---

Tanya Acosta

Tanya Acosta MA. CCC-SLP is the Director of Sensory City. She is a bilingual speech and language pathologist who has more than 14 years of experience working with children who have sensory needs. Tanya received her bachelor’s degree at Boston University and a Masters Degree in Communication Disorders at Indiana University. She is a licensed member of the American Speech and Hearing Association.

She has worked globally in the US, Ireland, and Mexico as an educational consultant. In Ireland she worked with an Autism Therapy Group, providing speech therapy consulting services to children and increased awareness of Autism to the surrounding community by presenting at various community centers.

Beyond these academic credentials, Tanya has an insider’s perspective, a strong sense of empathy, and a passion for increasing awareness and adapting spaces to provide comfort and convenience. As a mother of a child who has special needs, she is able to understand the unique myriad of challenges at hand and can implement custom solutions that promote comfort and reduce judgment. She loves to travel with her family and is passionate about making changes that facilitate a less complicated travel experience for families who have a loved one with special needs.

Shebs Alom

My name is Shebs Alom, and I am here to tell you my story. My first transformative travel experience came as early as 6 years old, when I travelled to Bangladesh with my parents- Yes it was as early as that. Ever since then, I have always wondered how people lived their lives abroad.

Over 30 years on, I have now lived that dream, experienced countless of countries all around the world and I want to share my journey with you now, going forward and help you on how to start your travel adventures.

My most extraordinary experience to date has to be conquering the 7 Wonders of the World. My new book, which is due to come out very soon called ‘The Adventures of a Lost Man,’ where I discuss my journeys and why I decided to go on the road to complete all seven. I regard myself as a solo authentic traveller, exploring the road less travelled.  I majored in Fine Art, where I studied videography, photography, painting and the art of editing. 

You can currently find me talking to fellow travellers from all around the world on my YouTube/Instagram show, ‘Take A Wander With Shebs.’ I am also a new radio host for
Africa’s only dedicated travel radio station, Gallivant Radio. You can get all the info on my
website shebsthewanderer.com.

Michelle Angier

Michelle Angier is a Director at Airbnb, where she has held roles on the Diversity & Belonging team, the Talent Design team, and as the chief of staff to the head of Employee Experience. Previously, she held senior diversity and inclusion roles at Exponential Talent, Intuit, and eBay Inc. 

Michelle also has deep management consulting expertise from Deloitte Consulting, where she specialized in talent strategies, strategic communications, and change management, particularly in mergers and acquisitions. At Deloitte, she also served as a leader in Deloitte’s award-winning Women’s Initiative and held multiple leadership roles in university recruiting.

Michelle has spoken on diversity and inclusion in forums such as the Anita Borg Institute Tech Executive Forum, Rainbow PUSH’s Tech2020 Summit, and the Latino Tech Summit. Michelle is the co-author of “Realizing the Power of Talented Women.” McKinsey Quarterly, and “Merger Aftershocks: Surviving the People Challenges of a Post-Merger Integration.“ Deloitte. 

Michelle holds a B.A. degree in history from Northwestern University and a M.P.P. degree in public policy analysis from the University of California at Berkeley. She resides in San Francisco, California, with her husband and daughter.

Neha Arora

Neha Arora, is the founder of Planet Abled, which provides accessible travel solutions for people with disabilities. Neha worked with companies like HCL, Nokia & Adobe before taking the plunge to start Planet Abled. Born to parents with disabilities she experienced challenges in travelling. One such experience, became the tipping point for her to leave her corporate career and start the inclusive travel journey.

Chef Andrew Basch

Chef Andrew, a Clearwater native, has spent his entire life around food. With an Italian mother and a German father, Andrew grew up canning, farming, gardening, hunting, and doing everything related to food with his grandparents. With a vegetarian mother, if Andrew wanted to eat meat, he was going to have to learn to prepare it himself. Chef Andrew’s most treasured family memories involve food, which led him to his first job in a kitchen. What started out as a job washing dishes grew into a culinary career built from a hands on education that has spanned 19 years.  Andrew has always sought to better his knowledge and experience by learning all areas of the food and beverage industry be it in the kitchen or front of the house operations, making him a well-rounded culinary professional that is very in tune with customer needs and expectations. Most recently, Chef Andrew has joined the team at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort as Executive Chef overseeing the resort’s culinary operations.

In his spare time, Andrew can be found out on the gulf waters.  He continues his family memories as well as he lives in a home with four generations – all of whom love to cook. Andrew also finds time to give back to the community through his involvement with Hands On Education.  Hands On Education is a non-profit organization that works with learning disabled students to train them in hotel services including the culinary arts. Andrew — who was himself a student there at one time — has trained legally blind students on knife skills and received an award for outstanding achievements.

Ella Békési

Ella was born and raised in Budapest, Hungary. She then studied Archaeology and
Cultural Heritage at University College London in the United Kingdom. She worked
as an assistant in public and commercial archaeology as well as in the heritage
sectors in the United Kingdom and Central America. Ella participated in the Lamanai
Archaeology Project (LAP) in Belize, and have been assisting branches of the
Belizean National Institute of Culture and History in numerous projects.
Throughout the years, Ella witnessed the effect of socio-economic issues related to
archaeological conservation and the safeguarding of heritage and culture. She
developed an interdisciplinary interest in inclusive and sustainable archaeological
and cultural heritage management through heritage education and tourism in Latin
America.

Ella recently co-founded Heritage Education Network Belize, an organisation
dedicated to supporting heritage education and the sustainable development of
businesses in the tourism and creative sectors. She believes they are critical
stakeholders in the maintenance of cultural and natural heritage.

Peggy Bendel

Peggy Bendel is a globally-recognized expert in travel marketing, crisis communications and media training, and has worked for clients around the world, from Australia to Arizona, California to Chile, South Africa to Sweden.

A principal in the seminal I Love New York campaign, Peggy began her career as a travel writer for the State of New York, and worked in economic development and international trade as well as tourism.

Recognized with a “Lifetime Achievement” award by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International, Peggy is a frequent speaker at conferences and workshops, and contributes to a range of industry publications, including Travel Marketing Decisions, PR Tactics and O’Dwyer’s PR Report. She has been profiled in a variety of international media, most recently in Vienna, Austria and Portugal.
 
She sits on the Boards of the Association of Travel Marketing Executives (ATME), the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) Travel & Tourism section, and Ecology Project International, and is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) and other industry organizations.

A frequent speaker at conferences around the U.S. and internationally on the topics of branding, crisis communications, marketing and public relations, Peggy is also an experienced media coach and trainer.

A graduate of Georgian Court College (now University), Peggy was named to their “Court of Honor” in 2008. She also studied at NYU’s Graduate School of Public Administration. Peggy lives in New York and Tucson, AZ, with her husband Robert Gjestland and multiple felines.

Kameelah Benjamin-Fuller

Kameelah Benjamin-Fuller is an activist, equity, diversity, and inclusion (ED+I) champion, musician, and mom. She’s worked across a range of industries from entertainment to financial services, tech, and travel. Her ED+I journey has included a long tenure as senior faculty at Korn Ferry, D+I practitioner at Gillette/P&G, and instructional designer and lead facilitator for youth programs, social justice orgs, and correctional facilities. 

Kameelah has also dedicated the past several years to elevating the voices of womxn in rock and womxn of color in music. This work has included creating forums and platforms for artists to share their story and their craft. 

With over 20 years of experience in ED+I, Kameelah is as passionate as ever about empowering individuals, communities, and organizations to build strong brands and healthy environments with clear purpose and high impact. She recently transitioned from her role as the global leader of equity, diversity and inclusion at Tripadvisor to the first VP, Chief Diversity Office and CSR Lead for Parametric Technology Corporation – PTC.

Lucy Cevallos

Lucy Cevallos (she/hers) is a teacher at heart, mental health advocate, and is passionate about inclusive product design and education equity. At Tripadvisor, she is a Product Manager where she’s responsible for leading product inclusion efforts for the B2C platform. She also serves as a co-lead for the Latinx employee resource group. Lucy recently transitioned to working remotely full-time in Pasadena, Texas, which is where she’s originally from. Prior to attending business school, she worked in education as a Bioethics Teacher and later a Dean of Student Investment in New Orleans, Louisiana. Lucy is a first-generation college graduate from Trinity University where she received her BS in Biology and later earned her MBA with a focus on Management Science and Quantitative Methods from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. She pursues her passion for education equity as a lead coach for the RISE Career Launch program where she prepares young professionals from underrepresented groups to successfully transition into their careers and lean into their greatness. In her spare time, you can find her dreaming about her next trip to Cuba, learning about Latin American history, and escaping Zoom fatigue with a quick run outdoors.

Adrianne Chandra-Huff

Adrianne Chandra-Huff is a co-founder of Bodhi Surf + Yoga camp, a B Corp certified and 1% for the Planet member tourism destination in Bahia Ballena, Osa, Costa Rica. Adrianne is passionate about traveling, surfing, storytelling, and corporate social + environmental responsibility — all of which she has woven into her various roles at Bodhi Surf + Yoga. In her free time, Adrianne loves to be active and in the outdoors, read, and hang out with her friends or her kitty!

Kinya Claiborne

Kinya Claiborne is the founder and editor-in-chief of STYLE & SOCIETY Magazine and president/chief executive officer of STYLE & SOCIETY Group, a full service boutique-consulting agency. She oversees the core magazine and digital across all platforms. A style influencer, TV host, entrepreneur, media maven and lifestyle expert with a major passion for all things communications-driven, she launched the Los Angeles-based online publication as a platform to celebrate the best of entertainment, fashion, lifestyle, travel, food and red carpet events globally.

