Alison Levine is no stranger to risk-taking. She has survived sub-zero temperatures, hurricane-force winds, sudden avalanches, and a career on Wall Street – all without the use of supplemental oxygen.

Surprisingly, Levine was born with a life-threatening heart condition that precluded most demanding physical activities. As a teenager, her health was so unstable that she was not even allowed to do such basic things as drive a car or walk up stairs. But 13 years after her initial diagnosis she had surgery that changed her life - and climbing stairs soon gave way to climbing mountains, a passion that Levine continued to pursue despite her initial health setbacks.

In between starting business school and starting a job on Wall Street, Levine “accidentally” scaled the world’s highest mountains. Over the next several years as she continued to climb the corporate ladder, Levine also pushed her limits on the world’s highest peaks and soon became one of the most experienced female mountaineers in the country.

In 2002, Levine was recognized for her track record of leadership and success in the mountains when she was invited to serve as the team captain of the first American Women’s Everest Expedition, a history-making climb that would put her heart and her spirit to the test. An avid explorer and adventurer, Levine also traveled across the Arctic Circle on skis for more than 100 miles to successfully reach the top of the world – the geographic North Pole. Most recently, she became the first American to ski to the South Pole following the route of legendary explorer Reinhold Messner.  Her success in extreme environments is noteworthy given Levine suffers from Raynaud’s Disease which causes the arteries that feed her fingers and toes to collapse in cold weather, leaving her at extreme risk for frost bite. Levine’s expeditions have been documented by more than 450 media outlets.

Ms Levine’s 18-year business career encompasses healthcare, technology and finance. After earning her MBA from Duke University she moved to New York to work for one of the top investment banks on Wall Street. In 2003, she left Wall Street to serve as deputy finance director for Arnold Schwarzenegger in his successful bid to become Governor of California.

In 2005, Levine founded the Climb High Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of jobless women in third-world countries by training them to be trekking guides and porters in their local mountains so they will have the skills to benefit from climbing and trekking-related tourism. Levine also raised funds to build two schools in Nepal and helped raise funds for the construction of a school for AIDS orphans in Uganda. Over the past few years she has conducted numerous speaking tours to raise awareness and money for girls' scholarships in third-world countries.