Associate Professor Dr. Mazuki Mohd Yasim is an academic at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Malaysia, with expertise in outdoor education, experiential learning, and adventure-based programmes. His work focuses on connecting theory with practical learning experiences, especially in areas such as outdoor leadership, facilitation, and risk management.

He is actively involved in developing courses, training modules, and research related to outdoor education and residential outdoor learning. Dr. Mazuki is also known for contributing to the improvement of safety practices, professional standards, and standard operating procedures for outdoor activities.

In addition to his teaching and research, he works closely with local and international partners in educational and community-based programmes. His efforts aim to strengthen students’ skills, leadership, and professional practice through meaningful learning in outdoor settings. Through his academic and practical contributions, he continues to support the growth of outdoor education as an important field in higher education and human development.

A seasoned outdoor educator and leadership facilitator, Sandi founded Jelajah Outdoor in 2013 to advance the practice of experiential education in Indonesia. With a background in youth development, adventure facilitation, and sustainable tourism, Sandi guides the organization’s strategic direction and develops partnerships to support its programs.

Sandi has led the design and delivery of outdoor and experiential learning programs for students, educators, and organizations. This work focuses on leadership development, outdoor skills, and environmental awareness, with an emphasis on locally relevant approaches and community engagement.

In addition to overseeing operations, Sandi supports facilitator training and program implementation, helping maintain consistent standards for safety and program delivery. Through Jelajah Outdoor, Sandi continues to contribute to the growth of experiential education in Indonesia by expanding access to structured outdoor learning opportunities.

Shantanu is a consultant and outdoor educator based in Mumbai, India. His current work includes advising outdoor organizations on leadership development, risk management, and alignment with international certifications. He designs and delivers experiential learning programs, conducts risk management courses on behalf of the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India, and teaches wilderness first aid.

Shantanu previously spent a decade running an adventure travel company. He has also served as a trustee for an organization delivering outdoor education programs for children. His voluntary work includes facilitating workshops for outdoor clubs focused on leadership, land-based technical skills, and organizational restructuring. In addition, he has undertaken risk management contracts related to work-at-height projects. His advocacy work through a non-governmental organization contributed to state government policy development for adventure tourism in 2021.

His instructional experience includes teaching outdoor leadership courses with NOLS from 2000 to 2013, and with Aerie Backcountry Medicine, in association with the Hanifl Centre, India, from 2015 to 2019.

Isamu is Co-Director of WMA Japan and leads Wilderness Medical Associates courses across the country. In addition to his WEMT certification, he brings a decade of lifeguarding experience in Japan, strengthening his practical medical and rescue background.

He is also a professional hiking guide, with experience in both the Canadian Rockies and mountain regions throughout Japan. His work bridges outdoor leadership and safety education, with a focus on preparing individuals for real-world conditions.

Isamu is particularly committed to shifting public perceptions in Japan around outdoor risk and natural disasters, emphasizing the importance of preparedness and informed decision-making. When not teaching, he guides international hikers in Japan, helping them safely experience the country’s diverse mountain environments.

Lynda is the Head of Barge Program and Head of Community at Traidhos Three-Generation Community For Learning, where she oversees a range of experiential learning initiatives across Thailand. Her work includes leadership of the Traidhos Barge Program in Bangkok, as well as the Visiting Schools and Camp Programs in Chiang Mai, and the Three Generation Farm and cooking programs.

Originally from near London in the United Kingdom, Lynda has a background in primary education and has spent many years working in Thailand as an environmental educator. Her approach emphasizes hands-on, place-based learning that supports student engagement and understanding of living sustainably .

In her role, she manages program development, coordination, and delivery across diverse educational settings. She focuses on creating structured learning environments that connect participants with local culture, community, and the natural environment, supporting schools and groups through well-designed experiential programming.

