrees, JiaoJiao is thirsty for knowledge and solutions about global economics, land management, and a sustainable future. She believes that the sustainability of life depends on the sustainability of our water resources. Jiaojiao Hu is an explorer, a mother, director and founder of Polar Hub. She has been mountaineering and rafting since 2007 and used to work as a consultant for a sustainability consultancy. Founded in May 2017, Polar Hub is an innovative NGO in China, advocating for climate action through engaging in cryosphere scientific expeditions, citizen science, and science communication. She and her husband, Wen Xu, organize and lead expeditions for scientists in the mountains and to glacial areas to study climate change. She joined the Access Water team on the Ganges River in 2015, organized the team’s visit to the Yangtze River in China in 2016, and is looking forward to learning more about Aoteroa.

KRUSHNAA PATIL
Born: 1989 | Mumbai, India

THIRSTY for a revolution, creating access to a change that comes from within.

In 2009, Krushnaa Patil became the youngest Indian woman to climb Mt. Everest at 19 years old. From there, she went on to climb the Seven Summits, the highest mountains of each of the seven continents. Krushnaa is a mountaineer, a dancer, a cyclist, a dog-lover, and a changemaker. Whether it is climbing the tallest peaks in the world, cycling over 5,000 kilometers on the east and west coasts of India, or traveling over 700 kilometers through the Andes Mountains on horseback, Krushnaa strives to make an impact on the world with every one of her expeditions. She is currently working with Global Shapers in Mumbai to build a toilet out of trash and plastic bottles. Her company, Yellow Frog Adventures, brings outdoor adventures to larger audiences through social media. She shares that, in the wilderness, we are not men or women, Indian or Chinese. We are just humans who need to work together to survive. Krushnaa lives and breathes that message in her day to day life, inspiring people in India and around the world to work collaboratively on global water issues.

ANA MARÍA ATIENZA
Born: 1977 | Tucumán, Argentina

THIRSTY for a global network, creating access to international water issues and solutions for Latin American people. 

Ana Maria is a creative and relentless communicator for justice. She feels the weight of our past, present, and future decisions and strives to create a better world, one day at a time. Ana María is a graphic designer and documentary filmmaker. She exercises her talents and expresses her values as a project manager with the Latin American Center for Development and Participatory Communication, a non-profit foundation that promotes sustainable development in rural areas. In 2010, she founded O-IRSE, The Human Rights Observatory of Tucumán Women’s Prison, to share powerful stories of incarcerated women and their struggle for justice through theater and art. She joined the Access Water team in 2017 and her first expedition (ever!) will take place on the Mississippi River in 2018.

MONICAH NKINA SAIRO
Born: 1986 | Nairobi, Kenya

THIRSTY for a transformation of communities world-wide, creating access to sustainable ecosystem management and water resources.

Monicah is Maasai, an ambassador of Kenya, and lives in a semi-arid region where her village's livelihood is solely dependent on livestock. She was one of the first women in her village to obtain a college degree and has continued her education with a focus on development and water. Access to clean water is vital for the Maasai youth to attend school, the empowerment of women in the villages, and the sustainability of the culture, traditions, and economy in Kenya. She partnered with her uncle to start a school to teach children about ecosystem management and water resources. In Kenya, 5,000 children die every year as a result of poor water sanitation and she's tackling on the issue of water sanitation in hopes to decrease the mortality rate. She joined Access Water in 2017 and looks forward to weave together the struggles and successes from around the world to better understand the big picture of our changing natural, social, and political environments.