Kinya is also co-executive producer and TV host of The StyleList, a TV series delivering the latest fashion, trends, travel and pop culture in a fast-paced and entertaining format on Watch ONX, an online video platform and production studio featuring a diverse collection of content including news, entertainment, and lifestyle programing for the multicultural millennial. Both a tastemaker and award-winning content creator, she travels the globe working with brands, hotels, and tourism boards on special events, editorial coverage and influencer programs.

Kinya was nominated for the Los Angeles Business Journal (LABJ) Fashion Award in the Influencer/ Trendsetter category honoring top individuals who drive tremendous economic growth in Los Angeles. Additionally, she was nominated for the Los Angeles Business Journal (LABJ) Entrepreneur of the Year award, honoring achievements by powerful women who make a difference throughout Los Angeles.

A media maven with more than 15 years experience, Kinya began her career working within radio, TV news and print publications before transitioning into corporate communications, and later launching STYLE & SOCIETY in November 2013. Kinya earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communications from California State University, Sacramento, and is a native Californian residing in Los Angeles.

Stephanie Claytor

Stephanie Claytor is a freelance television reporter who is passionate about travel. She created the travel
blog, www.blacktrekking.com, in 2018 to coincide with the release of her travel memoir, “Blacktrekking: My
Journey Living in Latin America.” Her travel blog explores destinations worldwide, especially those with an emphasis on black history and culture. 
Stephanie’s memoir chronicles her experience studying abroad in the Dominican Republic and serving as a
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Bogota, Colombia. The memoir, which is available in ebook and paperback form on Amazon, takes a deep dive into black culture and history and touches on topics such as internal displacement, Dominican-Haitian relations, and racial profiling. It features never heard before interviews.  

Stephanie has worked as a reporter across the United States, in Iowa, Missouri, Louisiana, New Mexico and most recently at Spectrum Bay News 9 in Tampa, Florida. 

She resides in the Tampa Bay area with her husband and newborn son. 

You can follow her on Instagram and Facebook with the handle @blacktrekking as well as subscribe to the blog blacktrekking.com

Dr. Damien L. Duchamp

Damien L. Duchamp was born in Paris, France then grew up in Woodstock, NY. He holds degrees from SUNY New Paltz, Clemson University, and a doctorate from Gwynedd Mercy University. After spending thirteen years as a college administrator, he became a brand ambassador for Evian Water. In this role he visited nearly 100 venues each week, leading him to consult with various venues and brands.

In the fall of 2010, Damien began teaching as an adjunct professor. Six years later he became a full time faculty member and head of the Department of Hospitality and Tourism at St. Joseph’s College in Brooklyn. As the Executive Director of ‘Hospitalented,’ Damien produces programs locally and abroad, including Not So Scary Foods, Art in a Bottle and the Airline Expo. “ProfD” travels to Ghana 3-4 times a year, where he is helping to develop a tourism ecosystem. @ProfDuchamp www.hospitalented.org

Randy Durband

Randy Durband is the Chief Executive Officer of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), the UN-supported NGO that establishes and manages global baseline standards for sustainability in travel and tourism. The GSTC Criteria include guidelines for minimizing negative environmental, cultural, and social impacts while maximizing travel and tourism as a force for good.

He brings a unique blend of skills and experience based on two career paths he has taken in travel and tourism – twenty-four years in senior leadership positions with major tour operators, including as President of Travcoa, INTRAV and Clipper Cruise Lines, (brands within TUI Group), and Executive Vice President of Tauck World Discovery. His second career — of ten years and counting — began with economic development projects through tourism in developing countries in Asia and South America relating to emerging destinations including CBT and rural tourism, with UNESCO and ILO. He joined GSTC in 2012 and became CEO February 2014.

Mr. Durband is a frequent speaker on sustainable tourism and has served on many tourism boards in Europe, North America, and Asia; and sustainable tourism awards judging panels including the WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, UN Environment Inspire Awards, and the PATA Gold Awards.

Yasmine El Baggari

Yasmine El Baggari, a native of Morocco and California based, is the founder of Voyaj, a global platform that connects humanity from around the globe for one-on-one meaningful exchanges to foster global understanding and peace. After traveling alone to over 45+ countries, all 50 U.S. States and a guest in more than 200 homes, the hospitality and open-mindedness of the people around the world impacted her greatly and inspired her to bring her own experiences to the world.

Recently, she was selected on the next round of Space for Humanity’s Citizen Astronaut program. She has a new dream to be the first woman on the moon. 

Every day, Yasmine and her Voyaj team are committed to creating a safe environment where the exchange of ideas and stories will result in mutual respect and our ability to embrace our differences, to empower each other to become citizens of the world committed to a healthy, peaceful planet. 

For the past four years, Yasmine’s reach includes research at Harvard University, and the U.S. State Department as a Youth Moroccan Ambassador to the United States. Her work has appeared in BBC, National Geographic, NPR, Forbes, and the Huffington Post. Yasmine has also received the Royal Air Maroc Award from the African Studies Association, Glamour Women of the Year Microsoft’s Made Achieving Award, Hampshire
College’s $60K Award for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, two Ingenuity Awards and a number of others.

Recently, she was invited to the White House as one of the 100 Most Influential Travel Bloggers, and on Forbes 30 Under 30’s list as one of of the most inspiring and promising entrepreneurs in Africa. 

Yasmine is simply on a mission to bring back openness, curiosity and empathy in our world.

Sara Emmert

Sara joined Empire State Development in February of 2016, where she’s been tasked with managing and advancing statewide tourism policy, coordinating intergovernmental relations, researching tourism trends and developing new programming. Currently, Sara is overseeing the Accessible Tourism Program and managing the program’s work with Open Doors Organization to gather relevant accessibility information from tourism destinations to help better market New York State to the travelers with accessibility needs. Sara previously worked in the Executive Chamber for Governor Andrew M. Cuomo assisting the intergovernmental relations and state operations teams, as well as for the New York State Assembly’s communications and information services where she served as deputy chief editorial writer, managing communications and public relations for Democratic caucus members. Sara holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the University at Albany.

Elliott Ferguson

Elliott Ferguson serves as President and CEO of Destination DC, the official destination marketing organization for Washington, DC.

A 30-year veteran of the travel and hospitality industry, Ferguson leads Destination DC’s efforts to generate economic opportunity for the District through meetings and tourism, overseeing the
organization’s convention and tourism sales, marketing, finance and business development operations.

Ferguson began his tenure with Destination DC in December 2001 as the Vice President of Convention Sales, became Senior Vice President of Convention Sales and Services in 2005 and has served as President and CEO since 2009. Prior to working at Destination DC, he served as Director of Sales and Vice President of Sales at the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. He has also served as Director of Sales at the Savannah CVB.

Ferguson currently serves as National Chair of the board of directors for the U.S. Travel Association, where he guides the board and association’s efforts to advance policies that facilitate more international and domestic travel. He also serves on the board of directors for the following organizations: Advisory Board of the Smithsonian National Zoo; DC Jazz Festival; Ryan Kerrigan “Blitz for the Better” Foundation and the United Way of the National Capital Area.

He represents Destination DC as part of the Hospitality Alliance of Washington, D.C.

Ferguson received a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing and Business Administration from Savannah State University. His many industry memberships include Professional Conference Management Association, International Association of Exhibition Executives, Destinations International, National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners, Meeting Professionals International and American Society of Association Executives.

Ferguson and his wife, Telesa Via, also a hospitality industry veteran, are longtime residents of Capitol Hill. He is active with Capital Partners for Education, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and Delta Sigma Pi.

John Ficca

John founded Hands On Educational Services in 1998, at the Hyatt Regency Westshore in Tampa. As a certified special educator he saw the need for more alternative training programs for young adults who were unable to attend college. John listened and learned from his partners at Hyatt, and State DVR/DBS Agencies and the program has expanded to Hyatt Hotels all over the country.  John’s career includes 10 years of military service in the US Coast Guard, and a combined 30 years in special education and vocational rehabilitation; including classroom teaching of special education students of all grade
levels and disabilities. Hands On Education has received local, state and national recognition / awards, but he is most proud of his Presidential Award as a White House Champions of Change Recipient. John returned to school to learn ASL in order to
communicate and provide instant feedback to his students who are deaf. John holds a Graduate Certificate in Disabilities in Society from the University of Florida, and a BA in Special Education – Behavioral Disorders from University of South Florida.  Professionally, John is always striving to increase employment opportunities for individuals with disABILITIES.  In his spare time, he enjoys hiking with his family, listening to music, and spectator sports such as NFL Football, MLB Baseball, and NASCAR.

Arturo Gaona

Arturo Gaona is a journey on making the travel industry a more accessible one for people with disabilities, as the Chief Partnerships Officer (founder team) at Wheel the World he leads the efforts of the growth of the offer by looking for new destinations and finding the right industry partners to collaborate with. He has created disruptive accessible travel experiences and awareness campaigns in different parts of the world, from Maui, to Qatar or Riviera Maya, to mention a few. He joined Wheel the World from its very early days leaving behind 8 years of career in the medical devices industry, where he had different positions in sales, marketing and training. His personal drive in the travel industry is to allow millions of people with disabilities and their families and friends to explore without limits thousands of destinations, together with his team they are building an online platform that wants to radically change the way this growing community travels. Wheel the World is a travel startup with offices in San Francisco, Chile and Europe.

He is originally from Mexico, but currently living in Belgium. His biggest passions in life are mountain biking, mountaineering, food and traveling. 

