This month, I had the opportunity to speak with career coaching firm Terawatt founder Francie Jain about my views on venture investing and the future of technology and entrepreneurship. It was a pleasure speaking with Francie, and I’m honored to join the team of business leaders profiled on the site. Read the full interview on Terawatt. (PDF)
Regarding Boomtown’s new partnership with Comcast NBCUniversal:
Working with big corporate partners is a great way for us to provide entrepreneurs with resources they wouldn’t get otherwise. By partnering and collaborating with these partners and not just using their name but really working with them for their expertise and connections is a powerful way to give entrepreneurs and businesses an even better start to their companies.
I had a wonderful time speaking with journalist Ulyana Salapaeva writing for Forbes Kazakhstan about making the connecting between US and KZ investors. In summary, I feel that there are a ton of options for Kazakh startups to approach US investors. It’s important to understand the mindset of the US investor, fully realize the type of interaction the investor is looking for (a full pitch, a conversation, a presentation etc), and be open to discussing challenger and being intellectually honest. (PDF-RU) (PDF-EN)
This week, I appeared on REN TV Russia’s adventure show “The Riddles of Humanity”, Episode 255 to discuss life at the South Pole, Antarctica. Skip to minute 12 of the clip for my segment. My part of the segment covers (Google Translated from Russian: “Why is Antarctica called white Mars? How do people survive in super low temperatures? And how much is a ten-day tour to the South Pole?”
https://youtu.be/nQHX8lE8g6I?t=709
Edition 255 – 02/14/2019
The host of the program, Oleg Shishkin, is a traveler, historian, expert in secret societies, an internationally recognized expert in the field of Eastern religions, author of books on the history of occultism and intelligence. Connoisseur of the closed esoteric archives of the USSR, who proved that Nicholas Roerich and Grigory Rasputin had close ties with intelligence.
In “The Riddles of Humanity” on REN TV, Oleg Shishkin will find an explanation for all the shocking events. And confirm his version of the facts and documents. The program goes on REN TV 5 times a week, on weekdays. Spectators are waiting for travel to places that are not on the map, the mysteries of dangerous relics and ancient prophecies. Inexplicable facts and historical sensations of different eras will be studied – and they will find a convincing explanation.
Here’s a quick video I helped make with friend JJ Yosh for Tastemade… tasty and fun! Had a great time flying the Yuneec Q500 Drone for aerial footage, and cooking tasty fried chicken.
Earlier this year, while I was traveling through Beijing, China, I stayed in Leo Hostel. During my short stay there, I was interviewed by a Chinese school group producing a short segment about travel in China. In the segment, I speak a little about my travel experiences, and why I think it’s a great idea to stay in hostels while traveling solo.
In short, staying in hostels is cheap, and gives you great opportunities for meeting new people, joining interesting tour groups, and enriching your travel experience overall.
Coinciding with the release of Christopher Nolan’s new movie “Interstellar”, Warner Brothers has released a new documentary called “The Science of Interstellar” – and my footage is in it! The documentary covers the science roots behind the hollywood film, including science looking at the Cosmic Microwave Background. During my time living and working at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica I took a bit of footage while snowmobiling out to the Bicep2 Microwave Telescope. Gemini Productions, the producer of the documentary, found my footage on my YouTube Channel, and licensed a few seconds of it for this documentary. Glad to be able to help out and be very very minorly involved with Interstellar! My footage appears at
Screengrabs, video links:
Matthew McConaughey narrates this behind-the-scenes look at the epic voyage to deep space depicted in the movie Interstellar. Director Christopher Nolan worked with top physicists to create a realistic trip to distant solar systems.
Discovery Channel: The Science of ‘Interstellar’
Rls date: Nov 6, 2014
Genre: Documentary
Chasing the Ghost Particle is a co-production of the Wisconsin IceCube Particle Astrophysics Center (WIPAC) of the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the Milwaukee Public Museum. (Poster PDF)
During my deployment to the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica in the Austral Summer 2012-2013, my good friend Blaise was working with the Daniel M. Soref Planetarium at the Milwaukee Public Museum and the Wisconsin IceCube Particle Astrophysics Center (WIPAC) of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Throughout the summer season, Blaise worked with a RED HD Video Camera and a very wide angle lens to film daily lives around the station- including mine, as well as various aspects of the Ice Cube Neutrino Observatory.
Deep in the ice at the heart of Antarctica, IceCube, the biggest and strangest detector in the world waits for mysterious messengers from the cosmos. Scientists are using tiny and elusive particles called neutrinos to explore the most extreme places in the universe. These ghostly neutrinos give us an exclusive way to study powerful cosmic engines like exploding stars and black holes.
In this 30-minute show, stunning simulations of the most energetic places in our universe, and the galaxies around us, are the prelude to a thrilling journey inside IceCube, looking for traces of neutrino collisions in the ice. From one of the most remote locations on Earth to the unexplored regions of the cosmos, Chasing the Ghost Particle: From the South Pole to the Edge of the Universe will take you on a journey you won’t forget.
Since I was working on the station during filming, I’m actually in the planetarium movie a few times, which is very cool! Screen grabs included, and a “demo copy” of the film is included below.
