Event Details

Team India

Jill's Youth Ambassador Tips

John Toth's Leadership Tips

Live Broadcast Schedule

The real heroes of the impossible2Possible Youth Expeditions are the Youth Ambassadors. They not only defy any perceived physical or mental barriers in their own lives, but they truly inspire the thousands of students who follow their every step during an expedition.

These Youth Ambassadors will lead positive social action and are therefore ideal role models for today's youth. They are joined by the i2P Expedition Team; a group of passionate individuals that volunteer their time before, during and after expeditions. See links below for details!

Youth Ambassadors

Expedition Team

Education & Research Team

Logistics Team

Emma Cook-Clarke

Emma has just graduated from high school in Calgary, Alberta, Canada where she was on the cross-country running, soccer, basketball, track, and rugby teams. Sports have always been a big part of Emma's life, and through these sports she has learned the importance of teamwork, translating to the better good for everyone, rather than focusing on one's self. She is now playing on Team Alberta for Rugby and playing club soccer. Within the school, Emma was an active member of Student Council, played the clarinet in the Concert Band, and took part in a Sports Medicine Program, where she was the athletic trainer for the senior boys basketball team. Emma contributed to the school community in many ways and was recognized with numerous awards and scholarships, including "Valued Student", "Class Act", Honour Society and two athletic scholarships.

After the expedition, Emma is going to travel in India and Asia, spending time volunteering in orphanages and schools, along with wildlife sanctuaries. In fall of 2012, she plans to be attending the University of Calgary studying environmental sciences.

Emma has had many wilderness adventures including two-week canoe trips on challenging rivers and lakes throughout Canada, which has inspired her to work towards protecting the environment. Traveling with her family to different parts of the world has given Emma the opportunity to experience different cultures and appreciate how fortunate many of us are in Canada. She cares deeply about making the world a better place for everyone, which makes her extremely excited to be able to be a part of this expedition to hopefully inspire others.

Emma is passionate about sport and adventure and loves being able to push herself harder than she has ever gone, challenging herself with different tasks. Emma dreams to help change lives for the better by promoting healthy lifestyles.

Jessica Kenny

Jessica is currently a senior at Lake Erie College in Painesville, OH. While majoring in Biology with a Pre-Nursing concentration, she plans on attending graduate school to earn her Master's Degree in Physician Assistant Studies. With having such a passion for children, she plans to go into the field of Pediatrics in the Hematology and Oncology unit and hopes to join The American Cancer Society in the pledge for creating a world with less cancer and more birthdays. As her dad lives in China, Jessica has traveled to several countries. In doing so, she has learned about many different cultures, and cannot wait to add India to the list.

Jessica is a football and basketball cheerleader for the Lake Erie College Storm and she has cheered for over 10 years. Being involved in running track in high school, she was used to only running sprints up to 400 meters. Her mind set quickly changed when she got into training for a half marathon and started running 5K races left and right. Jessica strongly believes in the quote by Tommy Lasorda, "The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination." Although Jessica is busy with her studies, cheering, running and balancing a job, she still finds time to volunteer, which is her biggest passion. As Co-President of Students Making A Difference, Secretary of Student Government Association, Secretary of Mortar Board, and a member of Student Athletic Advisory Committee, she puts in many hours volunteering and could not see a better way to spend her free time. Jessica is extremely honored to receive such an opportunity and cannot wait to share her life-changing experience with others.

Harshveer Singh Saluja

Hi guys! I'm Harshveer from Ranchi, India. Ranchi is an upcoming town and is the capital of Jharkhand state. I have hardly spent time at Ranchi. I've studied at a boarding school – The Lawrence School, Lovedale since the sixth grade. My school's motto is 'Never Give In'. The I2P team and the motto are going to be my strength during the expedition. In school, I had the opportunity to play a variety of sports and I represented my school in Cricket, Football, Tennis and Table Tennis but I hated cross country. I did my graduation in Business Administration from Mumbai. During my stay at Mumbai, I discovered my passion for running and cycling. I have been running several half-marathons and do as much cycling that I can. It's my fuel for life now. Ever since my first half marathon, I have been highly motivated to perform better at similar events.

I had been working in my family business at Ranchi after my graduation and I am currently preparing for my post-graduate exam. I want to be an entrepreneur and I am always buzzing with business ideas.

