Meet Your 2025 Speakers
Disclosure: This page contains some affiliate links. If you make a purchase after using one of these links, your hosts may receive a referral commission, at no additional cost to you.
Michelle Chang
Intentional Travelers
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Michelle teaches travelers easy ways to make use of the internet and smartphones to make sure they don’t miss out on better travel deals and experiences.
Michelle and her husband, Jedd, are Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, event producers, and travel bloggers with over 10 years experience living and working abroad as digital nomads in places like Tuscany, Lisbon, Paris, and Croatia.
She authored a guide to Unconventional Budget Accommodations and runs the Intentional Travelers Toolkit Membership.
Host | Your Essential Smartphone Savvy Travel Checklist
Jedd Chang
Intentional Travelers
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Growing up in Hawaii, Jedd first started traveling internationally when he married Michelle in 2008, and he hasn’t looked back.
With a background in conference events and communications, this natural extrovert, technology buff, and big dreamer is rarely sitting still.
He loves to research travel gear, help family members get familiar with tech, and work in the garden.
Co-Host
Angela Laws
Trusted Housesitters
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Angela Laws has been housesitting for well over a decade with more than 200 pet-sits under her belt. A British immigrant to Canada, she's also lived in Bombay, North Africa, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand. Combining her love of animals with travel, she is the Head of Community at Trusted Housesitters, a platform for hosts and house-sitters around the world.
A Beginner's Guide to Housesitting in Europe
Beth Santos
Wanderful
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Beth Santos is on a mission to make travel better for women worldwide. She's the Founder and CEO of Wanderful, a global media company and international membership community for women travelers.
Beth founded the first major outdoor travel festival for women, Wanderfest; the Bessie Awards to honor women and gender-diverse people of impact in travel; and The WITS Travel Creator Summit. Named by Business Insider as a changemaker in travel and by Conde Nast Traveler as one of 12 inspiring people in travel to follow, she's a proud Portuguese-American, a military spouse, mom of three kids, host of the 85 Percent podcast, and author of the book Wander Woman.
The Power of Solo Travel
John Cortese
Tripiamo
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John Cortese is an avid traveler living in NYC who's been to over 50 countries. A former lead for Fortune-500 travel platforms, he founded Tripiamo to provide best-in-class, comprehensive, interactive self-driving guides that help travelers adventure safely.
What to Know Before Self-driving in Europe
Julie Dawn Fox
Julie Dawn Fox in Portugal
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Julie Dawn Fox is a seasoned travel expert and founder of Julie Dawn Fox in Portugal, a travel blog and consultancy that empowers independent travelers to plan unforgettable trips to Portugal.
With over 17 years experience of living and traveling in Portugal, she offers itinerary design and travel consultancy services, practical travel guides, DIY itineraries and self-guided walking tours.
Julie also collaborates with a network of trusted local partners to provide tours and travel services tailored to her clients' needs.
Through her award-winning blog, Julie shares insider information about Portugal's culture, history, hiking, and culinary experiences, helping mature, culturally-curious travelers discover off-the-beaten-path destinations and authentic experiences as well as iconic landmarks and vibrant cities. With a passion for the outdoors, small towns and sustainable travel, Julie’s practical and approachable style enables DIY travelers to enjoy enriching, authentic journeys across Portugal, with a perfect balance of flexibility and expert guidance.
How To Plan a Successful DIY Road Trip In Europe
Lauren Aloise
Devour Tours
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Lauren Aloise is a trained chef, blogger, and co-founder of Devour Tours. A Massachusetts native, she studied Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. After graduation, Lauren moved to Spain in 2009 to teach English, but really she was interested in exploring the country’s amazing cuisine.
In 2012, Lauren started her first food tours as a way to support struggling small business owners in Madrid’s markets. During the last 12 years, Devour Tours has grown into an award-winning tour company offering food tours and cooking classes in Europe and North America.
The Devour Tours mission is to connect curious travelers to small, family-run food businesses and to share each city's unique gastronomy and local history with visitors. Devour aims to help local culture thrive, and their expert guides give guests an insider’s perspective of each city, complete with the story of what we’re eating and why.In 2021, Devour was acquired by a major US-based travel group City Experiences and joined forces with Walks Tours on a shared mission to create amazing experiences for travelers.