Sonja Gaudet

With three Paralympic gold medals, Sonja Gaudet is the world’s most decorated wheelchair curler. The Team Canada veteran added to her gold medal haul helping Canada to another tournament victory at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi.  She was also Canada’s flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony at those Games.

Gaudet was part of Canada’s champion foursomes at the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games where wheelchair curling made its debut in Torino and at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games before a cheering hometown crowd. Her long list of achievements also includes three gold medals won at the 2013, 2011 and 2009 World Wheelchair Curling Championships.

After a fall from a horse and sustaining a spinal cord injury, Gaudet sought out others who might be able to give her advice on how to sustain the healthy lifestyle she enjoyed before her accident. She turned to Rick Hansen who has been an incredible role model for people with a disability across the world. As Gaudet will tell you during her many meetings with Rick, she “bombarded him with questions about adaptive sporting opportunities, how to navigate through life with a spinal cord injury and about raising kids from a wheelchair,” since his children are the same age as Gaudet’s and at the time of her accident they were three and six years old.

Team Canada’s lead believes, “the power of sport has incredible benefits for athletes with a disability. Sport promotes a healthy lifestyle as well as so many great tools for life – a sense of self-worth, confidence, honesty, teamwork, respect, belief in self, perseverance, determination. The list is endless.”

Gaudet has a keen interest in accessibility issues in her community of Vernon and lends her experience and knowledge to create new recreational opportunities for people with mobility challenges. She is an ambassador with the Rick Hansen Foundation and the Canadian Paralympic Committee where she uses the power of sport and her experience of overcoming challenges to motivate and inspire people of all ages.

Caitlin Graaf

Caitlin Graaf is a sustainable tourism researcher and consultant focused on issues of power and inequality in Africa’s protected areas. Interested in the nexus of tourism, development, and conservation, she has held positions including Board Vice President at the Impact Travel Alliance, Strategy & Engagement Manager at Imagine Scholar, Postgraduate Research Fellow at the African Wildlife Economy Institute at Stellenbosch University, and Subject Matter Expert and Instructor in Community Development and Social Economic Development at GVI. She earned her BA in Environmental Management at the University of South Africa, MA in Tourism, Environment & Development at King’s College London, and Certificate in Sustainable Business Strategy from Harvard Business School Online.  

Danny Guerrero

Danny Guerrero brings 20 years of dedication to integrated marketing and communications in travel, tourism, and hospitality to MMGY Global. He is a passionate, and committed leader having led teams for three different MMGY Global agency brands from his post in Los Angeles where he serves as General Manager. 

An ardent supporter of diversity in travel, Danny leads the development of industry-leading research programs, thought leadership platforms, and integrated marketing programs at MMGY Global to advocate for better representation of travelers of color in the industry. He also serves as Co-Chair of the agency’s DEI Council.

Danny is a proud first-generation Mexican-American (Chicano) and is a native of San Diego, California where he began his career as an intern for the San Diego Tourism Authority at 18 years of age through INROADS, an organization that places talented underserved youth in business and industry and prepares them for corporate and community leadership.

Edward Hall III

Ed Hall is the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ coordinator for tourism and has helped establish the BIA’s outreach and support to tribal capacity building for tribal tourism and trade. He represents the BIA as the point of contact on Interagency Memorandums of Understanding. Mr. Hall was appointed to the Transportation Research Board (TRB) in 1993 and helped establish the Inter-Tribal Transportation Association and the TRB committee on Native American Transportation Issues ABE80. He also helped to form and develop the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) as the professional American Indian tourism organization representing Indian Country to the tourism industry in 2002.

Mr. Hall works as an intergovernmental coordinator connecting other Federal, state and local governments together with tribal governments and organizations to further communication and partnerships for project development and planning. He has helped position AIANTA and Indian Country as part of America’s tourism industry and believes that tribal tourism is a platform for diplomacy and education as well as economic development for tribal communities and cultures.

Donna Harrison

As Director of Cultural Tourism & Inclusive Marketing for Chattanooga Tourism Co., Donna Harrison enhances and amplifies brand awareness to Culture Heritage and arts partners and creates Inclusive Marketing strategies to enhance a diverse and inclusive brand voice, marketing strategies, community Engagement Event planning and partnerships for the organization.

Mark Havard

Mark Havard knows what it takes to succeed as a leader in today’s market. With three decades of human resources experience, Havard currently is the Human Resource Director at Hyatt’s most valuable asset globally, the Hyatt Regency Orlando. He has responsibilities for nearly 700 employees, and provides guidance and leadership for six human resources functions at Hyatt.

Over the course of his career with Hyatt, Havard has worked in eight different hotels, was
selected to lead the human resources function in the company’s largest-ever acquisition, and three of his teams have been recognized as Hyatt’s Human Resources Team of the Year.

The Florida Division on Career Development and Transition has recognized Mark with their Making a Difference Award, and the Orlando Business Journal recognized his hotel as an Outstanding Diverse Organization in their inaugural year of Diversity in Business Awards. He also serves as Past President of the Central Florida Hotel Human Resources Association and on the board of CareerSource Central Florida. A dedicated mentor, Havard has helped hundreds develop the skills to take their careers to the next level.

Vincie Ho

A humane educator and social justice advocate, Vincie founded RISE Travel Institute in June 2020 with the commitment to engage young people in important conversations around human rights, animal protection and environmental sustainability in the context of travel. She is also the creator of Paths Crossing, a card game designed to foster cross-cultural connections and inspire mindful travel decisions. She has been involved with Impact Travel Alliance since 2018 and currently holds the position of Chapter Engagement Lead on their global team.

Before Vincie started working in the nonprofit world, she was a university French lecturer and linguist for over a decade. As an academic, she had the opportunity to travel around the world for conferences and fieldwork. In 2010, she left academia to work in the area of refugee empowerment in Senegal, a transformative experience that motivated her to pursue a second career in international peace and human rights, as well as sustainable travel.

Vincie has a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Hong Kong and a Master of Arts degree from University College London. She has also obtained various graduate certificates and diplomas from the Institute for Humane Education and New York University in the United States, the United Nations University in Japan, and l’Université de Franche-Comté in France. She is based in the Greater New York City Area.

Sophia Hyder Hock

Sophia provides strategic design, training, facilitation, and coaching services on a variety of topics pertaining to diversity, equity, and social inclusion for organizations within the travel industry. She works with organizations and destinations on how to attract new clients and recruit and retain staff. Sophia uses participatory methods to ensure short-term actions have a long-term impact.

Mindful leadership is integrated into all sessions to prepare professionals and companies with the critical tools needed to build confidence, engage with diverse stakeholders, create successful partnerships, and to increase corporate value.

Papilia is certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) through the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).

Xian Horn

Xian Horn is a joyful half-Asian woman with Cerebral Palsy, who serves as founder of the non-profit, Give Beauty Wings. She is an advocate, speaker, blogger, and Exemplar for the AT&T NYU Connect Ability Challenge in the creation of Assistive Technology. Xian was named Women’s eNews’ 21 Leaders for the 21st Century in 2017 and in Walker’s Legacy Power 15 in 2018. Give Beauty Wings’ tailored Self-Esteem programs began at NYU’s Initiative for Women with Disabilities, and serve as a bridge to promote greater self love and discovery, purpose, and connection. Her aim is to serve and connect humanity as a whole.

Xian has spoken at the U.N., The Harkin Summit, ACLU, Microsoft, Apple, Viacom, AppNexus, New York Life, Met Life, for the New York Public Library, Barnard College, Williams College, the ReelAbilities film festival (where she serves on the Film Selection Committee). In 2018, Xian was invited to join Cooper Hewitt’s Accessibility Advisory Committee and AT&T’s Accessibility Advisory Panel. She is passionate about Adaptive Clothing, working with Open Style Lab at Parsons since 2016. She is advising American Institute of Architects on new inclusive exhibits. To support employment, Xian has also run vocational workshops for the NYC Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities for Disability Mentoring Day. Xian joined the State Department’s Speaker’s Bureau in 2016. Xian has been featured in The White House Blog’s Women Working To Do Good series, the New York Times, NPR, Forbes, Fortune, Fast Company, Bloomberg News, NBC News, Fox 5 and NY1 among others. Finally,  in addition to Thrive Global, she is a blogger for Positively Positive – a community of over 2.5 million readers and ForbesWomen writing on Leadership, Empowerment, and Disability.

Larissa Hunt

From applying and optimizing project-specific methodologies to assuring the quality of output, Larissa oversees all things data at Envirosell’s Global Headquarters in NYC. Larissa works with other departments and her staff to filter client needs into projects with useful, reliable results. Larissa is also the liaison for 3rd party vendors, including focus groups, moderators, and transcription/translation.

A member of design:retail’s 2018 class of 40 under 40, Larissa has worked her way from data intern to Director of Data & Methodology over the course of less than a decade. She received her Master’s of Science in Social Research in 2010.

Nicole “Nicky” Hylton-Patterson

Nicole “Nicky” Hylton-Patterson is not a diversity trainer. She is not an Inclusion specialist. She is a Black Queer Activist Scholar and Community Organizer, who has spent the last 25 years working with marginalized and minoritized communities
around the world to seek justice.

The youngest child of functionality illiterate parents from Kingston 13, one of the most impoverished communities in Jamaica, she learned early about the impact of racialized class, sexualized genders, and the power of collective action.

For Hylton-Patterson, relief from the legacies of poverty and illiteracy came in the form of a gifted child program, for which she was selected at 10. For the next eight years, Hylton-
Patterson lived and attended school in Northern Norway. This experience helped to solidify the lessons taught by her Rastafarian father: That we must always recognize our shared humanity and our responsibility to the earth.

