David Good

Long Bio:
David Alexander Good was born on November 2, 1986, at the Bryn Mawr Hospital in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, to American anthropologist Dr. Kenneth Good and Yarima, a Yanomami woman from the Upper Orinoco region of Venezuela. Kenneth had spent 12 years studying and living among the Yanomami people in the Venezuelan Amazon. It was there where he and Yarima met and married. Their unique story captured the hearts and interests of millions worldwide. It can be read in the memoir, "Into the Heart: One Man's Pursuit of Love and Knowledge among the Yanomami," by Kenneth Good and David Chanoff. 

David spent the first five years of his life traveling between the suburbs of New Jersey and his tropical rainforest home in the Upper Orinoco of Venezuela. In 1991, his family was featured in an award-winning documentary, "Yanomami Homecoming," produced by the National Geographic Explorer Series. Shortly after, Yarima permanently separated from the family and the Western world. She remained in the Amazon while David and his sibling stayed in New Jersey. That would be the last time he would have contact with his mother for almost 20 years.

After graduating with a bachelor's in biology at East Stroudsburg University in 2011, David embarked on a deeply personal quest. He returned to his indigenous homeland, driven by a desire to find his mother. His emotional journey, from the heartbreak of separation to the joy of reunion, is detailed in his memoir, "The Way Around: Finding my mother and myself among the Yanomami," Co-written with Daniel Paisner. This poignant story has been featured in various media outlets, including NPR, BBC, People Magazine, and CBS Sunday Morning, resonating with audiences worldwide.

In 2013, David founded the Yanomami Foundation, a non-profit with a mission to equip Yanomami communities with the tools, resources, and intercultural training necessary to safeguard their way of life and preserve their Amazonian homeland. He also co-founded Shabono Media, a digital media company whose mission is to document, learn, and share Yanomami culture to foster cross-cultural awareness and promote the recognition and protection of indigenous rights and ancestral lands.

Today, David is a PhD student in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Guelph, Ontario, where his research is making significant strides. His focus is on characterizing the gut microbiome of remote Yanomami communities, who still maintain a traditional lifestyle of hunting-gathering and gardening. David's unique ancestry and scientific training provide a rare opportunity to advance our understanding of the human microbiome while raising global awareness about the importance of protecting these remaining isolated indigenous societies.