The creator of the original concept and the principal organizer for the foundation and its projects, Matthew is an adventurer and climber with a passion for new challenges and absurd adventures. His love of adventure once resulted in his accidentally becoming the first foreigner to summit Elbrus by a remote and largely unknown route. Matthew serves on the board of the Sustainable Ascents Foundation.

An explorer to the core, Gregg is the first person to complete a solo, unsupported crossing of the Everglades and once trekked deep into the Venezuelan jungle to visit Angel Falls. He is a former president of the Chicago Mountaineering Club and has led many mountaineering expeditions around the world. Gregg serves on the board of the Sustainable Ascents Foundation.

A UK based climber, Mark is a FinTech / Finance enthusiast. He is an alpinist with three peaks in the Himalayan Index and a Mountaineer of the Soviet Union 1st Class. Mark is a Fellow at the Royal Geographical Society, the Chairman of the Hammersmith Conservatives, and serves with several charitable nonprofits. Mark serves on the board of the Sustainable Ascents Foundation.

Despite living in a tropical country, with no high-altitude mountains, Fernanda May has always been attracted by challenges that take her out of her comfort zone. After her first ascent of a 5,895m mountain (Kilimanjaro), she has discovered her passion for mountain environments. She joined Deuter’s team in Brazil as one of only a few women with high-altitude experience. Fernanda has been mountaineering for 25 years, is an anesthesiologist and the mother of a beautiful teenage girl. Her skills include wilderness medicine. Fernanda’s Instagram is @mnandamay.

A French alpinist with experience on two of the 7 summits and various technical climbs in the Alps, Francois is the driving force behind the 7 Summits / 0 Waste project, an investigation focusing on waste management in extreme environments on the world’s tallest mountains. Working in an asset management company specialized in sustainable investment, Francois dedicates his personal time to investigating how waste is managed at base camps around the world. Francois’ Instagram is @7summits0waste.

Ana holds a Ph.D. in Political Science, as well as a B.S. in Economics (summa cum laude) and a B.S. in Business and Tourism. She is currently a professor in International Relations and Comparative Politics at the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. Her doctoral dissertation titled “The Politics of Immigration, Gender, Class and Race” was nominated best dissertation for the International Studies Association. Originally from the mountains of ‘Sierra Magina’ in Southern Spain, she enjoys using her expertise to find ways to give voice to underserved people around the world while preserving the beauty of nature.