How to Tap into Local Knowledge in New Destinations
Megan Johnston
Daily Drop
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Megan Johnston is an avid traveler and miles and points travel hacker who has visited over 28 countries and earned over one million miles.
She's the Community Manager and podcast co-host at Daily Drop, an online resource helping travelers maximize travel credit cards, use miles and points, and see the world for cheap—or even free.
6 Sweet Spots to Help You Get to Europe for Almost As Good As Free
Abigail King
Inside the Travel Lab
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Abigail King is an award-winning writer and broadcaster who has collaborated with organisations like the BBC, UNESCO, the EU, and NASA. Founder of Inside the Travel Lab, her work has been recognised by National Geographic Traveler and Lonely Planet as among the best in the world. As Head of Digital at Bradt Travel Guides, she oversees digital strategy for the leading independent travel publisher. Abigail has broadcast live for Lonely Planet over 50 times in 15 countries, exploring unique destinations from the Palace of Versailles to the Arctic Circle. She has also spoken on sustainable tourism at the EU-China Summit at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.
Mapping Your Perfect European Adventure: A Step-by-Step Trip Planning Timeline
Alyssa Padgett
Heath & Alyssa
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Alyssa Padgett is a traveler and author best known for her best-selling book, A Beginner’s Guide to Living in an RV, and her latest book, RVing Across America.
In addition to writing books, Alyssa is a travel blogger and film producer. She directed and produced Hourly America, a documentary film about her 50 state honeymoon, that was featured on CBS, CNN, Fox, People, Yahoo, Huffington Post, and more.
She currently is traveling full-time around the globe with her husband and two kids.
RVing in Europe
Amanda Kendle
The Thoughtful Travel Podcast
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Amanda Kendle has hosted The Thoughtful Travel Podcast since 2016, speaking with hundreds of guests about how their travel experiences have helped them become better people and helped the world at the same time. She presented a live podcasting recording at the inaugural SXSW conference in Sydney and regularly speaks to a wide variety of audiences. She lives in Perth, Western Australia, where she continues to write travel stories, teach workshops to tourism businesses in social media topics, and plan more ways to experience the world with her teenage son.
How to Plan a More Thoughtful Trip
Amena Bakali
Hassan on Holiday
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Amena Bakali is an award travel coach, travel content creator, and family travel enthusiast! She's been using points and miles to travel the world with her family for the last 7 years with the goal of experiencing more, while spending less. She educates her community on how to leverage your everyday expenses to earn points and miles, to significantly reduce expenses and travel better.
How To Use Award Travel To Experience More While Spending Less
Annie Sisson
Explorer Annie
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Annie is a multi-passionate entrepreneur and storyteller. She combines her passions for travel, education, and personal development to help others explore in fun and meaningful ways. As a Travel Planner & Consultant, she helps indie travelers see the world on their own terms, without big bus tours, cruise ships, or all-inclusive resorts. She also helps her fellow multi-passionate humans get clear on what they want next and map their path forward in life and business. When she’s not out exploring, you’ll likely find her in the forests near her adopted hometown of Olympia, Washington, with her tree friends.
How to Choose the Accommodation That's Right For You!
Brad and Sheila Crow
Travel with the Crows
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Brad and Sheila are the creators of Travel with the Crows. They have traveled to over 45 countries across 6 continents and are committed to sharing their years of knowledge, experience, and passion for traveling the world. When they are not traveling, the Crows can be found in Oklahoma City or Palm Springs.
Savvy Financial Tips for Europe Travel
Candice Kalb
Chasing Candice
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Candice Kalb, founder of Chasing Candice, is a travel and lifestyle content creator passionate about intentional travel, sustainability, and van life. With a focus on slow travel, she highlights eco-conscious adventures, cultural respect, and personal growth through immersive experiences. Her platform combines stunning photography, engaging travel stories, and practical tips for mindful exploration. Through her work, Candice inspires others to explore the world with purpose and environmental responsibility, showcasing the beauty of both the outdoors and intentional living.