I am also looking forward to the expedition as it is going to test my limits and let me interact with people around the world. The expedition will be by far the coolest, amazing and the most insane thing that I will do in my life. I never believed that I could ever do anything of this sort but with each passing day I anticipate to do my best. I want to thank everybody who supports my running and I2P for making me a part of the India expedition. Fellows, I'm ready for the pain and ready to sweat. Let the MADNESS begin!!!

Patrick Doughty

Patrick is currently in his third year at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville studying Construction Management and International Business. Unlike many of the other Youth Ambassadors, Patrick has never been involved in strictly "running" sports throughout his life, but rather has been extremely active in football, baseball, and basketball since he was young. In addition, he has been riding/racing dirt bikes since the age of 4 and competes in hare scrambles, enduros, and motocross.

While in high school, Patrick was involved in three sports and was named an All-Academic Athlete for Baseball, Basketball, and Football, in addition to being named an Illinois State Scholar his senior year. While in high school, Patrick was active in Student Council, serving as a representative and class president, in addition to being active in his local FFA chapter where he held the position of Treasurer. After high school, he decided to take his studies to University of Wisconsin-Platteville where he soon decided to begin his travels. He studied abroad in Newcastle, Australia during his second semester where he made new friends, learned about/experienced a different culture, and learned to surf. He then chose to leave Wisconsin again his fourth semester to study abroad in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. During his studies there, Patrick volunteered weekly at Sinethemba Children's Home and made use of every second in the beautiful country by traveling, surfing, playing rugby, and learning about/experiencing the different cultures.

Patrick is an outdoor enthusiast and also enjoys snowboarding, wakeboarding, sky diving, and bungy jumping. His enthusiasm and desire to explore, interact, and learn is what pushed him to apply for the Youth Ambassador position for the "Expedition India". He loves to live in the moment and take advantage of any and every opportunity presented to him to broaden his knowledge of the world, and to help change the world through his personal experiences and activities. He is extremely grateful for the opportunity he has been presented by i2P and knows that his work will be cut out for him, but also knows that every ounce of pain and every drop of sweat will be worth it in the end.

Expedition Team

Ray Zahab

In 2006/7, Ray and two other runners ran the entire width of the Sahara Desert-7500 kms (4600 miles) in 111 days with no rest days-and in the process learned of the seriousness of the water crisis in Africa. The run was documented in a film directed by Oscar winner James Moll and narrated by Matt Damon. One of the goals of the film is to raise awareness for the water crisis in Africa. Ray is an established ultra marathoner and speaker who uses his athletic career to support intiatives and causes he believes in. Ray is official Athletic Ambassador for the ONEXONE organization and is a board member of the Ryan's Well Foundation. Ray has completed 8 major expeditions to date and was recently a member of the South Pole Quest, the Siberian Express teams and in early 2011 ran the length of the Atacama Desert. He is the founder of impossible2Possible. Visit RayZahab.com.

Bob Cox

Bob Cox has been in athletics all of his life (a lifelong surfer with nearly 10 years in the surf industry) and has recently found his stride in endurance endeavors such as the Canada OnexOne, the Oceanside 70.3 Triathlon, multiple 50k's, and the San Francisco 24hour footrace race with a top ten finish. He spent much of his youth surfing in the Pacific Ocean and from those experiences his passion for our big blue planet was formed. Bob earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science with an emphasis on Public Policy from California State University, Northridge. His appreciation for clean drinking water grew from his profession as a potable and recycled water Cross Connection Specialist in California. In October 2007, Bob met Ray at a Livestrong event in Texas and from that moment he knew his life had changed. From that day forward the two men have dedicated their lives to the message and ideals of i2P.

Kathy Adams

Kathy is an Environmental Advisor with a Crown Corporation of the Canadian government whose responsibilities include reviewing environmental and social documentation, benchmarking against international standards. Additional duties include risk reviews and monitoring of international projects. Kathy takes an active role in defining the relationships of i2P's many partners as it pertains to corporate social responsibility policies and initiatives. An experienced ultra marathoner, Kathy has participated in 2 of the i2P Youth Expeditions as both a mentor and coordinator. Kathy also continues to pursue her own athletic goals, with planned running expeditions in the future.

Ferg Hawke

Ferg is a 53 year old father of two children, Carter age 21, and Connie age 18. He lives in South Surrey British Columbia with Cheryl his wife of 26 years. Ferg has been competing in triathlon, marathon and ultra marathons since 1989.