Emma is Cross Campus Head of Trips and Outdoor Education at Bangkok Patana School in Thailand, where she oversees risk management and operations for a large-scale program of approximately 130 trips and 5,400 students annually. Her work spans diverse, globally distributed experiential programs across Asia, Africa, Australia and beyond, including both professionally guided and student-led initiatives.

With 21 years of experience, Emma has led outdoor and experiential education programs across six continents, ranging from single-day trips to extended expeditions. She previously served as Trip Safety Manager at United World College of South East Asia, managing more than 800 trips annually, and has held teaching and residential roles in multiple international school settings.

Emma holds a Bachelor of Arts in Outdoor Education, a Graduate Certificate in Education and a Middle Years Diploma of Education from La Trobe University.

Moshiur is the Founder and Chief Executive of Safety Assistance for Emergencies (SAFE), a non-profit trust based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Established in 2001, SAFE works to assist individuals and communities affected by natural disasters and other emergencies across the country.

Under his leadership, SAFE provides emergency relief to those impacted by floods, cyclones, and other natural or human-made disasters. SAFE also conducts activities focused on safety awareness, disaster preparedness, and emergency response in Bangladesh

In addition, he was the founding secretary general of the Bangladesh Adventure Tourism Association, which works to encourage, facilitate, and control adventure travel in Bangladesh.

Moshiur oversees the association’s policy and operations, encouraging risk management and adventure safety education. Through his efforts, Bangladesh’s outdoor adventure safety, inclusivity, and response capabilities are strengthened.

Chan Yuen-Li is the founder of Nomad Adventure and Regional Director for Southeast Asia with Rescue 3 International, where she serves as an instructor trainer in Swiftwater and Technical Rope Rescue. With more than 30 years of experience, she has played a leading role in developing Malaysia’s outdoor industry.

She established the country’s first climbing gym and led first descents of several whitewater rivers, including Sungai Kampar. In 1998, she captained Toyota Team 2020 in the Eco Challenge in Morocco, part of the first Asian team to complete the race.

She led Nomad Adventure to become Malaysia’s first outdoor company certified to ISO 9001:2015 and the first in Asia to achieve ISO 31031 conformity for managing risk in youth and educational travel. Her work focuses on building robust safety systems, incident prevention, and decision-making under uncertainty in dynamic environments.

Since 2020, she has also developed climate-friendly waste technology through Phoenix Waste Solutions, extending her risk-based approach to resilient infrastructure systems.

Mark is the Executive Director at the International Sustainable Development Studies Institute (ISDSI), an educational institution offering experiential study-abroad programs for students currently enrolled at universities and colleges in the USA. Based in Chiang Mai, Thailand, he leads program development, staffing, academic oversight, and teaching for an expedition-based curriculum rooted in community engagement and cultural immersion.

With over 25 years of experience guiding ISDSI’s growth, Mark brings deep expertise in risk management across international and expedition settings. He also collaborates with leading American colleges and universities, presenting at professional conferences on study abroad risk management and curriculum development.

Dushantha is a professional hiker, creative ideologist, and trekking gear specialist committed to raising safety standards in tropical wilderness operations. He leverages technical expertise in gear innovation and modification, along with thorough planning for trekking tours.

His approach to trekking tourism product development emphasizes operational excellence and effective risk mitigation. Dushantha holds an NVQ 4 in hiking and trekking and a Pearson qualification in travel, tourism and hospitality management. He specializes in connecting complex field logistics with proactive safety procedures. He is currently writing a comprehensive guidebook for tropical trekking, the first to address hiking culture, specialized gear, and repair protocols for high-humidity environments.

Jack is the Founder and General Manager of Terratribes, where he leads the design and delivery of outdoor education programs for thousands of international school students each year.

Active in climbing and outdoor sports education since 2004 across China and internationally, he serves as a rock climbing course instructor with Chengdu LeadClimb School. He is a Wilderness First Responder and instructor with Wilderness Medical Associates International, an operator with Rescue 3 International, a certified kayak and stand-up paddleboard instructor with the American Canoe Association, and a licensed boat pilot with the Royal Yachting Association.

