2025 Pathfinder Prize Live Pitch Event

Hidden Compass is proud to present our third annual Pathfinder Prize Live Pitch Event! The 2025 Pathfinder Prize finalist teams will pitch their projects live for a chance to receive an $18,000 grant to fund a global expedition of the modern age — an age where discovery is about understanding instead of conquering. Our Pathfinders are multimedia storytellers who bring our community behind the scenes in digital dispatches, and share their expedition through magazine features and a short documentary film.

Keep reading to learn more about the finalists, and take note: While the event is free, registration is required.

“Scorched Earth” is a scientific expedition to combat the notion that wildfire is wholly negative by investigating the impact of devastating bushfires in Australia and answering the following questions: What is the impact of Australian bushfires on the environment beyond the devastation of human settlements? What role does/should cultural burning play in fire and land management? How can we mitigate the rise of these fires in light of a changing climate and world?

“The Rebel Reef” is an underwater expedition to explore the audacity of finding hope in the face of climate change, environmental destruction, and the lingering impact of colonization and conquest. In Tela, Honduras, we investigate the following questions: Who does this thriving reef belong to? What’s behind its rebellious success? Who gets to tell its story? And should we dare to hope?

Following the event, Hidden Compass Allies will have eight days to cast their votes. The winning team will be announced at the 2024 Ethos of Exploration event in December.

Bios

Hannah Schoettmer, expedition leader: An award-winning filmmaker, author, and journalist, serving as the expedition’s prospective leader.

Robert Boyd: A filmmaker and science communicator who specializes in underwater and microscopic filmmaking, serving as the expedition’s science communicator.

Charlie Connell: An award-winning environmental filmmaker, serving as the expedition’s wildlife filmmaker.

Olivia Hall: An environmental filmmaker and storyteller, serving as the expedition’s writer and photographer.

Christian Carias, expedition leader: A dive officer and instructor residing in Tela, Honduras, serving as the expedition’s prospective leader.

Dr. Joseph Henry: An underwater filmmaker and science communicator, serving as the expedition’s coral reef ecologist, VR director, and underwater videographer.

Tiffany Duong: An award-winning multimedia storyteller and journalist who specializes in ocean conservation stories, serving as the expedition’s director, producer, and writer.

Brynne Rardin: An award-winning underwater filmmaker, drone pilot, and divemaster, serving as the expedition’s creative director, underwater videographer, and drone pilot.

Vinh Pham: A visual storyteller, serving as the expedition’s videographer, photographer, and alternate drone pilot.

Senyacen Ramirez: The lead aquarist at Tela Marine Aquarium, serving as the expedition’s biologist.

Antal Borcsok: Founder of Tela Marine Aquarium who discovered the Rebel Reef a decade ago, serving as the expedition’s dive partner.