SPEAKERS

Shannon is the CEO of Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) and possesses more than 25 years' experience across adventure travel, e-commerce, outdoor retail, and environment science. He is a published author too and has also written several adventure travel articles published by National Geographic Adventure.

Shannon Stowell leads the ATTA as CEO after re-starting the organization in 2004 pursuing the vision that it could be a powerful force for good in the tourism industry. More than 25 years of business experience in adventure travel, e-commerce, outdoor retail, and environmental science have prepared him well to serve and head the organization.

Shannon has been advising and speaking around the world for the last 13 years advocating for responsible adventure tourism as a powerful way for destinations to benefit from a business that sits at the intersection commerce, conservation and community. He has served as a judge for numerous sustainability awards and programs and emceed ITB Berlin’s Corporate Social Responsibility day for two years.

In addition to his role as CEO, Shannon serves on two boards, the Corporate Advisory Council of the US Wildlife Trafficking Alliance and the Adventure Travel Conservation Fund (ATCF). He has also been on the boards of both the Global Sustainable Tourism Council Board and the American Hiking Society.

Shannon co-authored a book in 2008, published by National Geographic: Riding the Hulahula to the Arctic Ocean — A guide to 50 Extraordinary Adventures. He has also written several adventure travel articles published by National Geographic Adventure and continues to contribute to AdventureTravelNews, and other industry publications.

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Archana Sardana is India’s first and only woman BASE (Building, Antenna, Span and Earth) jumper. She is also an accomplished skydiver, mountaineer, and scuba diver instructor. Archana has pulled off 335 skydives and multiple BASE jumps across the globe, and is also the first woman Master Scuba Diver Trainer in India.

Since discovering her love for adventure sports, Archana Sardana - who graduated as an interior designer - completed Adventure and Advanced Mountaineering courses from the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling and Nehru Institute of Mountaineering.

She has since become a certified skydiver and India's first - and till date only - woman BASE (Building, Antenna, Span and Earth) jumper, having performed several skydives and BASE jumps across the world.

Archana was the first Indian to skydive with the Indian Flag in USA and the first Indian to BASE Jump the KL Tower, Malaysia, with the Indian Flag.

That's not all - Archana is also the only Indian woman to be certified by Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), USA, as Master Scuba Diver Trainer, and has undertaken multiple deep sea scuba dives at various parts of the globe.

Ajeet Bajaj has traveled across various continents, and became the first Indian to ski to the North Pole and to the South Pole within a year. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2012. Ajeet has since become an acclaimed name in the adventure world and his venture, Snow Leopard Adventures, is a leader in adventure tourism in India.

Ajeet Bajaj is an entrepreneur, adventurer and explorer, and possesses over three decades experience in adventure sport. He is the first Indian to have completed the Polar Trilogy which entails skiing to the North Pole, to the South Pole, and across Greenland.

Bajaj is also the first Asian to have rafted and kayaked some of the most challenging rivers of the world, spanning six continents. He was conferred the Padma Shri - one of the highest civilian honours - in 2012 by the President of India. He has also been felicitated with the Hall Of Fame award by the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI) for his contribution to the growth of adventure tourism in the country.

Bajaj is a member of the Himalayan Environment Trust and the Outstanding Speaker’s Bureau, India.

Shekhar Babu became the first Indian mountaineer, and the youngest, to climb Mt. Everest (as an individual) in 2007. Apart from being an accomplished mountaineer, Shekhar is also a guide, a motivational speaker and a promoter of adventure sport, and when he isn't scaling mountain peaks, he can be seen at Rock Climbing School, Bhongir, where he is Chief Instructor.

Shekhar Babu Bachinepally is a professional mountaineer, guide, motivational speaker and adventure sports promoter based in the city of Hyderabad, Telangana, India.

Shekhar was bitten by the adventure bug during his college days and was first introduced to rock climbing through his National Cadet Corps (NCC) course. There was no looking back since, and he started scaling various mountains (commencing with Mt. Imja Tse in 2003) - an effort that crescendoed when he conquered the three 'Death Zone' peaks (Mt. Everest, Mt. Cho-Oyu and Mt. Shishapangma) within a span of four months in 2007. He was the first Indian to do so and was fittingly awarded the “Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award” by the Government of India.

Shekhar is regularly invited to speak at various conventions, from schools to corporates, to share his experiences in the mountains and how a normal individuals can utilize the same in their day-to-day life. The man himself keeps it very simple. In his own words, “There is no substitute for hard work, determination, grit and never-say-die attitude. Whether it’s a mountain or the most important goal in your life, you can’t get to the top of it in a single leap. You have got to do it one step at a time!”

Ravi Kumar is the India Program Director at National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). Headquartered in the US, NOLS is among the world's biggest outdoor schools and operates at 15 locations globally, teaching activities ranging from rock climbing to mountaineering, backpacking, kayaking, sailing and rafting.

Throughout his 35 years of association with the outdoors, N. Ravi Kumar has remained a firm believer in the power of experiential education. Early trysts with rock climbing and mountaineering naturally led him to outdoor education, wherein the last 22 years have been with NOLS. Ravi identifies closely with NOLS for its mission and values. He believes that outdoor education can play a significant and effective role in developing future leaders who also use wilderness, responsibly.

A mechanical engineer, who felt challenged in conventional work places, Ravi chose to experiment instead with life as an outdoor educator. Over the years he has seen many young people spend extended periods in the outdoors and grow significantly from the experience. Promoting experiential education using wilderness, as classroom has been a most satisfying journey for the erstwhile engineer.

Ravi has been an Expedition Instructor for NOLS since 1999 and has taught for NOLS Wilderness Medicine since 2006. Ravi teaches mountaineering, backpacking and rock climbing courses in the Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountain and India.