Since Jim founded Heroic Hearts Inc., an organizational development company, in 1993, he has accrued over 25 years of experience as an Organizational Development Consultant, coaching and training business executives in the fields of Leadership, Team Effectiveness and Leading Change, working with multiple transnational corporate leadership teams in North America, Europe and Asia.

Currently his passions are focused through Guardians of the Ice on the growing impact of human activity on the mountain world and the rapidly developing downstream effects on natural and human systems around the planet. Jim’s role as planetary change agent derives directly from his experience in addressing the human dimension of change in organizations and thus informs the Guardians of the Ice mission to profoundly change our relationship with our planet and its living systems.

Jim has been an active and influential alpinist for over 40 years. Noted alpinist Steve House refers to Jim as the “original Canadian hardman.” Jim has led and guided multiple expeditions in North America, the Himalaya and the Andes. In 1986, he led the most successful Canadian expedition to Everest (Everest Light), establishing a new route on the Tibetan side, enabling two members of the team to summit, including Sharon Wood, the first North American woman to summit the mountain. He received a rare Award of Recognition from the Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation recognizing his leadership of this historic expedition.

During the course of the expedition, a major financial institution partnered with Jim to use the climb as a metaphor for a “heroic” undertaking within its organization. Jim’s internal motivational and marketing program resulted in a massive cultural shift within the organization that unified the 1500 employees into a powerful force that turned around a $3 billion shortfall in deposits and nearly doubled the bank’s share price.

Jim has also had a lifelong interest in photography. He worked as the climbing cinematographer on the award-winning film Challenge the Canadian Rockies. As a photojournalist, sponsored by Leica, Jim was one of the first western photographers into China to document the lives of ordinary people.

“One of the many reasons I want still photography to be part of the Guardians project is the ability to make large high-quality prints that will immerse the viewer, like an Imax film. I feel this is the best way to create an emotional connection with the viewer and provide them an experience as if they were actually in the mountains. The intent within the Guardians Project is to produce environmental photographs as opposed to decorative imagery. We want to show nature, the ice, the mountains in a way that catalyses people to act in their own way towards greater engagement and ecological responsibility.”

A native of Alberta and infused from birth with a deep and life long connection to the mountains of Western Canada, Roger Vernon solidified his love for life behind the camera at the age of 13. He succeeded in combining his love for the mountains and his desire to make images into a flourishing career as an internationally respected cinematographer.  

Although his early passion was rooted in the documentary world, Roger has made significant contributions to numerous feature length dramas, most notably Unforgiven, the western that was nominated for best cinematography and won four Academy awards including Best Picture. 

For over 46 years, Roger has applied his skills throughout the genres in motion picture photography.  Fictional films, documentaries, educational films and TV commercials, are all part of his visual language. He is the recipient of a Gemini Award for Cinematography, The Kodak Spectrum Award and ten awards from the Alberta Motion Picture Industry Association.

While he has traveled and worked in many remote corners of the earth including Tibet, Mongolia, Kashmir, Bhutan, the Karakoram to name a few, he says that nowhere inspires him quite like the Canadian Rockies, which is why he continues to return to his mountain home in the Bow Valley.

John’s has accumulated 30-plus years of story work as writer and editor, coaching and drawing out stories of depth and meaning from the memories of veterans, business and political leaders, survivors and artists.

He also consults on the shaping and refining of works of fiction, carrying their authors’ ambitions, dreams and insights into courageous narratives. He has applied his unique expertise to more than one hundred published books.

“I have always sought out the edges, the frontiers and interfaces where we are most alive, most creative and most engaged. It’s all a great adventure, whether hitchhiking through the Khyber Pass as I did as a young man, or partnering with a writer to find the most compelling ways to express the deepest most heartfelt truths.”

John’s mission with Guardians of the Ice is to find and tell the great stories of resilience and resourcefulness among the “ordinary” people all over the world who are adapting with courage and imagination to the harshest consequences of the climate crisis, and thereby creating the regeneration of our world.

Since 2006, Kristi has developed and instructed guide accreditation courses for the Interpretive Guides Association. “I love mentoring new guides and sharing my passion for the outdoors, while reveling in their excitement to be a guide!  I also want them to recognize the importance of their role as messengers to what is happening here in the Canadian Rockies with Climate Change and what we can do about it.”

You may have seen Kristi on “Canada A.M.”, “CTV Travels”, Oasis TV, National Geographic Channel or CNN, hiking snow-covered ridge tops while sharing her knowledge of the natural and cultural history in the Canadian Rockies; or read about her in the Calgary Herald “Snow Profiles on Women”, Mountain Life Annual and Canadian Geographic magazine.

Kristi also works for the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival and is a Road Warrior with the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour in Canada and the US.  In 2018, Kristi met Jim Elzinga at the Film Festival, when she was emceeing a show where he announced the John Lauchlan Award winners.  That meeting lead to Kristi volunteering with Guardians of the Ice almost since its inception.  In her guiding career Kristi has seen the glaciers recede, prompting her to learn more and teach more about what we all can do to reduce our carbon footprint.  She’s credited with coming up with the first Guardians phrase, “Ice = Water = Life”.

In her down time, Kristi recharges in the mountains by road biking, SUP, and downhill or Nordic skiing!

Gurminder, the CEO of Banga Studios for the past 14 years, has been recognised as one of the top photographers in Toronto. He has aligned his artistic vision with a foundation of storytelling, human connection and creativity. As a multidimensional artist capturing intimate events and stunning landscapes the focus for Gurminder is to document the moments within the moment. Whether it be successful celebrities, influential leaders or mother nature Gurminder’s passion is to share stories that aid humanity in recognizing the inner abilities that live within us. Gurminder is also on his own personal journey to uncover the teachings of his inner being, so he can live by them in the outer world, with more calm, balance, peace and ease.