Mission
Ngaren celebrates the beginnings of all humanity. Dedicated to educating humankind on our shared past, Ngaren tells the story of our common ancestry, our epic journeys, and our future obligation to protect the planet that is our only home.
Vision
Ngaren will be an internationally recognised authority in the field of human origin and evolution, a leader in science storytelling, education and digital content that will strive to continuously promote critical thinking and scientific inquiry, encouraging people to identify problems and ask questions, evaluate information and data, and draw conclusions from evidence.
Our aim is to transform people’s understanding of humanity’s place on this planet and empower people to support the future of the human family and of our planet.
Founder
We are deeply saddened by the death of Richard Leakey, our founder, friend, and visionary leader.
Dr. Richard E. Leakey was an award-winning Kenyan paleoanthropologist, conservationist, and politician. The son of renowned scientists Louis and Mary Leakey, he held a number of official positions in Kenya, mostly in institutions of archaeology and wildlife conservation. Leakey was Director of the National Museum of Kenya and head of the Kenyan Wildlife Service, and founded the NGO WildlifeDirect, as well as the Turkana Basin Institute – a research institution supporting scientific projects in human prehistory, sustainability, climate change, and modern human culture and diversity in Northern Kenya.
“I believe that if we can make the science of the origins of humanity accessible and exciting to everyone, and show people the amazing journey of humanity, we can shift paradigms and change the world.”
– Richard Leakey
Board of directors
Wangechi Mutu, Artist, Co-chair
Tony Saxton, Founder and Managing Partner,
Terra Group Holdings, Co-chair
Henry Louis Gates Jr., Alphonse Fletcher University Professor,
Director of the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research, Harvard University
John Heminway, Documentary Filmmaker
Lawrence B. Martin, PhD, Director Turkana Basin Institute,
Stony Brook University
Rachel Mbai, Attorney and Kenyan Advocate,
Kaplan and Stratton
Scott Miller, PhD, Deputy Under Secretary,
Smithsonian Institution
Marta Mirazón Lahr, PhD, Professor of Human Evolutionary Biology,
University of Cambridge
Ellen C. O'Connell, Chief Executive Officer
Annette L. Williamson, Board of Trustees,
Ngaren Inc.
Team
Ellen C. O’Connell, Chief Executive Officer
Federica Crivellaro, PhD, Ngaren Head Scientist
Director of Advocacy and Partnerships
Palaeoanthropologist Turkana Basin Institute, Stony Brook University
Karin Boomsma, Kenyan Development and Liaison Officer
Otto Mruttu, Project Management for Building and Construction
Partner for Masterplan
The Naturalis Biodiversity Center of The Netherlands. A research institute for biodiversity with over 120 scientists, working on issues in the field of biodiversity on land and at sea worldwide: mapping species and their cohesion, the changing living environment and the influence of climate change. One of the largest natural history collections in the world, with over 42 million objects, Naturalis operates a national museum, consisting of 10 permanent exhibits. The museum reopened in 2019 after it was rebuilt and furnished from scratch.
Partner for Animation
and Special Effects
Weta Digital. Weta is the world’s premiere, award winning digital visual effects company based in Wellington, New Zealand founded by Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings), Richard Taylor, and Jamie Selkirk.
Weta Digital is partnering with Ngaren to help bring to life the narrative of Ngaren and develop new museum digital originals to create exhibitions and experiences that will change the way people think about the world.
Vision
Ngaren will be:
• The only museum driven by the narrative of human origins and evolution, in the place where the human journey symbolically begins.
• The only all-digital Planetarium in Africa.
• A one and only immersive experience with our hominin ancestors, walking alongside Turkana Boy and others.
• The only African museum to host a permanent display of real-size African Dinosaurs.
• Innovation lab to create, teach, and promote science, sustainability, imagination, and equality.
• A world-class center created with innovative business and environmental sustainability values.
• A world-class center for training specialised staff for science storytelling and exhibition design.
• A think-tank for scientific literacy and discussion on human origins, evolution and diversity.
