In 2017, Victor completed the “Explorer’s Grand Slam” which requires climbing the highest peak on all seven of the world’s continents including Mt. Everest and skiing at least 100 kilometers to the North and South Poles. He piloted the first repeated dives to the ocean’s deepest point, Challenger Deep, in the Pacific’s Mariana Trench -- now fifteen times, and in August 2019 became the first person to visit “The Five Deeps,” the deepest point in all five of the world’s oceans. Victor has now personally explored the bottom of seventeen deep ocean trenches and has made three dives to the Titanic including the only solo dive ever made there. He and his team also discovered and surveyed the two deepest shipwrecks in the world: the USS Johnston in 2021 and the deepest, the USS Samuel B. Roberts at 22,600 feet, in 2022. In 2025, the US Navy announced that T-AGOS 26, a new ocean surveillance vessel of the Explorer class, would be named after him.

He is also a commercially rated, multi-engine jet, seaplane, and helicopter pilot, a certified submersible test pilot, and recently flew into space on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket, becoming the first person in history to climb Mount Everest, dive to the bottom of the ocean, and visit space.

Victor received his bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, a Master’s Degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and received an MBA from Harvard Business School where he graduated as a Baker Scholar. Additionally, Victor served 20 years in the U.S. Navy Reserve as an intelligence and targeting officer, retiring in 2013 as a Commander.

Support this Podcast: buy me a coffee

Hosted by Michael J. Reinhart

MichaelJReinhart.com

Whiskey and a Map: Stories of Adventure and Exploration.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

George McKenzie Jr. is a National Geographic Explorer, award-winning filmmaker, conservation photographer, and educator whose work sits at the intersection of storytelling, science, and community. Born in Guyana and raised in Brooklyn, George did not grow up in wild places—however found his way to them and now dedicates his career to making conservation accessible to people who may not see themselves reflected in it.

George is the director and subject of The Book of George, a critically acclaimed short documentary that has screened at major international festivals, including Telluride Mountain film, Banff, and Jackson Wild, where it won Best Short Form Film in the People & Nature category. The film anchors an ongoing impact campaign focused on youth mentorship, conservation education, and representation in the outdoors.

His photography and film making document the unseen connections between wildlife, working lands, and the people who steward them. From camera-trapping Florida panthers and photographing endangered plants on the Lake Wales Ridge to telling stories across the Florida Wildlife Corridor and the Okefenokee Swamp, George’s work emphasizes private lands, cultural history, and the human role in conservation outcomes.

Beyond storytelling, George is deeply engaged in applied conservation. He collaborates with land trusts, state and federal agencies, scientists, and private landowners on projects related to habitat restoration, invasive species management, prescribed fire, and climate resilience. His work often translates complex land-management science into compelling visual narratives that build public understanding and support.

A committed mentor and educator, George works extensively with young people—particularly youth of color—through workshops, school programs, and outdoor experiences that use photography and storytelling as tools for confidence, curiosity, and connection to nature. His approach is grounded in the belief that conservation succeeds when people feel included, capable, and invested.

Through his lens, voice, and leadership, George McKenzie Jr. is reshaping how conservation stories are told—centering place, people, and possibility in the effort to protect wild and working landscapes for generations to come.

Support this Podcast: buy me a coffee

Follow George at his Instagram https://www.instagram.com/georgemckenziejr/ and at his website https://www.georgemckenziejr.com.

Hosted by Michael J. Reinhart

MichaelJReinhart.com

Whiskey and a Map: Stories of Adventure and Exploration.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a text

Cited as one of "20 of the world's most influential photographers" by the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film, Peter Guttman is an acclaimed travel journalist, adventurer, author, photographer, lecturer and television personality, winner of the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Exploration and Storytelling, three time recipient of the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the Year Award, author of nine books and creator of two honored series of hardcover books about magical travel experiences around the world. He created five apps for the iPad and iPhone including the number one bestselling iPad app, Beautiful Planet HD, a groundbreaking showcase of global beauty, named by NBC News one of "eight outstanding educational apps".

Peter has made numerous television appearances (Today Show, CNN Travel Guide, Travel Channel, A&E profiles) discussing his adventures and discoveries. In addition, he's been a frequent contributor to Conde Nast Traveller, Dallas Morning News, National Geographic Adventure, Outside, BBC.com as well as a national spokesman for Kodak.

He was chosen as a Fellow of The Explorers Club having “directly and substantially contributed to scientific understanding of the world” and cited for the “sheer diversity and thoroughness of his exploration experience”.

Support this Podcast: buy me a coffee

Find Peter’s Books here on Amazon

Follow Peter at his website PeterGuttman.com

His Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/peterguttman/

and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterguttman/

Hosted by Michael J. Reinhart
MichaelJReinhart.com


Whiskey and a Map: Stories of Adventure and Exploration.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.