(Full show demo is from Full Dome Database, and I claim no rights or permissions)
Last month, I had the opportunity to work with international journalist Sandra Henderson shooting photos for a special report on Rocky Mountain National Park for Germany’s adventure/lifestyle magazine GEO. Here’s the result, a front page piece highlighting both my photography and Sandra’s reporting.
Israel Outdoors participant alumn Jeffrey Donenfeld, recently came back from his first time staffing an Israel Outdoors Bike trip. Oh how we love keeping it in the Israel Outdoors family! When he is not staffing trips to Israel, Jeffrey […]
Promoting an emerging destination can be a tough sell, but up-and-coming tourism promoters learned winning strategies at this year’s New York Travel Festival. NY1’s Valarie D’Elia filed the following report.
Travel shows usually exhibit their fair share of tried-and-true destinations.
At the New York Travel Festival, an up-and-comer on the consumer circuit, a couple of places that might be considered a tough sell were trying to get a foothold in the tourism game.
… Adventure travel consultant Jeffrey Donenfeld describes what about Serbia appeals to the adventurer. “The sell in my eyes with Serbia is, this is way off the beaten track in undiscovered, pristine and beautiful country and location that is just begging to be explored,” he says.
This past weekend, April 26th and 27th, I attended and spoke at the annual NY Travel Festival. The weekend was a productive and interesting look at the state of the Travel, Adventure, and Travel Media industry, and featured informative sessions from industry leaders including the Travel 2.0 group, G Adventures, Matador Network, and AFAR Media, among many others. A few wrapups and followups from the festival:
I appeared at the event as the resident expert on Antarctic Adventure and Expedition Travel, leading two sessions of one-on-one consulting, as well as doing featured talk on my experience living and working in Antarctica, and how future adventure travelers can make their own way to the frozen continent. If you missed my talk, you can read my entire account of Antarctica at https://JeffreyDonenfeld.com/Antarctica. Continue reading about my complete Travelogue.
Exploring Earth’s Most Extreme Continent – Antarctica.
During the ’12-’13 Austral Summer, Jeffrey Donenfeld deployed with the United States Antarctic Program to live and work at the most remote outpost of humanity, in the middle of the highest, coldest, windiest, and driest desert in the world – at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, South Pole, Antarctica. Live on the station was extreme in every sense – extreme weather conditions, extremely cold, extreme science, and extremely fun. Join Jeffrey as he shares critically acclaimed photographs and first-person video clips shot while on station, as well as hear how YOU can make your own journey to explore the earth’s southernmost continent.
I was lucky to meet a number of great people to discuss innovative new products and services within the industry. A few standouts:
Newleyweds Mike and Anne of HoneyTrek spoke on Extended Honeymoon Travel, and told the awesome story of their 675-day round-the-world honeymoon. “We’re Mike & Anne Howard, two American newlyweds who thought a ten-day honeymoon wasn’t nearly enough to celebrate a new life together. With a little bit of savings, no kids, and good health, we figured there was no better time to travel than now. So we quit our jobs, rented our apartment, and set out on a 675-day honeymoon around the world. Using Anne’s background as a magazine editor and Mike’s as a digital media strategist and photographer, we started HoneyTrek.com to share our journey of love, life, and adventure.”
Bruce Poon-Tip of G-Adventures presented as the keynote speaker, sharing his story, as well as a collecting of entertaining and tightly produced promo spots. “The 2014 New York Travel Festival welcomes Bruce Poon Tip as the headline speaker for the Matador Network Speaker Series. In 1990, Poon Tip founded G Adventures, a global adventure travel company dedicated to providing travelers with award-winning experiences and authentic accommodations. In a session entitled “Transformation in Travel,” Bruce will discuss lessons from his experiences as an entrepreneur and sustainable travel advocate, as well as his new book, Looptail.” – NY Trav Fest official schedule
Marc Orenstein and Adam Rapp of Clothing Arts demoed their stylish and functional Pick-Pocket Proof P^cubed Travel Pants and Shirts. The travelwear is built with a variety of hidden zippers and buttons, providing secure storage for travelers, while offering modern and versatile style. I was particularly impressed with the feel of the quick-dry nylon fabric used in their line of button-down shirts – the fabric feels and moves like fine cotton, but is actually synthetic and dries quickly. I’m yet to actually field-test their gear, but am looking forward to getting it out there and publishing my notes soon.
Also during the festival, and chronicled via Twitter – FOLLOW ME
https://twitter.com/Jeffzilla/status/460137579753373697
https://twitter.com/Jeffzilla/status/461294627450941440
https://twitter.com/Jeffzilla/status/460911083604443137
https://twitter.com/Jeffzilla/status/459839454048698368
https://twitter.com/Jeffzilla/status/460453485503602689
https://twitter.com/Jeffzilla/status/460123444558835712
https://twitter.com/Jeffzilla/status/460099627740839937
https://twitter.com/Jeffzilla/status/459850894600056832
https://twitter.com/Jeffzilla/status/459529371863486464
Next up in the circuit of NY-based travel, adventure and outdoor life events is Outdoorfest, taking place May 30 – June 8 2014.