Today, she continues to draw inspiration from the wisdom of her ancestors, who helped guide her quest to attain an undergraduate degree from Mount Holyoke College, multiple master’s degrees from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and Syracuse University, and a doctoral degree in Women & Gender Studies from the School of Social Transformation at Arizona State University.

Her education is only eclipsed by an extensive career in the U.S. foreign service, a racial justice officer for the YWCA, Elmira, human rights coordinator for the Chemung County Legislator, and an academic who has taught courses in critical race and Black feminist theories, queer of color critique, Pan African studies and Africana philosophy.

In her current role as the Inaugural Director for the Adirondack Diversity Initiative, she
continues to mobilize and deploy the entirety of her personal, political, and professional
experiences. Her mission: To equip communities in the North Country with the tools, strategies, language, and VOICE needed to dismantle systemic racism and structural oppression.

Steve Johnson-Stevenson

A strategic, creative, and analytical tourism industry leader. Steve is often described by the tourism trade as immensely passionate, creative, professional, trustworthy, and reliable.

Steve serves as marketing manager with the TAT – NY Office. Under his guidance, Thailand is now well positioned among leading industry travel consortiums as an affordable luxury tourism destination. His mantra continues to be the effective positioning of Thailand as the top and leading quality tourism destination in south east Asia. Moreover, his efforts helped Thailand formalize its outreach to the LGBTQ+
travel community. Today, Thailand enjoys a well-respected position among the LGBTQ+ travel trade and media. Steve also spear headed the development of the Thai the Knot Specialist Program that continues to be an effective, fun, tech savvy educational tool for the travel trade.

Steve’s immediate response to the COVID 19 pandemic is testament to his skill. “From Thailand With Love” was his brainchild. It served as an effective and relevant campaign through which Thailand could maintain and build relevant share of voice during the pandemic. The campaign saw great success. In addition, the introduction of a carefully curated webinar series allowed for fun and educational interaction among the travel trade.

Steve’s sound knowledge of Thailand, respected relationship with the US travel trade coupled with his well established and productive relationship with the hotel and DMC sectors in Thailand makes him an important team player given the challenges ahead.

Margie Jordan

Margie started her career in the travel industry in 2005 by creating a thriving boutique luxury travel business in Florida that caters to the needs of an exclusive clientele. Social media was her tool of choice to grow and expand the business and share her travel adventures around the world. It wasn’t long after, that she took to the stage as a featured industry speaker at travel conferences around the world, sharing her business knowledge with other travel agency owners.

With a passion for the travel industry, Margie is now Vice President of the TRUE Global Network. In this current role, she oversees the management of the network, member education, events, and helps build strategic partnerships. She frequently mentors those looking to enter the industry or open a new travel agency.

You’ll also find Margie live on-air in Jacksonville, FL as a trusted industry expert by local news stations bringing clarity to consumers on issues that may affect their travel plans. She has been featured and mentioned in many online and print publications, including Travel Weekly, the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, Los Angeles Times, Reuters, and others.

She is an Advisory Board member with Travel Unity, a nonprofit focused on increasing diversity in the world of travel through individual and community empowerment. Margie also sits on the Black Travel Advisory Board with Northstar Travel Media as she works to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in the travel industry.

Alanah Keddell-Tuckey

Alanah Keddell-Tuckey is the Public Outreach Specialist for DEC’s Office of Environmental Justice. In her position, she focuses on crafting materials and messaging to improve communications between EJ communities and the agency, as well analyzing policies related to climate justice, adaptation, and social resiliency. In addition to her work for the Office of Environmental Justice, Alanah has served as the Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs and worked on diversity, inclusion, education and public outreach with the Office of Communication Services. 

Alanah came to state service after several years working as a Government Relations Associate with the Adirondack Council, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of the Adirondack Park. Prior to this, she served as the Government Affairs Coordinator for the Empire State Pride Agenda. 

Alanah holds a Juris Doctorate from Albany Law School, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from SUNY Binghamton with a minor in Sociology. She is married with four children aged 5 to 16. In her limited free time, she enjoys hiking, nature walks with her children and kayaking.  

Al Kidd

Al Kidd is the President & CEO of the Sports Events & Tourism Association (Sports ETA). He joined Sports ETA in April 2017, bringing more than 35 years of advertising, sales, marketing, venture capital investing, risk management, executive leadership and non-profit experience to his role with the association.

Kidd manages the strategic and financial direction at Sports ETA, while overseeing events, education, marketing and communications, membership, and sponsorship. Since joining Sports ETA, Kidd has repositioned and rebranded the association establishing a more inclusive brand to lead the sports events and tourism industry and its membership. He has also implemented a new strategic plan, 2020 Vision, to advance the future of sports tourism.

Kidd serves on the board of directors for USA Fencing, and the International Association of Event Hosts (IAEH).

Dr. Kristin Lamoureux

Dr. Kristin Lamoureux is an accomplished hospitality and tourism professional with over 20 years of experience as an educator, researcher and consultant in tourism and hospitality, tourism development, destination management and marketing, hospitality
management, marketing, strategic planning and research. She is recognized for her work with in tourism education, international development and tourism destination management organizations, economic development, strategic management, indigenous issues, policy and international development. She has a proven track record in engaging with industry, fostering collaboration and transforming real life experience into high quality education. She has successfully maintained both a strong commitment to learning that is both applied and theoretical, while at the same time, remaining constantly active in industry. She holds a Ph.D. in Strategic Planning and Public Policy.

Most recently, she serves as a Visiting Professor of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Virginia Tech University. Prior to VT, she served as the Associate Dean of the Jonathan M. Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism within the School of Professional Studies at New York University and Executive Director of the International Institute of Tourism Studies at George Washington University.

During her career, Dr. Lamoureux has been a champion of indigenous people around
the world. Utilizing tourism as a tool to support economic development, poverty
alleviation, gender equity, governance, policy support and cultural preservation, she ha
worked to create viable solutions for Native people. In 2006, Dr. Lamoureux co-authored
Communities, Conservation and Tourism: An Assessment Toolkit which continues to be
recognized as the leading and most comprehensive process for assessing and
developing tourism in tribal and rural communities.

She previously served as an advisor to the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism
Association. Currently she is working with several tribes in Virginia and Montana to
support tourism. Previously she has assisted the St. Regis Mohawk, Confederated
Salish and Kootenai Tribes, the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma, the Crow Tribe in
Montana and the Turtle Mountain Eastern Band of the Chippewa Tribe in North Dakota
to assess, develop and implement tourism development opportunities in tribal areas.
Dr. Lamoureux began her education in Ecuador after having received a Rotary
Exchange Student Scholarship. She has an A.S. from La Universidad Catolica del
Ecuador, a B.S. from Johnson and Wales University in RI, a M.T.A. (Master of Tourism
Administration) and a Ph.D. in Business Administration with a focus on Strategic
Management and Public Policy from The George Washington University in Washington,
DC.

Genevieve Lawrence

Genevieve Lawrence is the Head of Sustainability at MaCher, a sustainable product design firm and Certified B Corp based in LA. Her expertise is centered around utilizing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and B Impact assessment frameworks. She has lead the Inclusive Economy B Corp challenge at MaCher as well as the formation of the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) team. Genevieve’s experience also extends to responsible and ethical sourcing, internal engagement and B Corp certification.

In 2020, Genevieve and the rest of the MaCher team were recognized in the “Game Changers” report by Business of Purpose, for their work on inclusive practices around People and Culture development.

Adrienne Lee

Adrienne Lee is the Director of Global Impact for Tourism Cares, supporting and growing Tourism Cares network of non-profit and social enterprise partners, and building Tourism Cares body of research and education.  A sustainable tourism specialist with 12 years of international experience in planning, developing and managing sustainable travel and community development programs, she is experienced in leading partnerships that leverage tourism resources to achieve community and conservation goals.  Adrienne has travelled to over 50 countries and fostered partnerships on all seven continents.  Prior to joining Tourism Cares, she worked for a tourism social enterprise incubator building capacity and relationships with non-profits, charities, and community associations to connect them to the tourism market.  Adrienne has also worked for a global social justice organization, strengthening human rights to foster better private-sector value-chains.  She also has experience in the public sector working for Canada’s Ministry of the Environment as an environmental contaminants researcher.  Adrienne has a M.A.Sc in Environmental Management and Policy from Ryerson University, as well as a B.Sc. in Biomedical Science from McMaster University.  Adrienne has a love for social enterprise, intersectional environmentalism, impact investing, and the creation of non-traditional livelihoods. 

Martinique Lewis

Martinique Lewis is an award winning diversity in travel consultant,creative lead for Nomadness Travel Tribe, President of the Black Travel Alliance and now you can add creator of The ABC Travel Greenbook! The number one resources connecting travelers to the African Diaspora Globally.  Trusted amongst her peers as a ‘’connector’’ she is always connecting the dots to ensure the travel industry is mindful of diversity, not just as a ‘Buzz word’’ but an action that produces results.

As a Digital Disruptor whose immensely in love with all things travel, daily I strive to change the narrative by advocating for travelers that represent different demographics across multiple platforms. Working directly with tourism boards and travel brands I create content that is exciting and influential. My mission is to change the face of tourism forever, so that we all feel represented and see ourselves reflected!

Chi Lo

Chi Lo is a strategic visionary with over a decade of experience leading sustainability programmes spanning several continents. She is recognised as an expert in sustainable tourism with a knack for relationship management, communications and content development, project design and implementation.

