Many physics and chemistry undergraduates will have benefitted from Chalon’s work—as Pearson’s Market Development Manager, she developed first editions such as Knight’s University Physics and Timberlake’s General, Organic & Biological Chemistry: Structures of Life. In her 20-plus years at the publishing house, she rose from sales representative to Executive Editor, a role she stayed in for 10 years. Her talent for strategic planning and spotting trends led her to being recognised as Pearson’s Editor of the Year in 2005 and for their Product of the Year in 2009.

Today, Chalon is co-founder of Sonoma Big Ideas, “an oasis for profound and practical transformation”. Her personal motto is “the driving force behind all that I do is the desire to cube the amount of curiosity in the world and to spark a love of learning in at least 1 billion people.”