Jean-Philippe Soulé spent his childhood breathing in the beauty of the outdoors and pushing physical boundaries. He joined the elite mountain commando team of the French Special Forces in 1985. Later, driven by his desire for adventure, his quest to discover new lands and culture, and his passion for meeting diverse people, Jean-Philippe left his native France to travel the world.
After 6 years as a Microsoft program manager in Seattle, he led expeditions while working as a photographer. His images of indigenous communities have been published by National Geographic as well as publications from the United Nations. He completed multiple mountain and jungle explorations, then lived in the Siberut tropical jungle among the Mentawai, an indigenous clan of hunter-gatherers. The value of cultural preservation and a thirst for adventure led him to conceive of this journey.