As a consultant Chi is coaching sector entities aiming to achieve sustainable tourism certification. Chi is active in the sustainable tourism community and is currently an advisory board member of the World Tourism Association for Cultural Heritage (WTACH), and is recognized in Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network (WFEN)’s Circle of Experts. She has also served as a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Executive Committee and Board, and currently sits on the Council’s Communications & Membership Working Group. 

Previously, she managed the Sustainability & Social Responsibility programme at the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) where she was responsible for mapping and executing PATA’s sustainability strategy, nurturing global sustainability relationships, and establishing PATA’s position as a sustainability-minded global organisation. Prior to joining PATA, Chi has worked for organisations including the Uganda Community Tourism Association (UCOTA) under the USAID-STAR project, the Women’s Media Centre of Cambodia, the Center for Responsible Travel, and the Africa Travel Association.

Chi was born in Hong Kong, grew up in Vancouver, Canada, and is currently based in Seattle, USA with her husband, two dogs, and two young children from whom she has borrowed the Earth. While not in Seattle, Chi and her family road trip in their RV and keep a blog titled, Tales of RVentures.

Romey Louangvilay

Romey Louangvilay is Board President of Travel Unity. He is also Communications Director at ELMNTL (Elemental), where he leverages more than a decade of experience in social media strategy and PR to establish relationships with brands and their target audiences. His primary role is ensuring that there is a seamless integration of all marketing disciplines within campaigns, as well as provide overall strategic guidance and account management for the agency’s marquee accounts, such as Tourism Authority of Thailand, Guana Island in the British Virgin Islands, and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations). His accomplished earned him a spot as a finalist in Forbes’ 2016 Top 30 Under 30 in Marketing & Advertising.

Romey has also previously spoken at PR News Digital PR Conference in 2011 about social media and he continues to serve as a marketing industry expert for LuxuryDaily.com.

Romey’s client experience includes Bentley Motors, LG Mobile,  Ferragamo, TJ Maxx and Marshalls, and more.

Kelley Louise

A travel entrepreneur passionate about storytelling and sustainability, Kelley is the founder of Impact Travel Alliance, the world’s largest community for socially and eco-conscious travelers. She also runs Elsewhere Agency, a boutique creative agency for travel brands, and was formerly Head of Marketing at ViaHero. 

A leader in sustainable tourism, she was recently appointed as one of 30 global leaders serving as part of the World Economic Forum’s Global Futures Council on Sustainable Travel.

Kelley has presented at the United Nations, MMGY’s Vail Summit and Women’s Travel Fest, and has been interviewed by press including the New York Times, Fast Company, National Geographic Travel, Forbes and Mashable. She is the recipient of an award as an Outstanding Woman in Hospitality from Women in Travel & Tourism International (witti) and has been noted as one of the Top 100 Female Founders by Travel Massive.

Kelley has a bachelor’s degree in Media & Culture from The New School. She is based in Brooklyn, New York. 

Jason Marsden

Jason Marsden has served as Executive Vice President of the Matthew Shepard Foundation since 2009. During his seven-year career as a Casper (Wyoming) Star-Tribune reporter, the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a personal friend, impelled Jason to come out publicly in the newspaper’s pages and begin speaking to journalism conferences and schools nationwide about coverage of hate crimes. In 2001, he became the founding executive director of Wyoming Conservation Voters and the WCV Education Fund, a pair of educational and lobbying organizations for wildlife and environmental conservation.

He is a former member of the boards of directors of the Alliance for Historic Wyoming, the Wyoming Wilderness Association and the Wyoming Chapter of the Sierra Club, and currently serves on the boards of the Equality State Policy Center and the Governor’s Residence Preservation Fund. He was appointed in 2016 by Denver Mayor Michael Hancock to the city’s LGBTQ Commission and serves as co-chair of its Public Safety Committee. Jason and his husband live in Denver.

Tony Martin

Tony (he/him) is passionate about building inclusive cultures that empower individuals to speak their truth and thrive. He believes in the power of human connection and the importance of creating space that encourages that value. Tony is the Program Manager for Equity, Diversity + Inclusion at Tripadvisor. In his role, he supports global ED+I efforts with special attention focused on the company’s growing employee resource group program. Prior to this role, Tony worked 11 years as a Student Affairs practitioner in higher education at Bentley University.  During this time he focused on initiatives in ED+I as a lead facilitator for the University’s faculty and staff Diversity retreats, lead for the faculty & Staff LGBTQ+ Committee and student ED+I learning and development programs.  A self-described extrovert and adventurer, when not working you will find Tony traveling, meeting people and exploring the world around him. 

Danny Mendoza

Danny Mendoza is a 17-year-old high school senior from Richmond Hill in Queens, NY. At 11 years old, he and his mother migrated from Ecuador to the United States Fluent in both Spanish and English, Danny is the captain of Richmond Hill High School’s volleyball team. Soccer has been his passion since he learned how to walk. He is interested in pursuing a career in sports management.

Kelly Metzgar

Kelly is a Transgender Rights Advocate, Trainer, Speaker. She works on the NY State, local, and regional levels to promote and educate the public on Transgender issues. She speaks at colleges & universities, churches, or any civic group interested in Transgender issues. She has written several news paper “Opinion Editorals” and was featured in 2 radio interviews by our Adirondack North Country Public Radio.

Kelly iscurrently working to establish medical and mental health services for Transgender people in the Adirondack North Country of upstate NY and a safe place for local LGBT youth to come together for support, entertainment, social activities and to safely just be themselves.

She is also working on a PFLAG (Parents, Friends Lesbian and Gay) Chapter in Saranac Lake, NY, so our parents, friends, allies & supporters can find understanding, support, commonality, community to assist them in raising LGBT children.

Kris Millgate

Outdoor journalist Kris Millgate spent a
decade in TV news before starting Tight Line
Media in 2006. With a quarter century of
multimedia storytelling, Millgate traverses
the country in search of dynamic topics. She
researches issues thoroughly then translates
core elements via video, photo and words
with credibility that demands audience.
Tight Line Media productions tour with film festivals, win outstanding honors and
rank among National Geographic’s Top 10 Wild to Inspire list. As producer,
writer, videographer, photographer, certified drone pilot, editor and gear hauler,
Millgate engages in every project with inspiring enthusiasm and unmatched
intensity.

In the edit bay, she never tires. In the field, she never stops. She hikes, bikes,
rows and flies her cameras into the wilderness to collar grizzlies, catch native
trout, and count bald eagles.

Millgate is a leading member of Outdoor Writers Association of America, a life
member of Trout Unlimited and a certified Idaho Master Naturalist. She’s also a
trail runner, fly fisher and avid seeker of awkward moments.

She’s currently reporting for USA Today, Gray’s Sporting Journal, Idaho Public
TV and East Idaho Outdoors. Her first book ‘My Place Among Men’ is available
now.

See her work at: tightlinemedia.com

James Edward Mills

James Edward Mills is a freelance journalist who specializes in telling stories about outdoor recreation, environmental conservation, acts of charitable giving, and practices of sustainable living. He has worked in the outdoor industry since 1989 as a guide, outfitter, independent sales representative, writer, and photographer. He is the author of the book “The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors”  and the co-writer/co-producer of the documentary film An American Ascent.

James has written for the Wisconsin State Journal, Madison Magazine, and Wisconsin Trails. He is currently a contributor to several outdoor-focused print and online publications such as National Geographic, Rock & Ice, Alpinist, SUP, Elevation Outdoors, Women’s Adventure, the Clymb, Park Advocate, High Country News, Outdoor Retailer Magazine  Land & People, Outside Magazine and The Guardian

Tiffany Misrahi

Prior to joining WTTC, she spent 8 years with the World Economic Forum, where she was the Head of the Aviation, Travel and Tourism Industry. At the Forum, Tiffany was responsible for designing the industry agenda as well as the development and
management of strategic relationships and partnerships with industry leaders. She was
the co-editor of the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness report and led the design and implementation of new initiatives including the Future of Security in Travel and Travel, Tourism & Outbreaks.

Tiffany started her career at the International Trade Centre where she collaborated on
the development and implementation of its Tourism-led Poverty Reduction Programme.

Tiffany has a BSc in International Business from Warwick University and a MSc in
Development Management from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
She recently completed an Executive Master in Leadership as part of the World
Economic Forum’s Global Leadership Fellows Programme.

Kelly Murumets

Throughout her career, Kelly Murumets has inspired employees and advised leaders from
Canada, United States, South America and Europe on how to develop focused strategies and
realize results within their organizations. She is particularly expert at galvanizing disparate
stakeholders with differing sets of objectives, helping them to identify commonality, and
inspiring and motivating them to move in one direction.

Kelly was the President & CEO of Tennis Canada from early 2014 to the end of 2016. She joined Tennis Canada after serving for seven years as President & CEO of ParticipACTION, the national voice of physical activity and sport participation in Canada. Prior to her role with ParticipACTION, Kelly was president of Acceris Communications, a then publicly traded US telecommunications company, where she oversaw the integration of four bankrupt / nearly bankrupt companies into one thriving organization that, in 2004, ranked 7 th in Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 program.

Kelly is a member of YPO and sits on its Canadian Regional Board of Governors. She holds an MBA from the Ivey School of Business at Western University, a Master of Social Work from Wilfrid Laurier University (where she received the Gold Medal and the Governor General’s Academic Award) and a BA from Bishop’s University.

Among her many recognitions, Kelly was named as one of CAAWS Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity (2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016), CBC’s 10 Most Influential Figures in Sport (2012), Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 (2009) and is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2013).

Kelly also brings her passion for sport and physical activity to her personal pursuits. She enjoys tennis, golf, skiing and scuba diving, and has summitted Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Rainier.

