Kiliii Yüyan in Aspen Colorado, Oct. 20, 2026

National Geographic Photographer Kiliii Yüyan will speak at Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, CO on Oct. 20, 2026 as part of the Vital Impacts Student Speaker Series, produced in collaboration with Changemaker Takent.

Known for his joyful grin, photographer Kiliii Yüyan has reasons to be thankful. He's survived a hunting polar bear and charmed sea snakes. He's found community at the edges of the world. But perhaps it is easiest to say that Kiliii is a storyteller who seeks to understand the world from many human perspectives.

From his Chinese and Nanai/Hézhè (East Asian Indigenous) ancestry, Kiliii was driven to be curious about the natural world. For two decades he built and paddled traditional kayaks, exploring his grandmother's culture through the craft of his ancestors. Today, he is a photographer committed to telling stories that help humanity understand itself and its relationship to mother earth.