Casey Hanisko (she/her) is the owner of Casey Hanisko LLC, an executive coaching and consulting business dedicated to helping women + purpose-driven travel executives be confident leaders, build profitable businesses and create healthy teams. She is the former president of the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) and has been an executive in the travel industry for over twenty-five years, spending 14 years at Zegrahm Expeditions, an outbound tour operator that operated education and conservation-focused tours around the globe. She is a speaker, workshop facilitator, writer, ICF ACC certified coach, and certified in delivering Everything DiSCTM and EQi.20 assessments. Trained in Brene Brown’s Dare to LeadTM, Moe Carrick’s Leading People ProgramTM (LPP), and the Pacific Institute’s Mindsetting for Well-Being and Performance, she uses these tools in her coaching and consulting approach. Casey believes in the power of values first, intentional leadership, with a strong mix of strategic planning. Casey coaches owners, leaders, and executives at SME tour operators, travel agencies, non-profits, and travel tech start-ups. A resident of Seattle, Washington, Casey explores the Pacific Northwest with her family and dogs, hiking, biking, paddle boarding, and adventuring. When not out and about or working with clients, she is an avid reader and dedicates time to a local non-profit, Washington Women's Foundation.

Amanda Kendle (she/her) is the host of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, a show aiming to encourage travel-lovers to be more mindful in their travels and covering topics like the personal benefits of travel, sustainability, ecotourism and the impact of travel on destinations. She lives in Perth, Western Australia and has spent time living and working in Asia and Europe. She also runs a social media and blogging consultancy business, offering training and coaching to small businesses and creatives.

Hyungjoon Jin (he/they) is an educator and curriculum developer whose work centers on justice, sustainability, and compassionate global citizenship. They support homeschool students through Global Village School, helping young people explore progressive education grounded in peace, equity, and ecological awareness. As part of the Institute for Humane Education, Hyungjoon is developing a course that brings the Solutionary Framework into practice, empowering both formal and informal educators to address systemic issues through critical thinking and action. Deeply committed to reimagining education and wellness, they are also creating an off-grid retreat and learning center in Guatemala that challenges the exploitative practices of the mainstream fitness and wellness industry. With a passion for ethical travel and a belief in its power to expand worldviews, Hyungjoon draws from their own international experiences to inspire thoughtful, responsible engagement with the world. Their work invites learners to become agents of meaningful change, both locally and globally.

Vincie Ho, Ph.D. (she/her) is the Founder and Executive Director of RISE Travel Institute, an award-winning 501(c)3 nonprofit with a mission to create a more just and equitable world through travel education. She also serves as a faculty member at Antioch University, teaching human rights for their graduate programs in humane education. A disruptor, nonprofit leader, seasoned educator and woman immigrant of color with a hearing disability, Vincie is dedicated to driving systems change and fostering a community of conscious travelers through creating space for critical and intersectional conversations on social, animal and environmental justices in travel and beyond. Vincie has been featured in the New York Times for her insights on sustainable travel. In recognition of her impactful work, she was nominated by industry peers and honored on TravelPulse's prestigious List of Most Influential Women in Travel for 2024.

Mary Pat Champeau (she/her) is the director of graduate programs at the Institute for Humane Education, and faculty at Antioch University New England. She has lived and worked in the US, France, Niger, Indonesia, and Thailand has learned firsthand the profound power of education to bring about change at all levels of global society, and to promote social justice, animal protection, and environmental sustainability. What better way to educate than to help others use their passion for travel to connect and improve the world? A leader in the solutionary movement, Mary Pat has joined RISE Travel Institute for all the ways in which RISE helps bring passion and purpose together in service of elevating the role of travel, and the traveler, in bringing about longterm, sustainable change.

Cathy Ji (she/her) is a software engineer and environmentalist with a passion for environmental justice, food justice, mental health advocacy, and travel. She previously led the LinkedIn New York office's "Go Green" sustainability group and served as Corporate Engagement chair for Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, an NYC-based nonprofit dedicated to reducing food waste and alleviating urban hunger. While earning her degree in computer engineering & computer science at the University of Southern California, Cathy was fortunate to have been able to travel extensively across the US for various technical opportunities, as well as across the world as part of her language and cultural studies. She has since become an avid proponent of slow travel and loves exploring new places and cultures by bus, bike, and train. Though she typically calls NYC home, she has been spending much of the pandemic exploring the US again (socially distanced, of course) in a camper van.