Cameron Myler

Cameron Myler’s professional experiences are diverse, but there’s a common theme: sport. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor at New York University’s Tisch Institute for Global Sport, an arbitrator with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, an intellectual property and sports lawyer, and a four-time Olympian in the sport of luge.

At NYU, Cameron’s teaching and research interests include legal issues relating to
Olympic sport, international sports governance, the regulation of doping in sport,
intellectual property, as well as athletes’ commercial rights, branding and career
transitions. Cameron is a member of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which
adjudicates eligibility, doping, ethics and commercial issues related to sport. She served on the Anti-Doping Division of CAS at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. In her legal practice, she has represented Olympic athletes and sports organizations, advised media and entertainment clients in a variety of commercial matters, and litigated high—profile intellectual property cases.

Prior to practicing law, Cameron competed in four Olympic Games in the sport of luge (1988 – Calgary, 1992 – Albertville, 1994 – Lillehammer, 1998 – Nagano), and was elected by her teammates to carry the American flag at the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics in Norway. She was U.S. National Champion seven times and won 11 World Cup medals. Cameron was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the National Association for Sport & Physical Education and is featured in the book SuperWomen: 100 Women — 100
Sports. She is a two-time grant recipient of the Women’s Sports Foundation Training and Travel Fund.

She is committed to using sport to promote development and social change. Cameron is an Athlete Ambassador for Kids Play International, a nonprofit that uses sport to promote gender equity in countries impacted by genocide, and an Olympic Ambassador for Athlete Ally, which advocates for inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community in sports. She also supports Champions for America’s Future, a nonprofit organization that promotes policy solutions for at-risk kids to compete in life.

Cameron graduated from Dartmouth College cum laude and, after retiring from competitive sport, received her J.D. from Boston College Law School and an Executive Masters in Sports Organization Management from the University of Poitiers, a program coordinated by the IOC.

Since the start of the pandemic, Cameron has been living in Woodstock, NY with her chiweenie dog, Flash (IG: @chiweenieflash).

David Naczycz

David is an entrepreneur, leader, and consultant with expertise in Organization Development, Urban & Economic Development, DEI, Travel, Sustainability and Social Enterprise. His latest venture, Urban Oyster / NYC Urban Adventures was launched in 2009 as a tour company that transforms the way people travel by focusing on sustainable,
interactive, small-group experiences. Since that time the company has launched over 20
different tours all over NYC, and hosted thousands of locals and visitors on its top rated tours.

In 2016 David took over Washington DC Urban Adventures and the business has grown by a factor of 10 since the acquisition. In 2017 he launched a new business with another Urban Adventures operator called North American Tour Hub (NATH). NATH has launched tour operations in 7 other cities across the U.S. and launched a Destination Management business.

Through his work with Urban Oyster/Urban Adventures, David has also worked extensively within the Sustainability, Local Food, and DEI Movements as a leader, advocate, and consultant. He has been active with organizations such as Impact Travel Alliance, Slow Food and currently serves on the Board of Advisors of Travel Unity, where he is helping to design and launch a new DEI certification program for the travel industry.

Before starting Urban Oyster, David worked for over 10 years as an Organization Development Consultant working with CEOs, Entrepreneurs, and other leaders to navigate strategic change and large system transformations. He also built a new practice focused on working with civic leaders, helping them engage their communities and diverse stakeholder groups in order to create economic growth. His clients included cities like Detroit, MI, foundations, and economic growth organizations. David also founded and led a non-profit organization in Detroit called Detroit Synergy whose purpose is to empower regular citizens to create and execute their own projects to improve their communities. David started his professional career with AIESEC, a non-profit that operates a global internship program where he was part of their U.S. national office.

Denise Naguib

Denise was born in Cairo, Egypt where she lived for half of her childhood before moving to Michigan, Minnesota, and finally Oregon. She attended the University of Oregon, earning a Bachelors of Science in Geography with an emphasis on biological and human impacts on the environment. After graduating, Denise became involved with Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society as a Program Director, implementing environmental education programs at various locations.

In 2005, Denise moved to the Cayman Islands to implement Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment program at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman. The program’s success led The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company to sign a 10-year agreement with Jean-Michel Cousteau to implement these programs at various properties throughout the brand. Denise became the Corporate Director, Environmental Programs for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and led environmental strategy for the brand, as well as supporting the growth of the Cousteau program within The Ritz-Carlton.

In January 2010, Denise joined the Global Operations group at Marriott International and continued her work on sustainability strategy for all brands, as well as expansion of the Cousteau program. In 2012, Denise was named Vice President of Sustainability and Supplier Diversity, integrating both of these important subjects in the company’s global operations. After launching the company’s new Sustainability and Social Impact platform and goals in November 2017, Denise is working on a variety of projects including responsible sourcing, developing solutions for recycling and food waste, and supporting efforts to increase spend with diverse businesses globally.

Denise currently serves as Vice Chair of the Board for WEConnect International, the global organization supporting women businesses around the world, Chair of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce’s Procurement Council, and on the Board of The Conference Board’s Sustainability Center. She most recently served as the Vice Chair of the Global Business Travel Association’s Sustainability Committee, and the Chair of The Conference Board’s Sustainability Council: Innovation and Growth.

Cassia Patel

Cassia Patel is the Program Director of Oceanic Global, a global NGO that engages new audiences in ocean conservation. Her work with Oceanic Global includes overseeing their grassroots initiatives, policy reform efforts, educational programming, and managing The Oceanic Standard (TOS), a free set of industry-specific resources for adopting sustainable practices that meet both business and environmental needs with a focus on eliminating single-use plastics and improving waste management. Cassia has formal training as an environmental engineer, underwater research biologist, and in sustainable design.

Juan C. Perez

Juan C. Perez is the co-founder of Highbrid Media and managing partner of Peremore LLC. Juan has over 20 years of experience in grassroots marketing and multicultural brand management. Juan has managed multicultural marketing campaigns for brands like AT&T, MetroPCS, Western Union, MoneyGram, Caribbean Airlines, Jamaican Tourist Board, and others. In, 2015
Juan spearheaded the launch of Highbrid’s #TeamGrassroots Digital Street Team, a proprietary database of over 250 multicultural millennial tastemakers from ten top ethnic markets.

Juan has been featured in Inc. Magazine, Black Enterprise, Crain’s, New York
Post, New York Daily News, New York Business Journal, National Public Radio,
amongst others, and was awarded the YGB Strategic Marketer of the Year
Award in 2011 and the Home Reporter’s Rising Star 40 under 40 award in 2013.
Juan is also a board member of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Brooklyn
Alliance Capital and the Greater New York YMCA. In 2013, Juan became a
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Scholar as a member of its highly
competitive Cohort VIII.

Juan is a the President of the Brooklyn Alumni Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, and Catholic Big Sisters, Big Brothers mentor for over 9 years. Juan resides in Bedford Stuyvesant Brooklyn with his wife, Lana.

Norie Quintos

Norie Quintos is a communications and content consultant, advising destinations and travel companies on how to tell their unique stories. She has deep connections around the world, speaks several languages (badly), and has a Rolodex of talented writers, photographers, designers, and producers. She directs editorial teams for print and pixel projects. An Editor at Large for National Geographic Travel Media, she writes and blogs about the world of travel from a cultural perspective. She was the longtime executive editor of National Geographic Traveler and previously held staff editor jobs at U.S. News and World Report and Caribbean Travel and Life.

Sucheta Rawal

Sucheta Rawal is a travel expert with a mission to raise awareness of the world through meaningful travel and cultural understanding. Drawing from her own experience of traveling to 100 countries across 7 continents, Sucheta speaks to businesses on how to make travel sustainable, accessible, and profitable.
Sharing stages with experts like Andrew Zimmern and Arthur Frommer, Sucheta has presented at The New York Times Travel Show, Travel and Adventure Shows, Global Humanitarian Summit, United Nations, The Coca-Cola Company, First Data, various consulates, Rotary clubs, as well as universities and schools across the world. 

Sucheta founded Go Eat Give in 2011, through which she educates the community about tolerance, engagement, and peace through food and travel. The organization provides aid to grassroots projects across different countries and offers customized travel experiences to individuals and groups. 

An award-winning writer for 15 years, Sucheta has contributed extensively to publications such as Atlanta Magazine, Atlanta Business Chronicle, CheapOAir, Chowhound, CNN, Creative Loafing Atlanta, Cuisine Noir, Fodors, Flavors, The Huffington Post,  Khabar , and  Travel+Leisure.

Sucheta has authored a series of children’s illustrative books on travel –  Beato Goes To . The stories, based on her real cat, Beato and her actual travels, inspire young readers to learn about different countries and cultures, as well as develop their own wanderlust. Sucheta often visits elementary schools, reading her books – Beato Goes To Greenland, Beato Goes To Israel, Beato Goes To Indonesia, Beato Goes To Japan, and the
latest release – Beato Goes To Brazil. In Fall 2020, Sucheta released her first animated comic book series –  Cheeti and The Colony of Antlantis.

Originally from India, Sucheta started discovering the world when she moved to United States after high school. She graduated from Georgia State University with a Masters in Finance, and worked in investment banking, market research and human capital consulting.

She resides in the suburbs of Atlanta with her husband and her cat, Beato.

Laurel Remus

Laurel Remus is Special Assistant for Recreation Diversity and Public-Private Partnerships in the Office of Outdoor Recreation at the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, working with the agency’s Adventure NY initiative. Laurel has been involved with promoting diversity in Conservation throughout her 36 years at DEC.  She was previously the Director of the division of Public Affairs and Education and served in several positions in the Division of Lands and Forests as a Forester in both NYC and the Southern Tier.  Laurel has an undergraduate degree in Resources Management from the College of Environmental Science and Forestry and a Masters of Business Administration from NY Institute of Technology.