His triathlon resume includes a 9:27 Ironman and a third place finish at the three day Ultraman Triathlon World Championships in Kona Hawaii. Ferg has run a 3:01 marathon split at the Ironman and a 6:44 clocking in the double marathon leg of the Ultraman. Ferg also competed for Canada as a member of the Canadian National Triathlon team in 1991, representing Canada at the World Triathlon Championships in Surfer's Paradise, Australia.

In the sport of ultra marathon Ferg finished first place in the inaugural Eagle 100 miler, Canada's toughest trail run. In the world-renowned classic multi-stage Marathon des Sables, held in the Sahara desert in Morocco, his eighth place performance is the highest ever by a North American. Ferg has twice finished 2nd overall that the 135 mile Badwater Ultramarathon held in Death Valley California. Ferg has also worked on the "Run For One Planet" team as a physical trainer and nutrition consultant during Matt Hill and Stephanie Tait's amazing 11,000 mile run around North America. This is Ferg's second i2P Youth Expedition.

Education and Research Team

Dr. Ewan Affleck

Ewan brings the combined skills of physician, administrator and ultra runner to the i2P team. A graduate of the McGill School of Medicine, and Dalhousie University where he studied history, he has worked and lived in Northern Canada since 1992. He is the long serving Medical Director of the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority and Clinical Director of Family Medicine at Stanton Territorial Hospital. He has conceived designed and implemented numerous successful Health Information Technology projects. He maintains an active clinical practice, providing both hospital based and remote community services. He is passionate about designing sustainable health services for remote northern communities. Ewan has been running for many years, and much prefers to run on snow than on asphalt. He served as the Medical Director for the 2008 Arctic Winter Games, and volunteered as a physician at the Vancouver Olympics. He has won 2 northern ultra marathons. Based on his commitment to physical fitness he was one of 20 Canadian physicians selected by the Canadian Medical Association to carry the Olympic Torch. He is married and has 2 children who share his passion for sport.

Dr. Greg Wells

Greg Wells, Ph.D. is a scientist and physiologist who specializes in health and performance in extreme conditions. Most recently, Dr. Wells was the host of the Gemini-Award winning "Superbodies" segments for Canada's national Olympic broadcast and the on-camera sport science and sport medicine analyst for the CTV Broadcast Consortium, ABC News and ABC's 20/20 during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Dr. Wells' on-camera analysis will be a part of CTV's 2012 Olympic broadcast in London. Dr. Wells is also a regular contributor to CTV's Canada AM, and has appeared on TSN's Off the Record.

As a researcher, Dr. Wells is working in a field of investigation called 'exercise medicine' where he uses specific exercise protocols to test the limitations of the human body in various diseases – mostly related to muscle and lung conditions. He has been using advanced MRI technologies to measure these limitations, as MRI does not require any radiation or drugs and can offer a look inside the human body without the use of needles or other invasive measures. He is currently a scientist at the Toronto General Hospital and the Hospital for Sick Children.

Dr. Wells teaches at the University of Toronto where he is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesia in the Faculty of Medicine. Dr. Wells also teaches Canada's elite sport coaches at the National Coaching Institute.

His professional work as an applied exercise physiologist at the Canadian Sport Centre where he is the Director of Sport Science. He has had the opportunity to work with dozens of athletes who have won medals at Commonwealth Games, World Championships and the Olympic Games. Since 2002 he has served as the Exercise Physiologist for the Royal Canadian Golf Association and is a regular contributor to Golf Canada and Fairways Golf magazines.

Dr. Wells is invited to speak at leading sports and medical organizations around the world, including the International Olympic Committee, International Congress on Child Neurology, Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, and the American College of Sports Medicine.

He also believes that to truly understand extreme conditions you should experience them yourself. To this end Dr. Wells continues to build on his experiences as a former international level competitive swimmer, as a marathon runner (having twice completed the world's toughest marathon 600 miles north of the arctic circle), and recently completed 11,000 km in the Tour D'Afrique bike race – the longest bike race in the world (pictures).