Christine Winebrenner Irick (she/her) is the founder of Lotus Sojourns and host of the award-winning Soul of Travel Podcast. Recognized as one of 2023’s Most Influential Women in Travel by Travel Pulse, Christine designs transformational journeys for women, partnering with local social impact projects and gender equity initiatives. Lotus Sojourns fosters meaningful connections and supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to gender equality, quality education, climate action, and good health and well-being. Her Soul of Travel Podcast celebrates women transforming the travel industry by sharing their compelling stories and exploring how mindful travel inspires personal growth and global change. In 2022, Wanderful honored her podcast with the Bessie Award for its dedication to empowering and representing women. Christine’s 25+ year career has solidified her belief in travel as a catalyst for self-discovery and global understanding. She has a Master of Tourism Administration from George Washington University, specializing in Sustainable Destination Management and Event Planning, and a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Montana. A girl mom, yogi, and avid reader, Christine blends her studies in Ayurveda, yoga, and Reiki with her passion for travel to create journeys that inspire women to connect deeply with themselves and the world. Whether exploring Montana’s mountains or recording conversations for her podcast, Christine is driven by a mission to empower women to live vibrant lives and embrace their value as members of a global community.

DeVere Kutscher (he/him) is a senior public affairs and communications executive with a passion for storytelling, coalition building, and community engagement. He brings a global perspective to his work, having lived, studied, and worked in Europe, Central America, and the Middle East. DeVere has held leadership roles in mission-driven organizations, including as Chief of Staff at the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and most recently as Vice President at BiasSync, where he led public engagement efforts and built strategic partnerships to mitigate unconscious bias in American workplaces. His career has focused on advancing equity, inclusive policy, and public-private collaboration to expand opportunities for Hispanic, LGBTQIA+, and immigrant communities among others. A lifelong advocate for cross-cultural communication, international understanding, and small business empowerment, DeVere is honored to support Rise Travel Institute’s mission. He lives near Washington, D.C. with his husband and their son, and they enjoy exploring the world together. DeVere holds an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management and a BA from Davidson College.

Inemesit “Ine” Williams (she/her) brings over two decades of international education experience to the RISE Travel Institute's Board of Directors. Her global perspective was shaped through living in Mexico as a teenager, studying abroad in Canada and Central America, working in China, and meeting people and learning various languages at home and during travels in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Transitioning from the science sector in 2004, Ine has led internationalization efforts in program advising, study abroad & exchange programs, and cultural programming. She entered the nonprofit sector and co-founded and co-chaired the Climate Action for International Educators (CANIE) Climate Justice Working Group (2020-2023), completed Climate Reality Leadership Corps training and mentor programs, and currently co-facilitates Carbon Literacy Certification at In Good Company. She also co-founded an educational consulting and vacation rental business in 2024. Splitting time between Arizona and North Carolina, Ine finds calm and balance in nature and is eager to integrate her various passions and experiences with RISE Travel Institute.

Lesly Aguilar Guzmán (she/her) is the founder and designer of Morena Collective, a socially conscious brand rooted in cultural preservation and fair trade. Born on the shores of Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, and proud of her Maya heritage, Lesly weaves identity, purpose, and tradition into her work. Through Morena Collective—named in honor of her brown skin and bold spirit—she creates ethical trade pathways that empower indigenous artisans while celebrating their ancestral techniques. With nearly 15 years in hospitality and tourism, Lesly has managed teams across nine Latin American countries. Her background in tourism and marketing, paired with international experience, brings valuable expertise to both her brand and leadership roles. Recently, she began hosting retreats that explore consensus travel, inviting participants to connect deeply with Guatemalan culture through ancestral Mayan practices. A passionate traveler, Lesly explores the world seeking authentic exchange, always guided by community, creativity, and cultural integrity.

Hazleena Hashim (she/her) is a tech strategist with a deep commitment to sustainable travel, equity, and systems-level change. With over a decade in the travel industry, she advises mission-driven organizations at the intersection of technology, regenerative tourism, and climate resilience. Hazleena brings a strong foundation in engineering and information systems, holding a degree in Electrical Engineering and a master’s in Business Information Systems. Her expertise lies in designing tech-enabled strategies that drive innovation while centering justice and sustainability. She has served on equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) advisory boards for a city in Boulder County and the University of Colorado Boulder, and volunteers as Strategy Officer for Rewildology. Originally from Malaysia and now based in Colorado, Hazleena is passionate about transforming the travel industry into a force for good — one that regenerates ecosystems, uplifts marginalized communities, and builds collective climate resilience.