I didn’t choose tourism education. It chose me in a wonderfully chaotic, totally unexpected, and perfectly timed sort of way.

This story doesn’t begin with a five-year plan. It starts with curiosity. A relentless, joyful curiosity that asked too many questions at industry conferences, geeked out over onboarding processes, and stayed up too late trying to reverse-engineer what made some training programs click while others collected dust.

Somewhere between planning marketing strategies, hosting podcast interviews, and teaching tourism professionals how to inspire guests, I realized something:
I wasn’t just working in tourism—I was designing how people learned it.

And once that realization hit, there was no turning back.

From Curiosity to Calling

Back then, I didn’t know what instructional design meant. I didn’t know about adult education models or the science behind motivation and memory retention. What I did know was that our industry was struggling to connect the dots between knowledge and action. Passion and performance. Training and transformation.

Tourism needed a new way to teach—and I knew I could help build it.

So I followed the rabbit hole of research. I studied organizational psychology, learning science, and behavioral economics. I earned certifications from institutions like Harvard Business School and the University of South Florida. I joined the Association for Talent Development and built bridges between tourism professionals and the methods used by Fortune 500 training leaders.

It wasn’t about chasing titles. It was about chasing better.

Better systems. Better engagement. Better results.

Why This Makes Me the Right CEO for Learn Tourism

Learn Tourism the nonprofit academy wasn’t born in a boardroom. It was built in the field, between conference breakout sessions, one-on-one coffee chats, and countless conversations with destination leaders, frontline workers, and travel planners.

I’ve been in their shoes, seen the gaps, felt the frustration of outdated systems, and experienced underwhelming learning.

And that’s why I lead with empathy—and with experience.

As CEO, I bring a blend of practitioner insight, academic rigor, and creative grit. I’m just as comfortable designing a learning experience as I am negotiating partnerships, guiding our tech roadmap, or facilitating workshops on community engagement.

Because I didn’t fall into leadership, I grew into it. From curiosity to credibility, from confusion to clarity.

That’s the kind of leadership this moment—and this industry—deserves.

Why I Speak at Conferences (and Always Stick Around for Q&A)

Tourism is nothing without connection. And there’s nothing more energizing than sharing real, raw stories with fellow tourism professionals who are hungry to grow.

When I speak, I don’t just share what worked. I share what flopped. I share the late nights, the lightbulb moments, the data that surprised us, and the wins that still give me goosebumps.

Whether I’m speaking on instructional design, building an inclusive tourism workforce, or reimagining what “ambassador training” can be, my goal is the same: make learning fun, memorable, practical, and deeply human.

I’ve had the honor of keynoting conferences, leading panels, and facilitating workshops across the globe. Each stage reminds me why storytelling matters, why questions matter, and why we must keep learning if we want to keep leading.

Why I’m a Trusted Trainer and Collaborator

I’ve worked with everyone from 2-person DMOs to national tourism boards and Fortune 500 travel brands. I’ve collaborated with behavioral scientists, tech developers, DEI consultants, educators, and entrepreneurs.

And I’ve learned that real transformation happens together.

Training isn’t a one-way street. It’s a conversation. A collaboration. A co-creation of knowledge that sticks and spreads.

That’s why Learn Tourism works: We build with our clients, not just for them. Whether it’s our multilingual online courses, real-time dashboards, storytelling modules, or DIY marketing programs, we listen, we adapt, and we deliver.

As a trainer, I’ve helped over 30,000 learners feel more confident, connected, and capable in their roles. As a collaborator, I bring curiosity, flexibility, and a deep respect for every voice in the room.

From Falling to Flying

They say you never really know where you’ll land when you leap. But I know this:

Every time I’ve slipped into new fields, unfamiliar tools, or surprising partnerships, I’ve landed closer to purpose.

I didn’t plan to become a learning and development strategist. I didn’t map out a path to CEO. But now that I’m here, I can see how every step—intentional or not—prepared me to lead Learn Tourism into its next chapter.

To speak. To train. To design. To grow.

Because when you fall into the right work, you don’t just get up—you fly.

About Learn Tourism the nonprofit academy...

Learn Tourism is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the tourism industry through innovative educational practices and professional development initiatives. Our mission is to harness the power of science, business psychology, and adult education to build sustainable economies and enrich the tourism landscape.