Dr. George R. Agnes

George is a faculty member at Simon Fraser University in the Department of Chemistry. He is currently serving the SFU community in an additional role as Associate Dean of Graduate Studies where he is a member of a team responsible for oversight in the training experiences for over 4,500 students in the graduate program. Graduate students working in his research laboratory are engaged in technology development and applications of soft ionization mass spectrometry, and chemistry in container-less environments using levitation techniques. An application of the latter is particulate air pollution where they are developing the capacity to quantitatively learn what lung tissue inflammation occurs as a function of the chemistry of mimics of tropospheric particles that are created in the laboratory. Beyond his passion for alpine skiing, windsurfing, and cycling up Burnaby Mountain to SFU every day, George can also be found coaching one or more of the hockey and lacrosse teams that his boys play on. George and Jay Solman are exploring varied training opportunities for university students with the objective of developing a synergistic collaboration with i2P.

Adriana Rossi

Adriana Rossi has been passionate about developing Leadership in youth for 20 years. She has worked extensively in both the private and public secondary school system initiating programs such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award and outdoor education and leadership programs. Adriana holds a Masters of Arts in Leadership and Training from Royal Roads University in British Columbia and a Bachelors Degree in Physical Education from McGill University in Montreal. In addition she is the president of Leadership Ventures which focuses on sustainable leadership development within organizations. She is an avid outdoor enthusiast, triathlete and enjoys spending time with her family.

Matt Howe

Matt, an outdoor enthusiast is a husband and father of two adventurous young children. He is a passionate educator who has worked in public education for the past 10 years. After receiving his B.A. in Sociology with an emphasis in criminology and law, he earned his Masters in Education from the University of Minnesota. A lifelong resident of Stillwater, Minnesota, Matt currently works as an information savvy technology coordinator and strives to help teachers develop strategies to work with our digital generation.

Several years of a 1:1 learning environment has allowed Matt to develop an understanding of key learning theories and methods of instruction within educational technology. As a technology advocate, Matt has had the opportunity to present on a local and state level as well as to visitors from around the world.

In 2009, Matt was selected as an Apple Distinguished Educator which has allowed him to further his role as an author, advisor, ambassador and advocate of technology through experiential learning opportunities on a global platform. Matt continues to engage learners on their path to the possibilities of being a part of the next big thing!

Katherine Belendiuk

Kat is currently a Ph.D. candidate in clinical and developmental psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, where she earned her M.S. in the same field. She taught at the University of Maryland and has been appointed as a Teaching Fellow at the University of Pittsburgh. As a research psychologist she has published multiple peer-reviewed articles on adolescent risk behaviors in professional journals. She has won national and local awards for her academic work, including a fellowship from the National Institutes of Health. She has applied her background as a scientist and educator to creating educational modules for the Baffin, Tunisia and Amazon expeditions.

As an ultrarunner and triathlete, Kat is a member of Powerbar Team Elite and a lululemon ambassador. In the last 3 years she has completed 13 marathons and ultramarathons, placing in her age group 3 times and as the second overall female once. Her favorite race was the Antarctica marathon where she learned that, if necessary, she can outrun a penguin. She was honored as one of Pittsburgh's 40 Under 40 for her contributions to the community, including her work with i2P and Girls on the Run. Being an i2P advisor has been an extraordinary gift and privilege and Kat is looking forward to continuing to help develop i2P's programs.

Leona Chatwood

With a background in both Education and Library Science , Leona has had a long career as a Teacher and Library Technician . She has lived and worked in Newfoundland and Labrador, central Canada and western Canada, with her focus being on education and research. After graduating from Algonquin College's Library and Information Technology Program she had been able to combine these two interests. Leona is enthusiastic and pleased to be assisting with the educational research for the i2P Experiential Learning Program.

Brad Smith

Brad is an experienced Human Resources Executive with one of the largest companies in Canada. He has an extensive background in Board of Director management, talent and organizational development and cultural change management. Brad enjoys all of the time he can get outdoors with his wife and two wonderful kids. As a lifelong athlete he has played elite hockey, baseball and is an avid participant in Ironman 70.3 and other endurance events. Brad has a passion for youth development. As an educator at the university level, working with i2P and the Duke of Edinburgh leadership award program he is fortunate to be able to help youth expand their horizons and reach their potential. He has earned an Executive Masters in Business Administration from the University of Ottawa, a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) Degree from the University of Manitoba and a Human Resources and Compensation Committee Certification from The Directors College and McMaster University.

