Laura Smith is a polar expedition leader, marine geophysicist, citizen science sponsor as well as the co-owner of Quixote Expeditions with her husband, and captain, Federico Guerrero. Since 2015, the couple have worked steadily to expand and provide a variety of adventurous eco-friendly tours in the Antarctic Peninsula region. At Princeton University, Smith majored in geological engineering and worked as a marine geophysicist in the oil field industry for more than a decade searching for crude oil. However, in 2013, upon encountering Antarctica for the first time, on a sailboat built by her husband, Smith became captivated by the continent and was determined to return in a scientific and conservational capacity. Shortly afterward, she joined the Polar Collective as a citizen scientist and is now on their board of trustees as a patron of academic research and citizen science programs.