Jack is a member of the Professional Association of Climbing Instructors, China Mountaineering Association, and the China Mountaineering Development Institute, and is recognized as a China National Rescuer.

He has also contributed to the management and execution of major international events, including the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.

Ajeet has completed the Explorer’s Grand Slam, which includes skiing to both the North and South Poles and summiting the Seven Summits, the highest mountain on each continent, placing him in an exceptionally rare league of global explorers.

With over 40 years of pioneering leadership in adventure sports, he is the first Indian to complete the Polar Trilogy – skiing to the North Pole, the South Pole and across the Greenland icecap.

In 2018, Ajeet and his daughter Deeya made history as the first Indian father–daughter team and the first parent child team to summit Mount Everest from the North Side in Tibet, a powerful symbol of empowerment for girls everywhere.

He is also the first Asian to raft and kayak some of the world’s most formidable rivers across six continents and has pioneered numerous first descents on India’s rivers—by both rafting and kayaking—opening new routes through some of the country’s most challenging rivers.

Beyond exploration, Ajeet has distinguished himself in competitive sport, earning a bronze medal in kayaking at the National Games and a silver and two bronze medals in international river rafting championships in Switzerland and Russia. He led the international team as captain at the World White Water Rafting Championships in Turkey. He has conducted more than fifty specialized rafting and kayaking courses for the Indian Armed Forces, including elite special forces.

Honoured with the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian awards, Ajeet has been further recognized through induction into the Halls of Fame of both the Indian Association of Tour Operators and the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India. Ajeet is a fellow of Aspen Global Leadership Network and fellow, Royal Geographical Society. Ajeet is respected as a pioneer of adventure tourism, river rafting, white water & sea kayaking and expedition skiing in the country. Ajeet played a pivotal role in establishing safety standards for the adventure tourism industry in India.

Ajeet is the Managing Director of Snow Leopard Adventures, a 36- year legacy brand and four-time national awardee in tourism, where he continues to drive industry benchmarks in exceptional outdoor experiences, operational excellence and industry-leading safety standards. He is the Vice Chair of FAITH (Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality) and is the President of the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India.

Ajeet has worked with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (UNWTO), chaired the Camping and Caravan Tourism Policy for India’s Ministry of Tourism and is Fellow, Aspen Global Leadership Network and Royal Geographical Society. In 2017, he was invited to the Champions of Change event with the Prime Minister of India.

He is a member of The Board of Governors for the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management and on the Board of St. Mary’s School, New Delhi.

Jeff A. Baierlein (he/him) has been working professionally since 1987 with outdoor education, environmental education, adventure education and experiential education organizations in the USA and around the world. He led remote wilderness expeditions, worked as a naturalist-educator, served as an Emergency Medical Technician with ambulance services, led search and rescue missions, and was appointed to the Washington State Governor’s Council on Environmental Education.

Prior to founding Viristar, Jeff served as Executive Director of both the Boojum Institute for Experiential Education and the Baltimore Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound Center. His writing and lectures have been translated into Japanese, Vietnamese, Russian, Marathi, and Chinese.

Kaelan Young (she/her) brings her passion for the outdoors and a rich background in outdoor and experiential education to her role as Communications Manager at Viristar. With a degree from the University of Southern Mississippi, Kaelan has woven her experiences as an elementary educator, outdoor educator, and her expertise in marketing and operations for outdoor education organizations into her professional journey.

She previously served as Marketing Manager for the largest forest school in the USA, where she led strategic communications, brand development, and community engagement initiatives. Prior to working with Viristar, she also served as Director of Operations for an outdoor learning nonprofit in Idaho, overseeing program development, staff coordination, and organizational strategy, ensuring high-quality and impactful experiences for learners of all ages.