Josh Bernstein

Josh Bernstein, born on February 24, 1971, in New York City, New York, USA, is an American explorer, author, executive producer, survival expert, anthropologist, and television host. He attended Cornell University, double-majoring in Anthropology and Psychology, with minors in Native American and Near Eastern Studies. Following his graduation, he participated in a post-graduate program in Jerusalem, studying mysticism and ancient texts. His early life was marked by personal losses, including the passing of his father when he was 14 and his three-year-old sister in an automobile accident a year later. Bernstein is a fellow of The Explorers Club and the Royal Geographical Society, with extensive travel experience spanning over two million miles across more than 80 countries and all seven continents.

Bernstein’s career began in the outdoors, where for 25 years he worked with the Boulder Outdoor Survival School (BOSS), the oldest and largest survival school in the United States. He joined BOSS as a student in 1988, progressing through the ranks to become an apprentice, instructor, marketing director, and eventually president and CEO in 1997. In 2013, he sold BOSS to dedicate his efforts to new educational initiatives. This transition aligned with his work as an educator, where he collaborated with institutions like the Smithsonian Institution on a STEM education initiative and developed programs for NASA, such as Project Ianos (2021-2022) with the Aldrin Family Foundation and Students To Launch (2022-2023) with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). These initiatives utilized established methodologies to prepare students for future global challenges.

As a storyteller, Bernstein is widely recognized for hosting over 50 hours of prime-time documentary content across networks such as History, Discovery, National Geographic, Smithsonian Institution, and NASA. He hosted the series “Digging for the Truth” on the History Channel from 2005 to 2007, which became the network’s highest-rated adventure-archaeology series. In 2007, he moved to the Discovery Channel to host and executive produce “Into the Unknown with Josh Bernstein” (2008). He is also a critically acclaimed author, having written the print companion to “Digging for the Truth.” Through his company, First Light Group, which includes First Light Institute, First Light Studios, First Light Education, First Light Expeditions, and the First Light Foundation (a 501(c)(3) charity), Bernstein focuses on global challenges related to human and planetary sustainability, fostering engagement, advocacy, and action. His current series, “Explorer At Large,” aims to build a deeper connection between people and the planet through multi-media content.