Celebrating wmnsWORK
Our Amplification Allies support Soul of Travel in its mission to amplify the voices of women in tourism. We have created these special relationships to broaden our community and expand the reach of these soulful conversations. We form partnerships with women working to change tourism, create opportunities, educate leaders, and bring even more women together in the industry.
We want to honor wmnsWORK and celebrate the impactful work of the wmnsWORK Alum who have joined Christine for a conversation on Soul of Travel. There are so many incredible women+ who have participated in this accelerator, and we plan to continue to bring them to this space to share their journey.
wmnsWORK is an award-winning 12-week virtual, global accelerator program for early-stage women and non-binary tourism entrepreneurs. The program has connected women and non-binary tourism founders from around the world. Experts in their field mentor each cohort; wmnsWORK hires women and non-binary folks who are experts and mentors in their respective niches to offer education and guidance to each participant as they start or grow impactful travel businesses.
As of January 2024, wmnsWORK is in its third year and the fifth cohort of entrepreneurs, having now supported more than 40 businesses from 14 different countries through the program. The next cohort will launch in September 2024 (and applications are open here for the next 12-week business accelerator).
Iris Serbanescu
Let us start our celebration by recognizing the founder of wmnsWORK, Iris Serbanescu, who launched wmnsWORK in 2022 and has spent her decade-long career in the tourism industry consulting with and working alongside entrepreneurial ventures in tourism’s adventure, luxury, and tech sectors. Prior to this launch, Iris led partnerships at TourRadar, an online marketplace for multi-day tour operators, and was the manager of trade development at travel consultancy Bannikin.
Read Iris’ episode blog post and listen to Iris’ episode here.
Megan Ryder-Burbidge & Linsey Sherman-Zekulin
Megan Ryder-Burbidge & Linsey Sherman-Zekulin co-founded Sororal to prioritize safety education and economic security for women in hospitality and tourism spaces around the globe. Through consultation and collaboration with women-owned and led businesses, as well as nonprofit organizations in destinations such as Kenya, Costa Rica, Denmark, Sicily, Nicaragua, and Morocco, Sororal is disrupting existing standards for equity and independence for women in tourism with mindful cultural exchange, fair compensation, and local talent. At the heart of its small group travel experiences, Sororal seeks to change the conversation around what effective, equitable support looks like in tourism and put the future of success for women directly into women's hands.
Read their episode blog and listen to Megan and Linsey’s episode here.
Tara Busch
Tara Bush started Conscious Travel Collective with a mission of doing right by the destination and giving travelers an authentic experience, and when she looked closely, what she was really doing was crafting opportunities for connection. She decided to create trips that take travelers to amazing places around the world and introduce them to the incredible people who embody the spirit of their home while facilitating opportunities for them to share their home and heritage with travelers in a way that honors its traditions and positively impacts the communities, the travelers, and the planet. The Conscious Travel Collective is values-based and mission-driven, which means every trip is designed responsibly, in alignment with our values. Socially and environmentally conscious travelers appreciate our commitment to creating meaningful, positive impact.
Poonam Rawat-Hahne
Fernweh Fair Travel Uplifting Communities is a women-led organization founded by Poonam Rawat-Hahne. It provides guests with unforgettable, unique, authentic, and transformative experiences in the majestic Indian Himalayas while empowering women and bringing sustainable development to underprivileged communities. They achieve this by providing responsible travel that preserves culture and protects the environment.
A special acknowledgment goes out to Poonam, who recently learned that Fernweh Fair Travel is the recipient of the 2024 TO DO Award Human Rights in Tourism, presented annually to honor initiatives particularly committed to protecting human rights principles along the entire tourism value chain. She received this award at ITB in Berlin this March.
Christine and Poonam are looking forward to offering journeys together in 2025. Be sure to follow Lotus Sojourns for the announcements of these departures.
Bethany Betzler
Bethany Betzler founded Hinoki Travels, where she creates signature travel experiences designed to reconnect you to your senses and enhance your well-being in nature. Hinoki offers travel experiences in reciprocity with the communities and lands they visit. For Bethany and Hinoki, reciprocity means collaborating with community-based experience providers to create an equal exchange and mutual benefit. Their first priority as a company is to provide the communities at each destination with the opportunity to improve the protection and conservation of their land and cultures.
Read Bethany’s episode blog and listen to the episode here.
Becki Rupp
Becki Rupp is a personal trainer, adventure coach, and owner of Trailblazer Wellness. She offers virtual personal training and adventure coaching to build your strength, stamina, and confidence so you can make the most of your adventures and your LIFE! Becki realized that there was a gap in the industry and stepped up to fill it. You can work with her one-on-one to prepare for a trip or join workshops or webinars to learn the steps to prepare for your adventure on your own. As a tour operator, you can upgrade how you prepare your clients for a life-changing experience and have them return after having a fantastic time and recommend your trips to their family, friends, and social networks. She is so passionate about helping others enjoy their outdoor experiences and adventures, and that shines through in every interaction.
Jennine Cohen
Jennine Cohen is a longtime trip planner, leader, and advisor in the adventure travel industry. Jennine and co-founder Catherine Gallagher created Women Travel Leaders (WTL) to elevate diverse female professionals in the travel industry through community connections, peer-to-peer coaching, tailored community-led learning, and masterminding. WTL is a professional association comprising inspirational and influential business owners, executives, influencers, journalists, managers, hoteliers, representatives, and directors from around the world.
It is set apart from other professional communities by its unique values. It is a space where women feel comfortable to lead from the heart. They value adventure and freedom. It is a space where women can integrate their personal and professional lives, valuing hard business skills while honoring and nurturing themselves in body, mind, and spirit.
Women Travel Leaders is also an Ally of Soul of Travel Podcast, and we’ll share more about this community in an upcoming blog post…stay tuned!
Kirsten Gardner
Kirsten Gardner co-founded Outlier Journeys to expand traveler’s horizons. She works from a place of deep knowledge, crafting travel experiences that positively impact people and the planet. She believes travel can and should be a force for good, a beneficial and empathetic exchange between guest and host. And that travelers should leave slightly more than a footprint, in the form of a helpful handprint. Outlier Journeys partners directly with independent operators, lodge owners, and outfitters based within the countries where they plan travel to ensure that the majority of the client's travel dollars remain in the local economy and community.
Thank you again to wmnsWORK. We are so proud to be aligned with this impactful community and bringing more women to the spotlight in tourism.