Vanessa O'Brien is a British-American mountain climber, explorer, public speaker and former business executive. As a result of her dual nationalities, she simultaneously became the first American woman and the first British woman to climb K2 on July 28, 2017 when, on her third attempt, she successfully led a team of 12 members to the summit and back. In 2018, she received Explorer of the Year from the Scientific Exploration Society for her efforts. She is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a Member of the Scientific Exploration Society (SES). It was recently announced that Vanessa will be taking part in the rocket system New Shepard's 22nd space flight. She will become the first woman to reach extremes on land, sea, and air, completing the Explorers' Extreme Trifecta, a Guinness World Record.