Peter Sheldon

Peter is a CBC reporter based in Iqaluit, Nunavut. He has spent the last two and a half years traveling around the North, spending time in all three Canadian Territories and Alaska. His formal education includes a BPHE in Physical and Health Education and a BSc in Life Sciences (Queens University, Kingston, ON) as well as a BJ Radio Journalism (King's College, Halifax). Peter became involved in the research leading up to the Akshayuk Pass Expedition, and has settled in to a role with the i2P Education team ever since. Peter brings a passion for adventure and story telling.

Jill Gilday

Jill is still riding the wave of positive energy and enthusiasm after being a youth ambassador for Running Tunisia 2010. On the trip she was inspired by all of her incredible teammates and learned that if you want to make a difference the hardest part is taking the first step. Since the expedition she has opted out of the idea of the 'first step' and instead jumped head first into initiatives that she feels passionate about. An avid outdoor enthusiast, she enjoys any activity that involves breathing fresh air and hopes to try out adventure racing and ultra running when she is finished speed skating. Along with continuing her studies in kinesiology and psychology, and continuing to pursue her goals in short track, Jill is excited to take on this new role with i2P!

Jay Solman

Jay is the Ombudsperson at Simon Fraser University (SFU) in Vancouver, BC and a seasoned ultramarathoner. Jay started running 8 years ago to get fit. Running has since become a passion and he has competed in marathons and ultramarathons all over the world. Jay is driven to use running to help others and make a difference in the world. Inspired by a friend's granddaughter who has cystic fibrosis Jay formed Team Trailwinders along with fellow ultra runners Lara Rintoul and Marc Bremner. In 2009 the team competed in the 250km Sahara Race and raised thousands for Variety Children's Charities. Passionate about our youth programs, Jay has been coordinating the relationship between i2P and SFU.

Brian Groot

Brian is a young jack-of-all-trades. He began running when starting his career as General Machinist, working at the University of Western Ontario. Being able to work on all sorts of research related projects allowed for a sneak peek into a wide range of cutting edge areas in both the academic and industrial worlds. He kept with running and later discovered yoga and meditation as a way to keep his life in balance. After finishing his apprenticeship, Brian decided to take his passion for physical and spiritual fitness to the next level and left UWO to take part in a Yoga Teacher Training in India. He followed that by backpacking and running around Southeast Asia and Australia. Over the last 2 years, Brian has been teaching hot yoga in London, ON as well as coaching the long run workouts for the UWO Triathlon Club. He is also a Community Ambassador and regular blogger for lululemon. He has jumped into the world of ultra-running, completing his first 100 mile race in September of 2010 in just under 24 hours. He is currently working on completing his Teaching Certification at the Faculty of Education at UWO. He is excited to be able to share his trade knowledge with high school students, but more than that, his experiences of self-discovery and goal setting. He has a passion for creating connections between the real world and the classroom and using that as motivation for his students. Brian plans to keep raising the bar for himself, whether he's doing yoga, running, teaching and traveling. To read more about Brian, check out his website www.mindfulnessrunning.com.

Joseph Blankush

A graduate of St. Olaf College with a B.A. in English and Education, Joe has held positions ranging from high school teacher to marketing and consulting roles in a global travel management company. His work and studies in post-colonial literature and comparative education have taken him from the Baltic states of Europe to the Caribbean and from Central America to East Africa with each experience furthering his desire to positively impact these regions. Joe's passion for the outdoors, exploration and education was cultivated growing up in Northern Minnesota and while guiding groups of students to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. A three-sport athlete in high school and a collegiate baseball player, he now participates in endurance sports as his newest competitive outlet and source of physical and mental challenge. Having completed several marathons, trail races and triathlons, he is now training to expand into ultra running. Joe currently resides in New York City where he is pursuing his M.D. with interests in family, rural and preventive medicine.

Lucy Wainwright

Lucy is a double Olympian with a passion for the outdoors. Lucy was a finalist at the Athens (2004) and Beijing (2008) Olympic Games competing in the flatwater kayaking singles event for Great Britain. Lucy competed internationally in kayaking for fifteen years winning a number of World Cup medals and becoming European Champion in 2008. Lucy combines her personal sporting experience with her academic qualifications to provide a practical approach to sports nutrition. She has a BSc in Sports Science, a Masters degree in Exercise Physiology as well as an IOC (International Olympic Committee) diploma in Sports Nutrition. Lucy has recently moved to Canada and is already working with national team athletes providing sports nutrition advice. Having recently retired from International competition Lucy has more time to spend doing the other sports she enjoys including, cross country skiing, trail running, swimming and biking.

