Geologist Jeffrey Edward Post has been Curator of the U.S. National Gem and Mineral Collection at the Smithsonian Institution for the past 18 years. He is an expert on mineralogy, gemology, geochemistry, crystallography, and electron microscopy, and looks forward to sharing with travelers his insights on the incredible natural wonders of the destinations we will explore. He received Bachelor of Science degrees in geology and chemistry from the University of Wisconsin – Platteville; a Ph.D. in chemistry, with a specialty in geochemistry, from Arizona State University; and was a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Geological Sciences at Harvard University.

National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson has researched and photographed a combined 45 stories for National Geographic magazine and National Geographic Traveler. Jim’s assignments have taken him around the world—from the tops of active volcanoes, through the Celtic lands of his ancestors, and deep into America’s heartland. Jim and his work have been featured twice on CBS News Sunday Morning and on ABC News Nightline. His "Notes from a Wide Spot in the Road" won the international Crystal AMI award for short feature excellence.

Eleanor Sterling is Director of the American Museum of Natural History’s Center for Biodiversity and Conservation (CBC). As a conservation biologist, Dr. Sterling conducts fieldwork, studying the distribution patterns of biodiversity in tropical regions of the world and translating this information into recommendations for conservation managers, decision-makers, and educators. Dr. Sterling also teaches at Columbia University’s Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, where she serves as the Director of Graduate Studies.

Richard Wright holds the Orvil E. Dryfoos Chair in Public Affairs and has been a Professor of Geography at Dartmouth College for the last 25 years. His research and teaching focuses on population and economic geography, especially migration, immigration, and transnationalism. With grant support from the Guggenheim Foundation, National Science Foundation, the Social Science Research Council, and the Russell Sage Foundation, he has authored more than fifty scholarly papers. With Mark Ellis, he is writing a book, Patterns on the Land, on nativism and immigrant settlement patterns in the United States.

Carsten Stehr is a veteran of educational private jet and yacht travel, and has been leading travelers to every corner of the globe since 1995. He was born in Berlin, Germany, and is fluent in English, German, and Greek. Carsten holds a BFA in Painting from the Rhode Island School of Design, and resides on the Greek Island of Mykonos, where he pursues his art and manages his champagne bar, "Jackie O." Carsten's experience in leading, scouting, and advancing trips worldwide, combined with his extensive art and business background and keen interest in the cultures, architecture, and history of the world make him an invaluable asset to the success of our expeditions. 

For more than a decade, Richard Butler has led expeditions across all seven continents and has traveled to more than 125 countries. He has participated in more than 50 private jet trips, as an expedition leader or an advance person, and has scouted many new destinations for these expeditions. Richard received a degree in Politics from the University of Southampton, England, which sparked his long-standing interest in the people, cultures, and societies of the world. Richard lives in southwest England with his wife and daughter. Described as a calm and 'unflappable' leader, his comprehensive knowledge of destinations serves us well.