Jonathan Richmond

Jonathan Richmond, VR Counselor Coordinator for the State of Connecticut, Department of Aging and Disability Services, Bureau of Education and Services for the Blind (BESB), helps individuals with disabilities obtain and maintain employment.  He has over 25 years of experience working in public and private vocational rehabilitation settings, including 20 years of state employment.  Jonathan holds a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Assumption University.  

Natalie Ringsmuth

Natalie grew up in Central Minnesota and received her Music Education degree from Concordia College in Moorhead. She taught middle school choir in Georgia and worked in the church sector for over a decade. In 2015, she founded Unite Cloud, a non-profit working to reduce racial, religious, and cultural tensions in Central MN. She is also a trainer with the CARE (Community Anti-Racism Education) Team at SCSU (St Cloud State University), and a member of the St Cloud School District 742 board and the United Way Community Impact Team. Natalie loves to spend time with her husband and 3 children, making music and playing games.

Catarina Rivera

Catarina is a leader, public speaker, and entrepreneur with 13 years of experience in the public sector, both in nonprofits and education. She currently works as a manager at a large non-profit organization in New York City. She is the founder of Blindish Latina, a platform increasing awareness about accessibility and sharing her experience as a disabled Latina professional. Blindish Latina has partnered with Project Hearing for a bi-weekly discussion series called Chicas Talk Disability which has covered a wide range of topics. Catarina is also the Co-Founder of ExplorEquity, a sustainable travel company. She holds a BA from Duke University, a MSEd from Bank Street College of Education, and an MPH from the CUNY School of Public Health-Hunter College. Follow @BlindishLatina and @ExplorEquity on Instagram to connect to Catarina’s work.

Brandan Robertson

Rev. Brandan Robertson is a noted author, activist, theologian, and pastor, working at the intersections of spirituality and social renewal. He currently serves as the Lead Pastor of Missiongathering Christian Church in San Diego, CA.

A prolific writer, he is the author or contributing author to twelve books on spirituality, justice, and theology. He also writes regularly for Patheos, and has bylines in TIME Magazine, San Diego Union Tribune, The Huffington Post, NBC, The Washington Post, and Ministry Matters. As a trusted voice on progressive faith and politics, Robertson is a regular commentator in national and global media outlets including National Public Radio, The Independent UK, The New York Times, and POLITICO.

Each year, Robertson speaks to thousands of people across the globe and has been an honored speaker at renowned institutions like The White House, Oxford University, and The Parliament of the World’s Religions. He has taught seminars for San Francisco Theological Seminary, Disciples Seminary Foundation, and is a consultant and facilitator with Auburn Seminary. He is also a founding member of The Union of Affirming Christians, and has served as a board member and advisor to the Democratic National Convention, the U.S. Department of State, the Department of Health and Human Services, and The Humane Society.

Named by the Human Rights Campaign as one of the top faith-leaders leading the fight for human rights, Robertson has worked with political and social leaders around the world to end conversion therapy and promote LGBT+ rights. Robertson currently serves as the co-chair of San Diego Pride’s DevOUT Interfaith Coalition, has served as the national spokesperson of Evangelicals For Marriage Equality and developed the Evangelical Outreach Program for Faith In Public Life and the Bridging the Divides Program for Interfaith Alliance of Colorado. 

Robertson received his B.A. in Pastoral Ministry and Theology from Moody Bible Institute, his Masters of Theological Studies from Iliff School of Theology, and is completing his second Masters in Political Science at Eastern Illinois University. He currently resides in San Diego, CA.

Jen Ruiz

Jen Ruiz is lawyer turned travel blogger and author. In 2017, she set out to take 12 trips in 12 months while
employed full-time before her 30th birthday. She ended up taking 20 trips, writing a book and finding a new
career path. She is #1 Amazon bestseller and Readers’ Favorite Award winner. Jen is also a 3-time TEDx
speaker and award-winning travel journalist. She is the founder of People of Puerto Rico, a nonprofit helping
locals on the island establish online income streams, and has been featured by The Washington Post,
Huffington Post and ABC News. jenonajetplane.com

John Sage

John Sage is the founder and CEO of the two leading accessible travel companies, Sage Traveling (B2C) and Accessible Travel Solutions (B2B). His companies provide accessible travel services targeting a market of 1 billion people with disabilities worldwide. Sage has traveled extensively with his wheelchair, conducting firsthand accessibility research in more than two hundred European and Caribbean cities. Based on his research, his international team of accessible trip planning experts provides accessible vacations and experiences in more than fifty countries. John Sage serves on Royal Caribbean’s Accessible Travel Agent Advisory Board and was named Houston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 for executives and entrepreneurs in 2018. His “Top 10 Accessible Travel Tips for Europe” article has been published in Rick Steves’ guidebooks. He has been a featured speaker at the Destinations for All Summit, the Travelability Summit, and the TUR4all International Congress on Accessible Cruise Destinations. Sage earned his degree in Petroleum Engineering from LSU in 2001 and worked for a world-renowned energy company before making a dedicated switch into the travel industry in 2009.

Jeremy Sampson

Jeremy Sampson is the CEO of the Travel Foundation, a leading NGO in the travel and tourism sector. Under Jeremy’s leadership, the Travel Foundation is working with travel companies and destinations to better understand the impacts of tourism and maximise its benefits for local people and the environment. He has also been instrumental in spearheading the launch of the Future of Tourism Coalition.

With experience in the tourism, conservation, and sustainability arenas, Jeremy has lived on three continents, and worked extensively in more than 30 countries with the public sector, SMEs, multinationals, and civil society. He spent five years as VP of Communications and Partnerships at Sustainable Travel International and another two years as President of international tour operator, GreenSpot Travel. He served as an Adjunct Professor at the George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies, was elected to serve on the Executive Committee of the WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group (TAPAS), and currently serves on the Destination Stewardship Working Group of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.

Immediately prior to joining The Travel Foundation, Jeremy worked at the IUCN Centre for
Mediterranean Cooperation, where he helped to design and manage large-scale transnational EU-funded initiatives, such as DestiMED, and was instrumental in launching the MEET Network, a regional-scale ecotourism network and destination management organization for protected areas across the Med.

 

Beth Santos

Beth Santos is founder and CEO of Wanderful, a global community and lifestyle brand that specializes in helping all women travel the world. Wanderful reaches a diverse audience of over 100M each year through chapter events in 50 cities, an international homesharing network, global summits and small group trips, a thriving membership community, and dynamic online content and forums. She is the creator and host of the Women in Travel Summit, a leading event for women travel creators and industry, happening on two continents each year, and the annual Bessie Awards to honor women of impact in travel.. She is a graduate of the Kellogg School of Management and Wellesley College, and is an acclaimed thought leader in entrepreneurship and travel. She lives in Boston.

Mike Schibel

Founder of Travel With Meaning, a travel storytelling community and the Host of Travel With Meaning Podcast. The former talent agent and digital media executive is a passionate community connector, outdoor enthusiast, bathtub, spa and hammock connoisseur, chocolate chip aficionado, open road seeker, guru of optimism and instigator of awesome!

Born and raised in Pacific Palisades, currently living in Venice Beach with his partner Nicole, dog Barbara and cat Mija.

Bex Shapiro

Bex Shapiro is the Global Social Media Manager at Intrepid Travel, the world’s largest adventure travel company and industry leader in responsible tourism. In this role she manages creator partnerships and oversees Intrepid’s social storytelling, community building and advocacy communications. A Brit based in Vancouver, Canada, Bex is passionate about sustainability and inclusivity in the travel industry. She is also a freelance writer who has been published in The Guardian, VICE, ELLE, and The Huffington Post, and an official Climate Reality Leader, advocating for climate action.

Ian Siljestrom

Ian Siljestrom is the Safe Schools Associate Director for Equality Florida. He is responsible for fighting the extensive risk factors, which disproportionately affect our LGBTQ youth in school including: bullying, homelessness, self-harm, and HIV transmission. He works directly with 20 school districts across Florida to assist in the implementation of professional development and comprehensive best practices to ensure the empowerment of all students’ identities. Prior to this role, Ian was a 5th grade science and health teacher in Duval County Public Schools.

Matt Skallerud

Matt Skallerud, president of Pink Media, specializes in LGBTQ online marketing, targeting gays & lesbians via content marketing, social media, programmatic ad banners, mobile smartphone apps and more. He also specializes in search engine optimization (SEO), key word / search advertising (PPC) and social media analytics. He’s been in the LGBTQ online industry for over 20 years now.

Matt Skallerud began his online career in May 1995 with the launch of GayWired.com, which became one of the top 3 LGBTQ websites worldwide. Having worked with companies, large and small, for more than 20 years to reach the LGBTQ online consumer through this site and others, he is now focused on the most cutting-edge global innovations in programmatic ad buying, social networking and Web 2.0 technologies. He empowers his clients to reach the LGBTQ market using the most advanced techniques taking hold in the online marketing world today, including Real-Time Ad Bidding (RTB), Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google Plus, YouTube, blogs and others.

In addition, Skallerud is the former Board Chairman of the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) and has served on the boards Travel Gay Canada (TGC) and the LAGLCC. He is actively involved with key national LGBTQ organizations including the NGLCC, Out Professionals and Lambda Legal, just to name a few.

Jamie Sweeting

Jamie Sweeting is Vice President for Social Enterprise & Responsible Travel at G Adventures and President, Planeterra Foundation.

