At The Human Resilience Project, our mission is to explore and enrich human wellbeing in a dynamic global environment.

We are explorers of the human spirit. Each year, our teams set out on 3–4 expeditions to some of the most remote and challenging places on Earth. From equatorial rainforests to Arctic ice, from windswept deserts to storm-battered coastlines, we live and work alongside Indigenous and remote communities to uncover how people face trauma, adapt to climate upheaval, and cultivate resilience. Ours is one of the most dynamic and far-reaching initiatives ever undertaken by a private consortium—part science, part adventure—all in service of human wellbeing.

Our Approach

We are storytellers with boots in the mud, sand, and snow. Every expedition blends Indigenous knowledge with cutting-edge, transdisciplinary research, steeped in the practices of reciprocity and sharing. This co-creation of knowledge allows us to develop mental health solutions that are culturally rooted, scientifically rigorous, and globally relevant. Reciprocity is central: we don’t just document resilience, we help build it, working side by side with local partners to design or uncover practices that strengthen communities from within.

Why It Matters

Without mental health, people don’t act. Climate change may alter landscapes, but despair can immobilize entire societies. Our work investigates the vital connections between trauma, resilience, and action, illuminating the mental and emotional strength required to meet the greatest challenges of our time. By uncovering how communities thrive under extreme pressure, we generate insights that can be applied worldwide.

Beyond Discovery

Exploration doesn’t end when the expedition comes home. We are identifying the themes and values that are explicit across cultures and will write a popular press, nonfiction book about human resilience in 2028. Our goal is to share what is common across cultures, to help improve wellbeing worldwide.

What’s Next

We field 3–4 expeditions each year. Upcoming destinations in 2027 include: Sumatra (Indonesia), Nepal, Outer Hebrides (Scotland), Israel, Mexico, and Ghana.

A Team of Elder Women

The Human Resilience Project’s commitment to field leadership by elder women is intentional and transformative. With an average team age of 54, THRP brings the experience, relational wisdom, and cultural humility that come with decades of living and working. In many Indigenous communities, women are keepers of intergenerational knowledge, cultural practices, and community relationships. Centering elder women as explorers challenges the assumption that scientific discovery belongs primarily to younger men and demonstrates that experience, deep listening, and reciprocity are essential research strengths. This model expands who gets to define and document human resilience while advancing a more respectful, responsible, and relational approach to exploration.

Become a Hope Slinger!

Perhaps one of the most important parts of our work is building a community of people working toward resilience. We call ourselves “Hope Slingers,” because our goal is to pass along hope and encouragement in all we do.

The findings from the first four expeditions are showing us that there are significant common themes and values among communities that have no connection to one another. What is most human about us may be that we build on connection and community in ways that promote resilience. YOU can be part of this movement by following us on social media and getting the word out about ways to foster human resilience.

Child sharing lunch in the Amazon, Ecuador