It is sometimes easy to forget that Storytelling can take many forms beyond film, television and other visual media with which we are so familiar. Attending the annual National Geographic Storytellers Summit, which was held this past week in Los Angeles, was an inspirational reminder of how individual images, immersive and other media of creative expression can evoke great emotion as they transport us into far away planetary and interstellar worlds, underscoring how vast and complex the natural world is.
Here is the purpose of the Summit, expressed in their own words:
“Storytelling has the power to illuminate challenges, ignite action and create emotional connections between people, nature and the planet. For over 50 years, National Geographic has gathered annually at an event now known as Storytellers Summit to celebrate these stories and the incredible community of changemakers illuminating and protecting the wonder of our world.”
The 2026 NatGeo Storytellers Summit, introduced by Jill Tiefenthaler, NatGeo CEO, presented us with two days of extraordinary journeys by photographers in remote and other more familiar parts of the world. Over the course of two days, at UCLA’s Luskin Conference Center, we experienced the Storytellers’ sharing their journeys into the wilds of Africa, the South American Rain Forests, and with the inventors of equipment for capturing images ranging from the design, testing, and launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, to the stories of photographers who are traveling the globe on foot and embedding themselves (and their families) in remote regions in order to be able to capture the essence of other cultures and ways of life. See: NatGeo Summit Mainstage Speakers It is also worth noting the dedicated and diverse range of works that were curated and highlighted at the Summit by NatGeo’s Chief Storytelling Officer, Kaitlan Yarnall. “She specializes in storytelling, data visualization, information graphics, cartography, and visual narratives.” More on their team at NatGeo Leadership
This annual Summit is worth putting on your calendars for the coming years. It is presented as a hybrid live/streamed event, where people can connect with the presentations from around the world, even if they can’t attend in person. See: National Geographic Storytellers Summit 2026 It’s also worth noting that this Summit is part of an ongoing series of live events and activities designed for students of varying ages. Storytelling Series 2026 and its Storytellers Collective In addition, after several years of extensive renovation and innovative upgrades, the NatGeo Museum of Exploration in Washington, D.C.will be opening during the Summer of 2026.