Jennifer Nichols

Jenny has recently graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with her Masters degree in Cellular/Molecular Nutrition. Her research focus was on the mechanisms of phytochemicals in disease prevention. Jenny has a strong passion for health and wellness as well as for people and learning about their cultures. She is fascinated in testing the limits of the body both mentally and physically and loves any activity that gets her outside, especially running. Jenny and her husband recently spent 10 weeks trekking through Australia, which included time in the Outback, the Daintree Rainforest, and staying on a deserted island. What made this journey extra special is the fact that Jenny was 5 months pregnant during this expedition. She is now testing herself on her most epic adventure of raising her son and showing youth the value of the environment, other cultures, and living an active, healthy lifestyle. She is intensely excited about her future with i2P and her upcoming athletic endeavors. She looks forward to teaching all youth the value of a healthy diet and the science of nutrition.

John Zahab

John is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association and a Certified Personal Trainer through the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. He has worked full time in the strength and conditioning field for over ten years, and has had the opportunity to work with athletes from a broad spectrum of sports, including those competing and performing at the national and professional levels. Recent career highlights include the development of strength and conditioning programs, which assisted two Canadian athletes to qualify and compete at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. John has developed his training philosophy to provide targeted training for each individual's needs - based on a foundation of stability and control, functional movement, and balanced strength while progressing towards performance goals. John organizes the training programs for the Youth Ambassadors.

For almost half of his lifetime John has trained for and has competed in a variety of disciplines of endurance sport. Some areas where he has pushed his endurance limits include: Triathlon (Olympic Distance to Ironman Distance), Bike Racing (Road), Adventure Racing, and Trail Running.

Rahul Khosla

Rahul Khosla is an Emergency Physician and Anesthetist from Nelson, British Columbia, Canada. He has a strong interest in International Health and recently completed a diploma in Tropical Medicine at the London School of Hygiene. His current adventures are primarily based around raising his young son but he does manage to squeeze in some cycling and back-country skiing.

Jill Burdo

Jill stumbled into education as a second career and realized it was a fish-in-water symbiotic relationship on Day 2. In her second semester of teaching high school social studies, she was introduced to constructivist pedagogy and it's classroom implementation using technology. Her classroom was never the same. After leading her students in a class project to raise awareness and support campaigns to stop the violence in Darfur in 2007, Jill was named an Apple Distinguished Educator. She has been a public and private school teacher, both face to face and through distance learning, and has discovered a passion for providing Professional Development to other educators, empowering them to implement change through the use of technology and constructivist pedagogy in their own classrooms. Her current projects include using Challenge Based Learning and the implementation of the iPad in the K-12 curriculum. Jill received a B.A. in Humanistic Studies from Saint Mary's College of Notre Dame and an M.S. Ed. in Educational Technology from Nova Southeastern University. When she is not busy with her passion for education you might find her traveling and practicing the art of outdoor photography. Having lived all over the Eastern half of the United States, she now calls the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota "home".

Logistics Team

Anurag Jain

Anurag has founded Viziniti Global, LLC which is an Impact investment incubator, based in the US and India. Its first incubated venture Laurus Edutech, trains over 30,000 students a year, in India in vocational skills using over 35 locations and is scaling a for profit model to train over 250,000 students a year in Asia and Africa. Viziniti is also in the process of incubating models to provide a $1,500 house for the homeless, primary health-care and bio based energy/water to rural India and Africa.

Anurag serves on the boards of the East West Institute and the North Texas Food Bank.

Anurag was the Chairman of the Skill Development Forum for the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). He also served on the Board of the National Skills Development Corporation, a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership in India; Anurag is also Chairman of the Board of Laurus Institute, a premier not-for-profit skills development think tank in India.

Anurag left Dell in 2011, where he used to lead the Services Delivery unit, a global team of more than 18,000 professionals who deliver leading edge technology solutions to Dell customers around the world. The Services Delivery unit includes Dell's technology service functions of Infrastructure and Managed Technology Services, Applications, and Business Process Solutions. The organization also included Dell's Innovation group, which was pioneering technology advancements in areas such as Cloud Computing, Mobility, Virtual Data Services, Technology Delivery and Optimization, and others.