Sweeting was Principal, Sweeting Sustainability Solutions, providing support to companies, NGOs, governments and destinations on a wide range of sustainability issues. In addition, Sweeting served as Global Sustainability Advisor to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. In this role he supports the company in the areas of sustainability strategy development; corporate sustainability communications and reporting; conservation initiatives and destination stewardship.

Previously Sweeting served as Vice President, Environmental Stewardship and Global Chief Environmental Officer for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Sweeting was responsible for establishing the company’s long-term environmental strategy, including goals and objectives that ensure responsible corporate environmental performance. These objectives incorporated factors such as climate change, destination stewardship, current and future environmental regulations and agreements, and programs that lead to sound environmental policy, compliance, incident response and training.

Sweeting has more than 20 years of experience in tourism, conservation and business management. Most recently, he served as senior business advisor and senior director of the Travel and Leisure program at Conservation International’s Center for Environmental Leadership in Business where he helped companies realize the benefits of becoming industry leaders in conservation and community development. Prior to that, Sweeting was Manager of Conservation International’s Ecotourism Department, where he helped develop and implement over 35 ecotourism projects in more than 17 countries. Sweeting also has worked for The International Ecotourism Society, and previously conducted a special management project on ecotourism in the Caribbean. 

Greg Takehara

Greg was previously the President of Trip Mate, Inc., a travel insurance administrator and service provider. He was previously in senior management at Aon Affinity/Berkely Travel from 1995 to 2014, specifically responsible for all claims related operations and risk management education for its Travel Agents Professional Liability program. Prior to joining Aon/Berkely, Greg served as General Counsel for The Mark Travel Corporation, a tour operator in Milwaukee, WI.

Greg was on the Board of NTA from 2009 – 2011 and the Board of the IGLTA Foundation from 2015 – 2016, and was on the Tourism Cares Board and served as Chairman in 2017. He has also served on SYTA’s Safety Committee and USTOA’s Associate Member Advisory Committee. He maintains his law license in the State of Wisconsin and is a licensed Adjuster, as well as a Life, Accident & Health Agent and Property & Casualty Producer. He is from Chicago, IL and has a Bachelor of Arts Honors degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and a Juris Doctor degree from Washington University in St. Louis.

John Tanzella

John Tanzella is the President/CEO of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA) a global non-profit tourism association.  IGLTA is headquartered in Florida, with additional staff located in Washington D.C., Madrid, São Paulo, Bogota, Paris, London and Cape Town.  
IGLTA’s membership is comprised of tourism business professionals – 5,000+ located in 82 countries. In marketing its tourism industry business members, IGLTA reached 3.4million unique travelers in 2018. 

The IGLTA Foundation was created five years ago as the philanthropic arm of the association, supporting the tourism industry with research, education and developing future LGBTQ+ leaders in tourism.  

IGLTA is the only LGBTQ+ Associate Member of the The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.  

Tanzella serves on the Board of Directors for the Stonewall National Museum & Archives (USA).  Born in Boston to Italian immigrant parents, attended the University of Georgia, resides in Ft Lauderdale. 

www.iglta.org

Cindy VandenBosch

With almost 20 years of experience in the museum, disability, and tourism fields, Cindy VandenBosch is the President of Turnstile Tours and Studio, a Certified B Corporation that seeks to elevate stories that are underrepresented in the public record through tours, programs, virtual experiences, and exhibitions hosted in partnership with nonprofit organizations. Since its founding in 2012, Turnstile Tours has hosted over 60,000 visitors on tours and programs for people of all ages and abilities. Through Turnstile Studio, the company’s consulting practice, she and her team have worked with almost 20 nonprofit, cultural, and government organizations to support interpretive planning, accessibility for visitors with disabilities, visitor engagement and audience development, and research for programs and exhibits.

Cindy has spent much of her career dedicated to advancing inclusion of people with apparent and non-apparent disabilities in the culture and arts sector in the United States and beyond. She is a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) by the International Association of Accessibility Professionals. Cindy has also served for 13 years on the access advisory board at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, where she began her museum career in 2003 overseeing accessible programs and exhibits. She is the former Co-Chair of the Museum, Arts, and Culture Access Consortium where she spearheaded a multi-year project that brought together autism advocates with museum professionals to advance the goal of making arts and culture more accessible to people with autism in New York City, both as visitors and as employees. Cindy also worked for City Access New York designing and leading multi-sensory activity-based programming and inclusive summer camps for elementary and middle school students who are blind or have low vision. 

In addition to serving on Travel Unity’s Board of Directors, Cindy is an advisory board member of the Street Vendor Project of the Urban Justice Center and formerly served on the board of Citizens Union, a good government organization. She has a degree in Anthropology and Russian and East European Studies, and did international development work in the Russian Far East before entering the museum and tourism fields. Cindy speaks Intermediate Russian and is learning American Sign Language.

Emily Washcovick

As Yelp’s Chicago based Senior Field Marketing Manager and Small Business Expert, Emily is responsible for building a thriving network of local business owners, operators and marketers through education and networking events (now, exclusively virtual). She hosts events and webinars to provide business owners with resources that help them succeed and grow in the world of online reviews. Emily’s expertise lies in customer engagement, reputation management and all things digital marketing. Her knowledge encompasses countless industries and through thought leadership and speaking engagements, she’s able to share insights that business owners of all kinds can leverage for the future of their business.

Prior to joining Yelp back in 2014, Emily oversaw guest experience and large scale event execution at Marriott. She comes from a family of business owners and has a longstanding history of helping business owners learn about the world of online reviews and consumer engagement. In her spare time Emily works as a mental health advocate and frequently authors pieces and presents about work life balance, relationships and the importance of mental health for all.

Roni Weiss

Roni Weiss is the Executive Director of Travel Unity, a 501(c)(3) focused on increasing diversity in the world of travel through individual and community empowerment.

He lives in Westchester County, NY with his partner, Lauren, and their four children.

Kathy West-Evans

Kathy West-Evans is the Director of Business Relations for CSAVR (Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation) where she leads The NET (National Employment Team). Kathy is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) who is fluent in American Sign Language. Kathy started in the field of rehabilitation in 1978. She has
worked at the community, state, federal and national level over her career. Kathy is a
sought-after consultant and presenter on topic areas related to serving individuals with
disabilities and business through a dual-customer approach. The focus includes
developing strategies with business to employ and retain the talents of individuals with
disabilities across the footprint of the company.

Ernest White II

Ernest White II is a storyteller, explorer, executive producer and host of television travel docu-series FLY BROTHER with Ernest White II, currently airing in the United States on Public Television Stations and Create TV nationwide. He is also founder and CEO of Presidio Pictures, a new film, television, and digital media studio centering BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and senior/elder narratives. Ernest’s writing includes fiction, literary essay, and travel narrative, having been featured in Time Out London, USA Today, Getaway, Ebony, The Manifest-Station, Sinking City, Lakeview Journal, Matador Network, National Geographic Traveler’s Brazil and Bradt’s Tajikistan guidebooks, and at TravelChannel.com. He is also senior editor at Panorama: The Journal of Intelligent Travel, former assistant editor at Time Out São Paulo, and founding editor of digital men’s magazine Abernathy.

Appearing on the Travel Channel television series Destination Showdown and Jamaica: Bared, as well as in the 2013 documentary film about the dangers of mass tourism, Gringo Trails, Ernest also works as an actor and voice over artist for radio, film and television, audiobooks, and educational materials, and speaks to youth and adult audiences about the incomparable magic of travel. He holds an undergraduate degree in political science from Florida A&M University, an MFA in creative writing from the American University in Washington, and is currently earning his Certificate in the Business and Management of Entertainment from the University of California, Los Angeles.

A Florida native, Ernest’s obsessions include South Africa, São Paulo, and Rita Hayworth.

Valerie Joy Wilson

Valerie Joy Wilson is a solo travel expert, travel host, and founder of the popular travel website, TrustedTravelGirl.com. As a full-time traveler, Valerie loves to venture off-the-beaten-path, discover hidden gems only locals know about, and help women travel better. A self-proclaimed experience junkie with no comfort zone, Valerie continues to scare her parents with her worldwide adventures. Valerie has been featured on CNN, HuffPost, Fox News, and more. Follow Valerie on her global travels on her Instagram, Youtube, and TrustedTravelGirl.com.

Jaclyn Yost

Jaclyn is a traveler (41 countries & counting) with a passion for sustainable tourism. She is the Founder of ecomadic – a platform connecting sustainably-minded travelers with responsible businesses. ecomadic’s mission is to amplify the positive effects that sustainable tourism can bring to global communities by supporting local and small businesses, while their vision is to set a standard in the industry through transparency and education. She is also currently a student at the George Washington University pursuing a Master of Tourism Administration, focusing on Sustainable Tourism.

Justine Abigail Yu

Justine Abigail Yu is a communications and marketing strategist who has worked with organizations operating in North America, Central America, East Africa, and Southeast Asia. Her expertise lies in growing enterprises from the ground up through strategic digital marketing, compelling storytelling, and genuine community engagement, all through an anti-oppression lens. She currently serves as Wanderful’s Communications Manager.

She is also the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Living Hyphen, an emerging magazine
that explores the experiences of hyphenated Canadians – that is, individuals who call
Canada home but who have roots in often faraway places. She and the publication have been featured on international, national, and local media outlets including Yahoo News, NextShark, CTV National News, and CBC, among other news outlets.

Justine Abigail is a fierce advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion – and ultimately,
anti-oppression. Her mission is to stir the conscience and spur social change.

---