Latest news with #NationalGeographic33
Arab News
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Yara Shahidi talks ‘The Optimist Project' podcast
DUBAI: Actress and podcast host Yara Shahidi is part of National Geographic's list of 33 'visionaries, creators, icons, and adventurers' from across the globe and she spoke to the publication about the project that landed her on the list. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ In 1888, the National Geographic Society was founded by 33 pioneers in Washington. The 'bold thinkers … aimed to reimagine how we encounter our world. Much has changed since then, but the mission that guided them — to expand knowledge and promote understanding—drives us still. In that spirit we introduce the National Geographic 33, a collection of visionaries, creators, icons, and adventurers from across the globe,' the publication explained of its new list. Part-Middle Eastern star Shahidi, whose father is Iranian, was named on the list in the Creators subsection that celebrates 'out-of-the-box thinkers developing innovative solutions.' A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) The 'Black-ish' and 'Grown-ish' actress was highlighted due to her podcast 'The Optimist Project.' Shahidi, 25, launched the podcast to explore how to live a more fulfilling life with various special guests hosted on each episode. Shahidi, a Harvard graduate, says she was inspired by the dynamic conversations she has with members of her diverse family. The actress has two brothers — one is an actor and the other works in fashion — while her father Afshin Shahidi is a cinematographer. Meanwhile, her cousin is the rapper Nas and her grandfather was a Black Panther activist. Shahidi and her mother, Keri Shahidi, who together run their own media company called 7th Sun Productions, decided to take their musings to a wider audience with the podcast, which launched in 2024. 'We feel so fortunate to be having these conversations,' Keri, who is Shahidi's co-producer, told National Geographic 'But equally, we felt the drive to make sure other people had the opportunity to hear what we were hearing.' The podcast's guests so far have included 'Saturday Night Live' star Ego Nwodim, Tony award-winning actor Courtney B. Vance, and Laurie Santos, a psychology professor at Yale University. 'Having to pour so much thought into basic survival doesn't give your brain space to think about, Well, why are we living?' Shahidi said. 'What would make me excited to wake up the next day?' In her conversation with National Geographic, she went on to acknowledge that this is a challenge moment for the next generation of leaders. 'It's overwhelming to think about how broken some of these systems are, how imperfect some of our tools for change are … but with that comes an onslaught of very inspired, very motivated young people.'
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
National Geographic 33: Meet The Humanitarians, Innovators And Trailblazers Of The Inaugural List
In honor of the brand's 33 founders, National Geographic has announced the inaugural National Geographic 33, a list of dynamic founders, trailblazers, and changemakers working hard to make the world a better place. The list spotlights many, including Hollywood heavyweights such as Yara Shahidi, Selena Gomez and Jason Momoa. Blavity has the exclusive Nat Geo 33 photo debuts for TikTok forager and outdoor enthusiast Alexis Nikole Nelson, NASA astronaut and mission pilot Victor Glover, and musician and women's advocate Arlo Parks. According to National Geographic, the honorees on the list were 'carefully considered and selected' by the publication's editors after being nominated by contributing writers, staff, and members of the Nat Geo community. The Nat Geo 33 includes impactful individuals from all walks of life and corners of the earth. They work across various fields, including filmmaking, botany, fashion design and cellular physiology. Along with humanitarians and advocates, the 33 also boasts several impressive athletes, including a gold-medal-winning Paralympian and an award-winning endurance swimmer. The group comprises 19 people who have founded or co-founded organizations and eight UN Ambassadors. National Geographic was founded in 1888 by 33 visionary explorers, scientists, and scholars who set out to fulfill a mission to increase humanity's understanding of the world. Now, almost three decades later, the mission continues to expand with the help of intentional changemakers and platforms such as the Internet and social media. 'For more than 137 years, National Geographic has been driven by the belief that bold thinking and collective action can change the world. This principle is what inspired National Geographic's 33 founders—committed explorers, scientists and scholars—all those years ago,' said Courteney Monroe, president, National Geographic Content, in a statement. 