World Footprints: National Geographic’s Keith Bellows

Keith joins Ian and Tonya to talk about his magazine’s mission, travel storytelling, his upcoming projects, and his never ending quest of discovering different cultures and people on his journeys.

World Footprints: Keith Bellows Part Two

Keith explains the distinction between tourism and travel, the growing trend of geotourism, and his upcoming travel book for children.

World Footprints: World Cuisine & Jewelry

Ian & Tonya venture to Buddah Bar DC, a new restaurant in the Washington DC dining scene, with general manager Shelly Galloway. Then we meet celebrated jewelry designer Monique Pean whose socially-conscious designs have been featured in the major fashion magazines.

Keith Bellows

Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and a Canadian citizen, Keith Bellows, 57, was named editor-in-chief of NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER magazine in January 1998 and a vice president of the National Geographic Society in March 2000. Under his stewardship, the magazine has been nominated for two National Magazine Awards, won more than 60 Lowell Thomas Awards for best travel writing (it has been named best magazine eight of his 11 years), and seven Folio Awards for Best Travel Magazine. As a tip of the hat to new media, TRAVELER has won an iTunes People’s Choice Award for Best Podcast of 2006, for which Bellows wrote two scripts. Its “Intelligent Travel” won a 2007 Travvie and a 2009 Lonely Planet Award as best travel blog.

In addition to editing TRAVELER, Bellows developed a major spinoff of the magazine’s website built around the award-winning special issue 50 Places of a Lifetime. He also writes “One on One,” a regular interview column with compelling figures—Al Gore, hotelier Ian Schrager, Steve Case, Dolly Parton, futurist Andrew Zolli, Island Records founder Chris Blackwell—who have something important to say about how we travel and where we go. He helped position TRAVELER as a leader in sustainable travel and has made it the travel photography magazine (it runs the world’s biggest travel-photo contest, the only travel cell-phone contest, and a series of city-based photo seminars regarded as the best in the business). He also helped create journeystreams, an innovative open-source web program to help students tell stories.

Prior to joining National Geographic, Mr. Bellows was developing internet content as early as 1994. He worked for Rupert Murdoch’s Delphi web service; as creative director launched BabyCenter.com (now owned by Johnson & Johnson); was the executive producer of Excite.com; and was founding partner of WestWorld Media, which developed Metallica’s first website and created the college-based Campus Voice.com.
He is now writing 100 Places That Will Change Your Child’s Life, part of a program he is developing to encourage parents, corporations, and schools to view travel as a critical learning tool. It will be published in October 2011.

Mr. Bellows is a graduate of Gordonstoun School (Scotland) and Dartmouth College. He lectures extensively around the world (and is part of the National Geographic Speakers Bureau) and his more than 200 television appearances include the TODAY Show, Good Morning America, and a regular segment on National Geographic Today.

National Geographic Traveler Website

Monique Pean

Monique Péan was raised in Washington D.C. and has traveled the world, visiting more than 30 countries. Monique is thankful that her mother, Gail, solidly encouraged her to pursue her love of art. She credits her inspiration to the art and cultures encountered during her travels to destinations such as Haiti, Bali, Russia, Egypt, Brazil, China, Greece and more. With a Haitian father and American Jewish mother, Monique was no doubt inspired by her own heritage. Before founding her accessories company, Monique worked in finance and took fashion design classes in New York for three years. Monique graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, where she majored in Philosophy, Political Science and Economics.

Click here to visit her website