Sponsors: Lindblad Expeditions – National Geographic
Principal Sponsor
Sven-Olof Lindblad, President, CEO, and Founder of Lindblad Expeditions, was born in Switzerland and traveled extensively with his father, renowned adventure-travel pioneer Lars-Eric Lindblad, who led some of the first non-scientific groups of travelers to Galapagos (1967) and Antarctica (1966). In 1979 he launched Special Expeditions, the adventure tourism company that became Lindblad Expeditions, offering marine-focused expeditions aboard small ships. In 2004, Lindblad formed a strategic alliance with National Geographic that combines the strengths of two pioneers in global exploration, with the goal of inspiring people to explore and care about the planet.
Lindblad is an honorary member of the General Assembly of the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands; serves on the Board of The Safina Center and on the National Geographic Council of Advisors; was named commissioner of the Aspen Institute’s Commission on Arctic Climate Change in 2008, is a founding Ocean Elder of the non-profit organization, Ocean Elders, which brings together global leaders to pursue the protection of the ocean’s habitat and wildlife, and serves on the Board of Advisors for Pristine Seas.