Founder and CEO

Chris is a National Geographic Society explorer and documentary photographer who is highly respected for his documentation of endangered cultures and languages. He is a Fellow of The Royal Geographical Society specializing in culture. In the early 1980s, Chris was Ansel Adams’ last photographic assistant and worked with Ansel to amplify the use of art photography as a social tool and to preserve threatened wilderness areas and US National Parks. Since then, Chris has led documentation projects with indigenous groups around the world and completed projects for the UN, IUCN, UNESCO, Amnesty International, Conservation International, the Smithsonian Institution, Time Magazine, the New York Times, LIFE Magazine and National Geographic. At National Geographic, he was co-founder of the Enduring Voices Language Project, director of the All Roads Photography Program and director of the Last Mile Technology Program, each supporting indigenous groups to document their culture and create sustainable environmental solutions. www.chrisrainier.org.