Stephanie van der Wiel
Consultant
Nationality:
Dutch
African Countries I Worked in:
South Sudan
Chad
Uganda
Namibia
Zambia
Angola
Kenya
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And on other continents:
Europe
Asia
North America
South America
Australia
From Courtroom to Conservation
Stephanie began her professional career as a civil lawyer, but a serious bus accident became a
wake-up call that made her reconsider the path she was on. Driven by a desire to explore the world and pursue her passion for photography, she decided to leave the legal world behind and packed her bags for a new beginning.
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She began collaborating with world-renowned photographer Jimmy Nelson, known for his powerful portraits of Indigenous cultures. Together, they travelled to some of the planet’s most remote and isolated locations, visiting Indigenous communities. Stephanie contributed both behind the lens and behind the scenes with filming, interviewing, and deeply engaging with the communities they visited.
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Back in Amsterdam, she took the lead in producing their many expeditions into extreme conditions: from the frozen steppes of Mongolia at -40°C to the scorching heat of South Sudan at +45°C.
Their numerous journeys led to the creation of acclaimed coffee table books and all-immersive art experiences that have been exhibited throughout Europe.
​​Stephanie’s passion for nature, conservation, and wildlife began in her early childhood. In her twenties, she volunteered at a lion rehabilitation centre in Zambia, where she collected data on big cat behaviour and contributed to hands-on conservation efforts to protect the region’s declining lion population. She also became involved in managing human-wildlife conflict: a challenge at the heart of coexistence in conservation areas.
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Today, she brings all of these experiences together in her work as a consultant, focusing on storytelling, content creation, and community building. Her work supports our mission to drive meaningful change for people and the planet.