Anurag previously led the Perot Systems (now Dell) Applications, Business Process Solutions, Financial Services and Insurance organizations, where he directed global operations and sales to enhance growth and business results. He also served as managing director of the company's Asia Pacific region.

Anurag also previously founded 3 highly successful, large-scale, India-based IT services outsourcing businesses. He co-founded and served as head of operations for Brigade Corporation, a customer support company with employees across centers in the U.S., Europe, and India. He then founded Vision Healthsource, a business focused on providing IT services outsourcing to health-care providers and payers that was acquired by Perot Systems in 2003. He also co-founded a successful finance and accounting outsourcing business, IQ Backoffice, which was bought by LiveIT based in the Philippines, earlier this year.

In addition, Anurag serves on the Board of Asia (Chennai) Engineering, a leading commercial, industrial civil engineering firm in India for the past 40+ years.

Anurag holds an MBA from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical and electronics engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences, Pilani, India.

Judith Stuhrenberg

Judith Stuhrenberg was born in Paris, and graduated with degrees in history and geography from La Sorbonne. After finishing her formal education, she became an agent for some of the world's top photographers. Evenually she began to travel to the Sahara, where she has been working now for almost 20 years, organizing photo and film shoots, scientific expeditions, rallies, and reports for many of the world's top media outlets. She speaks French, English, German, and Spanish. When not traveling, she lives with her family in Paris. Judith helped to organize logistics for the Running Tunisia expedition and is now excited to be helping again for the i2P Expedition to India.

Todd Shannon

A graduate of the University of Ottawa (B.Com, 2007) and Queen's University (MBA, 2010), Todd helps deliver i2P's message to the forefront as our Digital Communication Coordinator.

Todd is a marketing, communications, branding, and business strategy specialist with experience in the non-profit and environmental/sustainability sectors, as well as an avid outdoor enthusiast, athlete, and dedicated volunteer. He believes that, with positivity, tenacity and enthusiasm, we are all capable of achieving anything that we set our minds to.

Jordan Thoms

"Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand."

Jordan is a graduate of the University of Ottawa with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Human Kinetics and a Baccalaureate in Education. His interests are in adventure, physical activity and youth empowerment. Some of his favourite sports include long-distance running, hockey and snowboarding. He also has a creative side with interests in multimedia technology, graphic arts and social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Skype.

Very proud and honoured to be recognized as an i2P Inspirational Ambassador, Jordan believes that if we hope to inspire and educate our youth, we must involve them in the process. As an educator, Jordan finds it absolutely necessary to share with the youth that they all have the potential to do whatever they want to in life. Nothing in the world is more rewarding than helping a child reach and overcome their own barriers, achieving their own impossible in life.

Dr. Shawn M Cooper

As a pediatrician, father of three, and long-time international advocate of child rights and education, Dr Cooper is passionate about giving every child the best opportunity for a healthy, safe, and productive life. He is a resident member of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Section on International Child Health. He has worked with and advised international travelers and groups for over a decade. Dr Cooper's own travels have taken him through North, Central and South America as well as Europe, and Africa. He has organized and participated in multiple projects and fundraisers benefiting individual children and well known child-oriented organizations including Operation Smile, UNICEF, and the Children's Miracle Network. In addition to his professional pursuits, Dr Cooper is an avid runner, having completed many marathon and ultramarathons. Dr Cooper is a senior resident physician in pediatrics at the Penn State Children's Hospital in Hershey, PA.

Marie-France MacKinnon

Marie-France MacKinnon is a highly skilled, bilingual communications professional who brings over a decade of media relations, communications strategies and special events expertise to Bluesky Strategy Group. Since joining Bluesky Strategy Group in October 2008, Marie-France has provided a full range of communications and public relations services including media training for clients such as the Canadian Heart Health Strategy and Action Plan, the National Capital Commission Ombudsman, the Maple Leaf Foods Legal Noticing Campaign and the Canadian International Hockey Academy, TerraChoice/EcoLogo and the Parliamentary Budget Officer.

Nick Gravel

Nick Gravel, B.Eng (Communications), has over 10 years experience in sales, marketing and internet communications. Nick is actively involved with the growth of i2P's web presence and the ongoing development of two way communication with students during expeditions.