Experience extraordinary tales from explorers
The Kauffman Center invites you to learn, explore and discover with Trailblazing Talks. This five-show series takes audiences around the world to hear firsthand adventures from renowned scientists, journalists, explorers and photographers. Within each 90-minute event, you will hear captivating stories from these trailblazers, view images from their journeys and engage in a question-and-answer session.
Paleoanthropologist Louise Leakey, Digging for Humanity’s Origins
Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
Hear from Louise Leakey as she delves into the question of why Homo Sapiens are the only surviving species of the human family. As a scientist studying human evolution, Leakey seeks to find what set Homo Sapiens apart from other upright ape species and has led them to be the only species to survive and evolve through the last 8 million years to today.
CBS Sunday Morning Correspondent Conor Knighton, Leave Only Footprints
Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
Join journalist Conor Knighton to hear riveting and unique stories of his travels visiting every national park in the country. What started as an escape from reality turned into a life-changing experience filled with captivating vistas, unexpected connections and profound lessons.
Explorer Albert Lin, In Search of Lost Cities
Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
Take a deeper look into the relationship between humans and machines with professional explorer Albert Lin. After losing part of leg in a buggy accident, modern prosthetics have changed his life and inspired his exploration. Lin has been on a journey across continents seeking out lost cultures and cities to observe their innovative technological methods.
Photographer Mattias Klum, The Planet in Our Hands
Tuesday, April 14, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
Listen in on the riveting stories of Mattias Klum facing lions and living with meerkats. See the astonishing images he has gathered from his time immersing himself in nature. Klum’s storytelling is captivating yet humorous, expressing a deep appreciation for the beauty of the world he explores.
Mattias Klum is a Swedish photographer and filmmaker who has worked as a cinematographer and director on numerous film and television projects.
Photographer Frans Lanting and Science Writer Christine Eckstrom, Bay of Life: From Wind to Whales
Tuesday, May 19, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
Hear the moving story of Monterey Bay’s recovery from the cusp of ecological collapse to a thriving renewal told by two of the bay’s locals, Frans Lanting and Christine Eckstrom. Their presentation explains the attainable impact people can make on ecosystems when they act together to make a difference.
Tickets are currently available for purchase on the Kauffman Center website either individually, as a Trailblazing Talks Season Ticket Package or with the Performing Arts Sampler subscription.
The Trailblazing Talks Season Ticket Package provides tickets to all five shows with the price depending on your seat selection. This package offers memorable experiences throughout the spring, promising to enrich, inspire and expand your horizons.
–Caroline Wood