A festival to bring out the adventurer in all of us, OutdoorFest provides a space for the outdoor community to share our passions. We’ll spend ten days kayaking on the Hudson, running through natural forest, and photographing wildlife, all within city boundaries. Through these events, we can connect with others who share our interest, discover a new sport, and champion healthy, active lifestyles.
Percolate helps brands create content at social scale. Some key features include:
– Track events and plan content at the intersection of brand voice and cultural relevance
– Employees never miss a social moment with the Percolate Photographer app
– Create branded images at the speed of social with the Percolate Image editor
The New York Travel Festival aims to reinvent the consumer travel show for tech-savvy, immersive travelers. We go beyond booths and brochures to provide interactive experiences to people who see travel as a means of experience, not just escape. NY Trav Fest brings together a unique blend of consumers, media and industry to mingle and discuss the future of travel together.
Antarctica Talk and Slideshow, 3-4pm: “Surviving the world’s highest, coldest, windiest and driest desert — Antarctica” ADD TO CALENDAR
Exploring Earth’s Most Extreme Continent – Antarctica.
During the ’12-’13 Austral Summer, Jeffrey Donenfeld deployed with the United States Antarctic Program to live and work at the most remote outpost of humanity, in the middle of the highest, coldest, windiest, and driest desert in the world – at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, South Pole, Antarctica. Live on the station was extreme in every sense – extreme weather conditions, extremely cold, extreme science, and extremely fun. Join Jeffrey as he shares critically acclaimed photographs and first-person video clips shot while on station, as well as hear how YOU can make your own journey to explore the earth’s southernmost continent.
This morning I got a brief mention in the Washington Post on how to survive in cold temperatures. They only published a few from my list – here’s the full list:
Tips on how to survive the cold weather, from an Antarctic worker’s perspective:
Layer Layer Layer. Instead of one big bulky jacket, plan your cold weather clothing out in versatile layers. In general, start with a light baselayer, then one or more medium insulating layers like sweaters and pullovers, then a warm “poofy jacket” layer, and then top it all off with a waterproof shell layer. This way, you can adjust the amount of clothing you’re wearing for the conditions and amount of work. If you’re feeling warm, you can remove layers. Cold and you can add layers.
Stay warm, but not too warm. On very cold days it can be tempting to wear everything you’ve got, even while you’re working outside. But if you’re doing work, get too warm and start sweating, and then stop working, that sweat can cool you back down rapidly, creating a dangerous situation. Plan your layers to stay warm for the amount of work you’re doing outside, while not overheating.
Wear wicking fabrics, avoid cotton. Wear fabrics such as wool and synthetics, that will wick away sweat, dry fast, and stay warm even if they get wet. Fabrics such as cotton are indeed comfortable when dry, but as soon as they get wet they lose their insulating properties. In very wet environments, or wet snow, avoid down insulation, and stick to synthetics. At the South Pole Station, Antarctica, our coats are insulated with goose down, because it’s so cold there that nothing every melts – totally dry.
Remember to protect your face and any other exposed skin. Working in 24/7 sunlight at the south pole requires all skin to either be covered at all times, or lots of sunblock to be used. If you’re going to be outside for an extended period, make sure to cover exposed skin- like your lips, nose, ears with sunblock. Better yet, cover up with a neck gaiter or scarf. The goggles we wear at the south pole often have nose guards attached to them, for sun and wind protection.
Use eye protection. When snow covers the ground, it acts as giant reflector of the suns energy. Be sure to wear adequate eye protection for the high light levels. Additionally, if you’re going to be working on snow in full sunlight for a while, be sure to apply sunblock to skin facing the ground – I’ve seen numerous people sunburn the bottom of their chin, nose, and roof of their mouth from sunlight reflected off the snow.
Take extra layers and backups. While working on the Antarctic Ice, losing something as simple as a glove or sunglasses becomes a major safety issue. Always prepare with backups of essential items, such as hats and gloves, eye protection, and extra layers. I usually carry a few single use charcoal handwarmer packets too, just in case.
My friend Jeff Couturier is a graphic designer, web developer, cartoonist, and geek. He’s a regular host on the Universal Geek podcast, and recently gave me and my Antarctica blog a great mention. Thanks Jeff for the shoutout!
For the part where I’m mentioned, start listening at 1:07:00
This month, I had the opportunity to speak with career coaching firm Terawatt founder Francie Jain about my views on venture investing and the future of technology and entrepreneurship. It was a pleasure speaking with Francie, and I’m honored to join the team of business leaders profiled on the site. Read the full interview on Terawatt. (PDF)
![Israel Outdoors participant alumn Jeffrey Donenfeld, recently came back from his first time staffing an Israel Outdoors Bike trip. Oh how we love keeping it in the Israel Outdoors family! When he is not staffing trips to Israel, Jeffrey […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.jeffreydonenfeld.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Biking-Through-Israel-Israel-Outdoors-20140715.jpg?resize=1200%2C4072&ssl=1)
While 
This past weekend, April 26th and 27th, I attended and spoke at the annual 
Newleyweds Mike and Anne of 
Bruce Poon-Tip of 
