After working for over 20 years in zoos and nature centers, I have been bitten by, pooped on, hugged by, and smiled at by dozens of animals and a few more kids. I worked in conservation education because of my love of the outdoors, and for creating memorable experiences for explorers of all ages. I have traveled with teenagers (and my husband Matt) to the Arctic to venture onto the tundra to come face to face with wild polar bears. (We were safe on a Tundra Buggy, actually). I traipsed through the Australian rainforest looking in the leaf litter for the droppings left by the tree kangaroos sleeping in the branches above. I saw Matt get smacked in the face by a panda cub he was holding while we led a trip of panda fans to China. Since leaving wildlife education to work in the "for-purpose" sector (somewhere between for-profit corporations and nonprofit, public benefit organizations) I have led a fundraiser bike ride for wounded military bomb techs, created memorable experiences for participants of TEDxSanDiego, and worked with zoos across the country to get their communities to show us their conservation actions as part of a global game. I am proud to serve on the board of Every Monday Matters, an organization dedicated to a new normal of goodness. My mission in life is to tap into the good in people, and to give them a sense of importance and belonging. I believe that the power of media-internet, television, and beyond-can be used to activate the best in us. And to show us the funny stuff in life, like getting smacked in the face by a panda.