Thomas Nybo lives a double life. Half the year, he lives in the mountains of Utah, snowboarding most days, and homeschooling his kids. Half the year, as a photographer and filmmaker, he spends in some of the world's most dangerous places -- Haiti, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen. For the past three years, that place has been the Congo. Last year he reported on children miners, digging for the cobalt in our phones, electric cars and laptops. He also sent deep into the jungle with Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, tracking endangered gorillas.

He's worked in more than 100 countries telling the stories of people in vulnerable and situations. He's has worked for The New York Times, PBS Frontline/World, The Guardian, and The United Nations Children's Fund. He appears regularly on CNN, discussing his assignments in extreme circumstances. He was also on staff at CNN for eight years, covering the war in Iraq, Ground Zero after 9/11, and wildfires in California — often operating as a solo journalist, functioning as reporter/videographer/editor/producer with minimal support.