“Cultural preservation begins
with cultural celebration.”Justin brings over 25 years of experience in field research and has led cultural research expeditions through dozens of countries. The following are a few select highlights. Full timeline available upon request.
EXPEDITION & WORK EXPERIENCE
Founder & CEO
The History, Arts, and Science Action Network (HASAN), 501c3
2019-present
Through bridging the arts, humanities, and science, HASAN provides a highly interdisciplinary approach to exploration and the preservation of vanishing cultural traditions around the world.
Leading expedition field teams, conflict zone logistics, collaborating with remote communities.
Documenting unique elements of cultural heritage.
Designing and implementing public programming and academic presentations.
Explorer-in-residence, dir. of intl. content
Energea INC.
January 2024-present
Energea is a renewable energy investment platform that focuses on bringing positive impact technology to underserved communities around the globe. Learn more.
Designed and led four field expeditions to document unique cultural traditions in Ethiopia, Uganda, Colombia, and Mississippi/Louisiana.
Created Energea Films and the online Energea Films Channel.
Wrote and directed 10 short-form cultural documentaries with a sustainability twist to provide an enhanced user experience for Energea Investors.
TRADITIONS OF ETHIOPIA
(2021-Current)
Justin has organized and led 5 expeditions through remote areas of Ethiopia to document unique vanishing cultures. This short film showcases katikala, a barley and burnt corn-based alcohol. Justin brought the team to Debre Birhan, a city considered the birthplace and epi-center of the tradition. It is also thought to be the last place where producers still use black clay distilling devices that date back to ancient times.
THE DOORS OF ZANZIBAR
(March 2025)
Organized and led a research expedition through the Zanzibar Archipelago to document vanishing endemic cultural traditions. This included traditional door carvers, brass hardware smiths, kofia ya kiua hat makers, as well as spiritual workers who specialize in eliminating jinn and shatani. The expedition had a hyper focus on the northern island of Pemba.
MEERSCHAUM: CARVED IN STONE PART 1
(AUGUST 2024)
Organized and led expedition to Eskisehir, Turkey to document the region’s historic sepiolite mining and carving industry. Sepiolite also known as meerschaum is a soft mineral that has been carved into pipes, sculptures, and jewelry for hundreds of years. Justin surveyed active sepiolite mines with the last of Turkey’s full time mining families and trained under master pipe carvers. His report on the expedition will appear in Travel Weekly Magazine. Part 2 of this project will take place in Ceelbuur, Somalia, the other global center of meerschaum mining, carving and trade.
SOLAR IMPACT ON COLOMBIA’S INDIGENOUS
(July 2024)
This expedition was done in collaboration with ENERGEA and Colombia based solar provider Helios. Justin’s responsibility was to document how electricity is impacting the traditional cultures of remote indigenous communities. On this trip the team worked with the Arhuaco, Kogi and Wayuu peoples.
FINDING COFFEE’S FIRST CUP
(April 2024-December 2024)
Expedition to remote villages of Kaffa, Ethiopia to document the human origins of coffee. Led research team on jungle trek from Bonga, Ethiopia to the village of Mankira where locals believe humans first drank coffee. Interviewed Mankira village elders to record origin stories that have survived via oral tradition. Documented coffee production, processing, ritual and etiquette that is unique to the region. Wrote and directed short-form documentary Coffee’s First Cup. Presented film and academic lecture at the Greenwich Botanical Center.
FIGHTING CHILD SACRIFICE IN UGANDA
(March 2024-March 2025)
Field research project to document and identify cases and causes of child sacrifice in remote areas of Uganda. Visited ‘Transformed for Life School’ in Kibaale District. Interviewed staff, students and community members regarding recent cases of child abduction and sacrifice by area witchdoctors. Collaborated with Peter Sewakiryanga of Kyampisi Childcare Ministries (KCM) to identify root causes of sacrifice in the community. Developed plan to disrupt criminal networks and support victims. Interviewed indigenous spiritual leaders in Masaka to identify how witchdoctors are misrepresenting traditional beliefs. Wrote article The Currency of Innocence: Investigating the everyday reality of child sacrifice in rural Uganda for the Explorers Journal (Spring 2025 scheduled release).
HIDDEN CULTURES OF IRAQ
(September 2023-Current)
Field research project to document cultural traditions of ethno-religious minorities in Iraq. Completed work to be included in the permanent curriculum at Universities of Baghdad, Basra, and Mosul. Collaborated with human rights activists and academics Saad Salloum, Mirza Deniyi and Thawra Yoseph to ethically document the historic narratives of the Mandaean, Maʻdān, Yazidi, Afro-Basrari, and Kaka'i communities. Led field team through conflict areas in Baghdad, Basra, Erbil, Sinjar, Sulaymaniyah to meet with and interview members of remote minority communities. Wrote article on expedition for Session Magazine. Presented findings at GLEX Global Exploration Summit.