Mindful Journeys: Crafting Conscious Itineraries for a Deeper Connection
Cate Brubaker
My Germany Vacation
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Cate is the co-founder of MyGermanyVacation.com (with her husband, Aaron), where she helps travelers plan unforgettable trips to Germany and beyond.
Having lived in Germany and worked as a German professor in the U.S., Cate combines her deep knowledge of Germany with her passion for travel to offer expert guidance, insider tips, and practical tools to make trip planning easy and enjoyable.
Panelist
Claire Sturzaker
Tales of a Backpacker
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A full-time digital nomad since 2015, Claire quit her office job to go backpacking solo around South America and knew she could never go back. In the past 9 years, she has found the best ways to travel around the world on a budget - from living in a van to working in a hostel, and everything in between!
Through her blog Tales of a Backpacker, Claire helps travellers explore the world without breaking the bank, showing them that the best food, drink, and cultural experiences in a destination don’t have to cost the earth.
Claire specializes in Europe and Latin America destinations, and also runs a second site Why Visit Barcelona which helps visitors discover the best of Barcelona in a sustainable way.
How to Use Work Exchanges to Travel Deeper (and Cheaper!)
Erica Forrest
Trip Scholars
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Erica Forrest is a travel education consultant, published author, and founder of Trip Scholars. With over 30 years in education and rich personal travel experiences, she helps curious travelers make their trips more meaningful with her LEARN Through Travel Program. Erica has been featured in Wander, Buzzfeed, Apartment Therapy, Best Life, and NPR. As a certified travel coach, Wanderful chapter director, and former school director, she empowers others to deepen their understanding of the world through joyful and skillful travel planning.
Walk in Their Footsteps: Planning Your Heritage Trip to Europe
Geleen Antonio
Travel Not to Escape
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Geleen Antonio, a passionate global traveler, and passionate solo travel confidence and connection specialists who focuses on helping people achieve transformational personal growth through solo travel. She is the host of the Travel Not to Escape Podcast and founder of Passport to Connection, an AI-powered platform that uses neuroscience to connect people with communities and resources worldwide, fostering meaningful relationships and empowering personal growth.
The Secret to Making Meaningful Friendships While Traveling
Jessica Marchi
The Wander Word
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Jess is the founder of The Wander Word, a unique travel brand that focuses on authentic experiences and divests from corporate, large scale travel. After teaching Italian in high schools for 12 years, she left the profession to focus on travel as a way to overcome stereotypes, connect humanity, and increase empathy and cultural awareness.
Discovering Southern Italy > Cultural Competency: Our Responsibility as Travelers
Jordan Campbell
Global Debauchery
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Jordan Campbell is an off-beat flashpacker with an appreciation for tasty beverages... and the creator behind Global Debauchery. She's traveled to 70 countries and all 50 states, and absolutely LIVES to help people travel deeper. You might know her from The Travel & Adventure Show, the WITS Travel Creator Summit, The Nomadic Network, Camp Indie, or Wanderful.
Beyond Selfie Stick Tourism: Tips for Creating Off-beat Itineraries
Karen Gershowitz
Travel Writer
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Karen Gershowitz has had two travel books published (She Writes Press) and is working on a third.
Travel Mania: Stories of Wanderlust explores the confluence of travel and life events and how travel has changed her beliefs and life direction.
Wanderlust: Extraordinary People, Quirky People, and Curious Cuisine, continues those stories with a focus on people, places and food.
She is a regular contributor to JourneyWoman, a publication for solo women travelers over age 50. Karen has spoken at the Ethical Culture Society of New York, The Center for Living and Learning, and is a regular presenter for Score NYC. She has appeared as a guest on more than twenty podcasts.
Fearless Travel -- Making Travel Fun, Even If You Have a Disability or Mobility Issues
Kris & Tom
Travel Past 50
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Kristin Henning and Tom Bartel, former publishers of newspapers and magazines in Minneapolis, MN, turned to world travel in 2010. Since then, they've visited some 80 countries and seven continents. Their award-winning blog, TravelPast50.com, has been recognized for excellence in photography and travel journalism, and they are regular contributors to other radio reports and lifestyle publications.
Since 2019, Travel Past 50 has offered branded small group tours focusing on active travel and historic and culturally significant sites.