'Since then and across all our platforms, National Geographic has believed in the power of visual storytelling to spark curiosity and inspire a deeper connection to our world. The inaugural National Geographic 33 represents an exciting milestone for us, as it embodies the very essence of our brand—sharing the stories of extraordinary individuals whose work is making a meaningful impact in the hope of inspiring others to help shape a better future.' 'With the National Geographic 33, we're honoring a diverse group of changemakers, from all over the world and different walks of life, who aren't just recognizing the urgent challenges of our time, they are taking action to address them,' said Nathan Lump, SVP and editor-in-chief of National Geographic. 'They all share a deep commitment to shaping a better future, and in shining a light on them and their contributions, we hope to elevate their work and showcase to a wide audience the positive impact they're making.' Alexis Nikole Nelson personifies that charge by teaching her large digital community of over 2 million followers, where she is known as the 'Black Forager.' My mom taught me my first edible wild plants, which lit a flame in me,' Nelson told Blavity timed to the list's release. Through her educational and fun content, Nelson teaches her community the essential and healthy ways to forage, encouraging sustainability for individuals and the world. She added, 'Connecting to the spaces I live in through flora and food grounds me and helps remind me that I'm a part of these ecosystems, too. I began @BlackForager when I wanted to stop bothering my friends and family with constantly posting my wild recipes on my personal social media because, at the time, I didn't see anyone who looked like me creating foraging content. Thankfully, that has changed!' Along with her bubbly and personable approach, Nelson has her viewers hooked on learning how to identify poisonous or safe mushrooms in the wild, safely harvest edible onions and flowers from your local park, and then head into her kitchen, where she displays her skills as a 'filthy vegan' with her simple yet innovative plant-based recipes. 'Today, many people are disconnected from nature, and we as humans do better (mentally, physically, and emotionally) when we're connected to our communities and our surroundings, and foraging can help you do both,' said Nelson. Another reason Nelson is vital to the inaugural list is what it represents for Black and Indigenous people and their cultural connection to living off the land. 'It's always important for me to highlight how cultures have shaped plants and vice-versa. Especially for members of the African Diaspora and Indigenous peoples around the world, a lot of our history can be told in the plants that were important to our ancestors.' Nelson also suggests that her content resonates because the two aforementioned communities are actively regaining 'cultural bonds,' and 'ancestral knowledge' is needed to help heal the relationship to which they were and still are being denied access. The National Geographic 33 is available online at and in the April issue of National Geographic magazine. View Arlo Parks' digital cover, as well as photo debuts for Glover and Nelson, below:The post National Geographic 33: Meet The Humanitarians, Innovators And Trailblazers Of The Inaugural List appeared first on Blavity.
Forbes
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
The National Geographic 33 Spotlights The Visionaries Shaping Tomorrow
Celebrating the bold visionaries reshaping our world—National Geographic 33 honors 33 changemakers ... More driving innovation, sustainability, and hope for a better future. For over 137 years, National Geographic has been synonymous with exploration, discovery, and a relentless pursuit of knowledge. Now, the iconic brand turns its lens toward a new generation of changemakers with the launch of National Geographic 33—an initiative that honors 33 extraordinary individuals reshaping the world's future. This new cohort includes visionaries from all walks of life: actors, scientists, athletes, and activists who are not merely raising awareness but driving tangible change. In homage to National Geographic's 33 founders—those pioneering explorers, scientists, and scholars who set out in 1888 to deepen humanity's understanding of the planet—the NG33 celebrates modern leaders working at the intersection of passion and purpose. Among them are household names like Jason Momoa and Michelle Yeoh, but the list is far from celebrity-centric. It spans five generations and five continents, highlighting people whose impact transcends disciplines. And while conservation, social equity, and mental health are recurring themes, one thread quietly running through this tapestry is technology—not as a flashy centerpiece but as a subtle, potent tool for transformation. Nowhere is that more evident than in