PROJECT HARMONY
(2021-2025)
A collaborative project with the State of Virginia to identity/remove/relocate historically significant tombstones that were discarded into the Potomac River in 1960. *Explorers Club Flag Expedition. Led field team, located and removed 58 tombstones from the Potomac River, catalogued and relocated stones to New Harmony Cemetery in Maryland for use in a memorial structure. Interviewed and collaborated with the descendent community. Wrote and directed feature length documentary on project
LEARNING FROM THE YIBIR
(2022-2023)
Explorers Club Flag Expedition
Field research project to document the unique cultural traditions of Somalia’s minority clans. Designed and led two field expeditions through conflicted regions of Somalia/Somaliland. Collaborated with leaders of the Yibir, Tomal, and Migdan minority clans to record their orally passed down stories for the first time. Wrote and directed feature-length documentary Learning from the Yibir. Serve as mentor to Mogadishu-based female filmmaker/explorer Kaif Jama. Premiered film and academic lecture at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Connecticut.
GREENLAND: HIGH ARCTIC HERITAGE
(August-October 2022)
Field research project to document vanishing cultural traditions of the Inughuit people of Northwest Greenland. This project also set out to document the changing face of the climate in and around the Nares Strait. Supported by VISIT GREENLAND, *Explorers Club Flag and Rolex Expedition. Met with and interviewed elders in the villages of Qaanaaq, Qeqertat, and Siorapaluk to record recipes, stories and textile production techniques that are on their last generation. Accompanied hunting party to document traditional foraging, hunting, navigation and bushcraft traditions. Held townhall and interactive lecture for community in Qaanaaq. Wrote article based on research for National Geographic. Presented academic lecture at Mystic Seaport, donated Inughuit artifacts to Bruce Museum for display. Wrote article on Arctic expedition logistics for Adventure Journal.
MEZCALARIANS: THE SPIRIT OF OAXACA
(2022-2023)
A series of expeditions through remote areas of Oaxaca, Mexico to document unique pre-colonial cultural traditions. Funded by Sentir Mezcal. Led four overland expeditions covering thousands of miles of Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Puebla states in Mexico. Collaborated with members of the Zapotec, Mixe, Mixtec, Amuzgos, Chocho, Zoque, and Chinantec communities to document recipes, dance, ritual, music, textile, and medicine traditions. Wrote and directed feature length documentary the Mezcalarians, which premiered at the Explorers Club. Wrote article on expedition for the Explorers Journal. Sponsored by Sentir Mezcal. LEARN MORE
GREAT ARCTIC SWIM
(2022-2023)
Planned and completed the longest continuous arctic swim on historic record. This expedition was designed to bring attention to the changing environment of the Nares Strait, the body of water that separates Canada and Greenland. Justin co-led this expedition with Wes Archer and worked with Dr. Kent Moore at the University of Toronto to record scientific climate data. Supported by Visit Greenland, Falljraven, Canada Goose, Polar Bears International. Learn more.
SEARCHING FOR RUINS IN GUYANA
(October 2021)
Locating and surveying possible Pre-Colombian ruins discovered by goldminers atop Guyana’s remote Kurupung Plateau. Led research team from Georgetown deep into Guyana’s rainforest interior. Investigated archeological sites of interest. Documented vanishing cultural traditions and ethnobotanical knowledge of the Surama Amerindian people. Documented oral traditions of lore and mythology attributed to the Pork-Knocker (artisanal goldminer) community. Sponsored by Media Monks
ANCIENT TEXTILES OF UGANDA
(2018 & 2024)
Research expedition to document pre-colonial traditions of the Buganda people. Led field team on 2-week overland journey to some of Uganda’s most remote villages. Met with tribal elders and craftspeople to document the techniques used to produce barkcloth. Published findings in article for National Geographic. Lectured extensively on barkcloth and other traditional textiles. Follow up expedition in March 2024
THE SLAVERY DETECTIVE OF THE SOUTH
(Aug 2017-Mar 2018)
Produced an investigative documentary to expose the existence of slavery in Mississippi a century after the Emancipation Proclamation. Worked as writer, researcher and field producer. Wrote all supporting online content.
GENOCIDE RECOVERY IN RWANDA
(January-April 2017)
Overland expedition through Rwanda to research vanishing cultural traditions within communities recovering from genocide. Collaborated with the women-led Kakira Imigongo Cooperative to document Imigongo (cow-dung art). Published research through National Geographic
STORIES OF THE WEST BANK
(Oct-Nov 2017)
Expedition with the Institute of Ramallah and a team of international journalists to document unique elements of Palestinian culture and stories of the West Bank territories. Stories/research published by VICE Media. Ice Cream in Ramallah, The Well of Jacob, The Samaritans of Nablus
RISE UP: THE LEGACY OF NAT TURNER
(September-October 2016)
Nat Turner documentary for National Geographic Studios/Channel in partnership with Birth of a Nation film. Spearheaded the repatriation of Nat Turner’s skull from his 1831 execution and successfully returned the remains to his descendants. Published world exclusive in National Geographic . Wrote and designed online supporting material for documentary. Worked as field producer and writer, scouted locations, took production stills, negotiated talent.
GREAT ISLAY SWIM
(December 2016-August 2017)
Expedition and open water swim to document the unique whisky culture and history of the Hebrides Islands of Scotland. Designed, planned, and led a 7-day expedition to complete the first swim around Islay, Scotland. Expedition supported by VISIT SCOTLAND, Single Cask Nation, and RNLI. Wrote and directed The Great Islay Swim documentary. Toured USA and Canada screening film, and lecturing about Islay’s history as Explorer-in-Residence for Laphroaig Whisky. Wrote article about expedition logistics for Men’s Journal.