TravelPast50.com presents travel stories, photos, and practical tips for active travelers over age 50.
Packing Light for Europe
Kristin Montgomery
Growing Global Citizens
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Kristin is an American teacher and travel lover who has lived all over the world while working in international schools. Her passion is sharing other cultures with others and helping them become more global-minded. She is currently living in Stuttgart, Germany and enjoying exploring all of the castles and Christmas markets in the region.
Safety/Avoiding Scams
Malia Yoshioka
Shoyu Sugar
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Malia Yoshioka is a freelance food & travel writer and ESL Tutor from Hawaii, currently based in Istanbul. She's traveled to 43 countries and learned Turkish through her interest in Turkish food, recipes and culinary traditions.
Over the past seven years, she's also helped thousands of ESL students to build confidence in their language skills and to bring more language practice naturally into their daily lives.
Jumpstart your European Adventure: Your Language Journey Begins at Home
Renée Hannes
Dream Plan Experience
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With over 35 years of European travel experience, Renee Hannes is a dedicated specialist focusing on France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Spain.
A passionate advocate for slow travel, Renée has extensively explored these countries, uncovering hidden gems and authentic experiences. Having lived in Germany twice, she brings a deep understanding of European cultures and can craft personalized itineraries tailored to those seeking immersive holidays.
Through her customized services and luxury retreats, she helps travelers savor every moment of their European trips, fostering deep cultural connections and unforgettable memories.
Slow Travel Destinations in Europe: Where to Go and Why
Robin DeGracia
Around the World with Kids
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Robin DeGracia, founder of Around the World with Kids, did her first international trip at 10 months old, to visit her mother’s homeland of Honduras, and has refused to stop traveling since. With her husband and two kids in tow, she travels near and far and shares tips on traveling with kids, how to save on travel, and detailed destination guides.
Robin is a working professional with her own marketing and strategy consulting firm providing flexibility to take the family on adventures from their home base in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Mutli-Generational Travel: Plan Your Vacation with Your Adult Children and Grandchildren
Sahara Rose De Vore
The Travel Coach Network
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Sahara Rose De Vore is the Founder and CEO of The Travel Coach Network, a global community of travel coaches.
Sahara went from broke college student to traveling to 84 countries solo to trailblazing a new path in the travel industry. This led her to creating the world's first and only ICF accredited certification program for travel coaches.
Sahara is a published author, global speaker, TEDx speaker, and has been in over 200 media outlets for her travel and business expertise including Forbes, Travel Weekly, Conde Nast Traveler, TripAdvisor, CNBC, WISN-12, and CNN Travel. Sahara was named one of 2023’s Most Influential Women in Travel by TravelPulse.
Panelist
Poor In A Private Plane
Taima Ramsey
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Taima, a Native New Yorker and travel expert, shows everyday travelers how to explore the world affordably without sacrificing high-quality experiences.
As the founder of Poor in a Private Plane, she inspires her audience with actionable tips, destination guides, and savings strategies, proving that luxury travel doesn’t require a luxury budget.
With years of experience balancing a 9-to-5 career and travel, Taima has built a loyal community of travelers eager to maximize their time and money.
5 Google Flights Tricks You’re Not Using (But Should Be)
UK Travel Planning
Tracy & Doug Collins
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Having worked on the UK rail network for over 25 years, Doug travelled on nearly every train line across the country many times over. Train itineraries and railway travel tips are one of their specialities!
Navigating trains across UK and Europe
Our Europe Destination Experts
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CATE BRUBAKER
MYGERMANYVACATION.COM
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TONY GÁLVEZ
ROADTRIPSPAINANDPORTUGAL.COM
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TRACY M. COLLINS
UKTRAVELPLANNING.COM
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BABS RODRIGUS
NEXTSTOPBELGIUM.COM
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KATY CLARKE
UNTOLDITALY.COM
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JULIE DAWN FOX
JULIEDAWNFOXINPORTUGAL.COM
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MORE TO COME...
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Disclosure: This page contains some affiliate links. If you make a purchase after using one of these links, your hosts may receive a referral commission, at no additional cost to you, which helps keep this event free to the public.