the work of Dr. Shu Yang, a materials scientist and engineer whose innovations could reshape both how we interact with nature and how we build for the future. A scan through the NG33 roster reveals an impressive cadre of innovators leveraging technology to tackle global challenges. Victor Glover, NASA astronaut, represents humanity's next chapter in space exploration. Lucie Basch has built an app connecting surplus food with people in need, reducing waste on a massive scale. And Dr. Muhammad Mansoor Mohiuddin is spearheading breakthroughs in xenotransplantation, offering hope to patients awaiting organ transplants. These leaders remind us that technological solutions often arise from multidisciplinary collaboration, imagination, and a deep understanding of both human and environmental needs. At the heart of this intersection stands Dr. Shu Yang. I had an opportunity recently to chat with Dr. Shu Yang, a professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, for an exclusive interview about the honor of being chosen as one of the NG33. It was fascinating to delve into what motivates her. She doesn't just look at nature—she learns from it. Her work in biomimicry takes inspiration from the natural world's elegant and efficient designs, translating them into smart materials that can adapt to their environment. Dr. Shu Yang harnesses nature's design principles to engineer sustainable materials and ... More structures—advancing solutions from adaptive building materials to 3D-printed oyster reefs restoring marine ecosystems. 'My interest as an engineer,' she explained in a recent interview, 'is how do I turn theory into reality? How do I work with designers who care about beauty and translate nano- and micro-scale concepts into materials you can actually touch and feel?' Yang's projects range from creating energy-efficient building materials to developing engineered reefs that mimic coral and oyster structures. These innovations not only provide physical resilience against climate change's impacts—such as rising sea levels and intensified storms—but also promote biodiversity and restore degraded ecosystems. One of her most ambitious efforts is a collaborative project that aims to rebuild oyster reefs in areas like New York City's harbor. These reefs are critical for filtering water and providing coastal protection, yet have been devastated by pollution and overharvesting. Yang and her team use 3D printing to develop concrete reef structures with geometries inspired by nature, enhancing both function and aesthetic appeal. 'What we are interested in,' Yang said, 'is designing something natural—like a coral reef, like an oyster reef—structures that are hardy, porous, and curved, not boxy things. They enhance biodiversity and can mitigate the impact of heat waves and extreme weather events.' Her work extends beyond environmental applications. Yang is developing self-healing materials, flexible electronics, and coatings that adapt to temperature and moisture, all with a mind toward sustainability. A recurring challenge is balancing cutting-edge innovation with real-world scalability and affordability. 'I constantly challenge my students: How do you do it in a simple way? How do you make everything simple so everybody can access it?' Yang told me. 'I don't want fancy things. I want a simple solution, a cheaper solution—because making things accessible is actually much more challenging.' The National Geographic 33 isn't just a list of honorees; it's a reflection of a shifting worldview. Today's changemakers understand that to address issues like climate change, social inequality, and resource scarcity, we need a blend of old wisdom and new tools. Technology is one piece of the puzzle—not a silver bullet, but an enabler. Dr. Shu Yang's story exemplifies this mindset. Her work bridges theory and application, beauty and function, the natural and the synthetic. By collaborating with designers, scientists, architects, and ecologists, she demonstrates how cross-pollination of ideas leads to breakthroughs that no single discipline could achieve alone. And that's precisely what the National Geographic 33 initiative celebrates: people who aren't just dreaming of a better world but building it, often with tools and technologies that didn't exist a decade ago. National Geographic is not merely spotlighting these innovators for their accolades but amplifying their efforts to inspire others. Whether you are an aspiring scientist, a budding activist, or someone looking to make a difference in your community, the message is clear: bold thinking, collective action, and creative solutions can reshape our future. As Dr. Yang puts it, 'You have to be creative and grow out of your box. Talk to people. Be resourceful. That's how we create something new.' The stories of the NG33 are now live at and are also featured in the April 2025 issue of National Geographic magazine.
