Mario Rigby

Mario Rigby – Redefining the meaning of exploration

Mario Rigby is an explorer, photographer, and storyteller with a mission to change how the world sees exploration and who gets to be recognised as an explorer. Born in the Turks and Caicos Islands and based in Toronto, Canada, Mario has built his career around adventure, cultural discovery, and sharing stories that challenge expectations.

His approach to exploration goes beyond travelling to unfamiliar places. For Mario, adventure is an opportunity to understand different cultures, build meaningful connections, and discover the strength that comes from stepping outside familiar surroundings.

Through his remarkable experiences, Mario Rigby brings a refreshing perspective to conversations about courage, resilience, and belonging. His story encourages audiences to reconsider their own assumptions about what they are capable of achieving and to recognise that extraordinary journeys often begin with a simple decision to start.

Nearly 12,000 kilometres across Africa

In 2015, Mario Rigby embarked on an extraordinary expedition that would transform his life and become the foundation of his work as an explorer and storyteller.

Starting in Cape Town, South Africa, he spent two years walking and kayaking nearly 12,000 kilometres north to Cairo, Egypt. His route took him through eight African countries, creating countless opportunities to experience different landscapes, communities, and cultures firsthand.

The journey required determination, adaptability, and a willingness to face uncertainty. Travelling such an immense distance demanded more than physical endurance. It also required the mental resilience to continue moving forward without knowing exactly what each new day would bring.

These experiences became the foundation of Mario's approach to storytelling. Rather than presenting adventure as something reserved for a select few, he shares the human side of exploration: the decisions, encounters, challenges, and moments of discovery that shape a remarkable journey.

His central message is both simple and powerful: you do not need to have everything figured out before you begin. Sometimes, the most important step is the first one.

Exploration, photography, and conservation

Mario Rigby's passion for exploration is closely connected to his work as a photographer and visual storyteller. Through photography and film, he documents exploration, culture, and conservation across Africa and the Middle East, bringing attention to the people, places, and environments he encounters.

He serves as an Explorer-in-Residence and photographer with the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, reflecting his commitment to documenting and sharing the value of exploration.

Mario is also a Canada Goose Goose Person and a Fjallraven partner, connecting his adventurous work with organisations that share an interest in the outdoors and exploration.

His commitment to storytelling continues through new expeditions. In December 2026, Mario is scheduled to join a National Geographic pangolin expedition in Nigeria as the team's storyteller. This project brings together his interest in exploration, wildlife conservation, and communicating important stories through firsthand experience.

For Mario, photography and storytelling are ways to create understanding and encourage curiosity about the wider world.

Keynotes on resilience, courage, and belonging

As a speaker, Mario Rigby translates his extraordinary experiences into relatable insights about navigating uncertainty, challenging assumptions, and pursuing ambitious goals.

He has shared his perspectives on stages including TEDx, the GLEX Summit in Portugal, and Google in San Francisco. His presentations draw on genuine experiences, combining personal storytelling with reflections that audiences can connect to their own lives and challenges.

Mario's keynotes explore themes such as:

• Resilience and determination: Discover what it takes to keep moving forward when the path ahead is uncertain and the challenges seem overwhelming.

• Courage to begin: Understand why waiting until you feel completely prepared can hold you back from meaningful opportunities.

• Belonging and representation: Challenge traditional perceptions of who can be an explorer and why broader representation matters.

• Adaptability and uncertainty: Learn from experiences that demanded flexibility, persistence, and the willingness to embrace the unexpected.

• Cultural understanding: Explore how encountering different people and perspectives can expand the way we see ourselves and the world.

Whether speaking to business professionals, leaders, students, or audiences interested in personal development, Mario offers a perspective shaped by experiences far beyond the ordinary.

His stories invite people to look at challenges differently and consider what they might accomplish by taking action, even when the outcome is unknown.

Book Mario Rigby for your event

Booking Mario Rigby for your event means inviting an explorer whose experiences offer a compelling perspective on courage, human potential, and the value of stepping into the unknown.

From his two-year expedition across Africa to his ongoing work in photography, cultural storytelling, and conservation, Mario brings an authentic voice to the stage. His ability to connect extraordinary adventures with universal human experiences makes his message relevant to audiences facing change, uncertainty, or ambitious new challenges.

Mario Rigby is an engaging choice for conferences, corporate events, leadership gatherings, and inspirational programmes where the goal is to encourage fresh thinking and meaningful action.

His message reminds audiences that progress rarely begins with certainty. It begins with curiosity, determination, and the willingness to move forward.

Book Mario Rigby for your next event and give your audience a memorable perspective on resilience, belonging, and the extraordinary possibilities that open up when we dare to begin.