Kelly began seven years of expedition work in the polar regions as staff with Students On Ice (Naturalist, Zodiac driver) taking groups of high school students from around the world to Nunavut, Nunavik, Labrador and Greenland. In 2019 he finally completed a Northwest Passage transit with Adventure Canada as expedition staff after several prior attempts.

His visits to Antarctica, Canadian Arctic and Greenland further solidified his commitment
to bring critical scientific and environmental issues to the forefront of our discussions on
climate, conservation, and political action. Kelly became a Certified Master Naturalist to
find ways to bridge the gap between scientific research and the public/policy makers,
creating a better understanding of the issues that affect the planet and its inhabitants.
 

Kelly also has nearly three decades experience as an advertising and marketing
professional, working with an international roster of clients at Asatsu America/BBDO
Los Angeles, before moving into the non-profit sector as a consultant. He additionally
served as director of marketing, producer/host, events coordinator, and programming
advisor for a public radio station in Santa Fe, NM.
 

In 2012, he had the opportunity to join James Cameron’s expedition to the Challenger Deep, where his father, Don Walsh, had made the historic dive 52 years prior.
 

The Caladan Oceanic Expedition this year is a culmination of 40 years of travel and adventure,and on the 60th anniversary of the Trieste dive, the special bond between a father and son has never been more apparent. Exploring the same spot that Don Walsh visited six
decades ago has meaning beyond words.