WAVES4dev

I want to use surfing to make the world a better place. As the executive director to WAVES for Development, I am helping coastal communities connect surfing and sustainable development though Educational Surf programs for local youth and Surf Voluntourism programs for visiting travellers.
Peru is an amazing country that's rich in terms of resources, culture, and history. From the Amazon jungle, to Machu Picchu and its Inca heritage, to its spectacular beaches and world-class surfing; Peru has a long list of attractions making it a tourist destination. However, it is also a country with an imbalance of wealth and opportunities; a handful of "Haves" and a nation of "Have-nots." After living and working there for three years with the Peace Corps, I have grown a deep and lasting connection with Peru and feel I have something special to offer its people, its environment and its surf industry.
WAVES believes surf travel should benefit the people and communities where it happens, and its mission is to empower youth so that they can create social enterprises related to the surf industry. This is executed via our Surf Programs, which create opportunities for educating individuals, conserving the environment, and enjoying life and local resources.
My education includes a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Colorado State University and a Masters of Science in Organizational Management from the School for International Training. As a Peace Corps volunteer and coordinator, I lived in Peru for three years and researched, wrote and presented feasibility plans for “coffee tourism” and “adventure conservation”- adventure-service tourism initiatives; I also analyzed and revised the environmental project framework and the reporting format, as well as, trained incoming volunteers. I worked with ProNaturaleza, the Peruvian Foundation for the Conservation of Nature, to support the development of community-based voluntourism programs, and managed www.AdventureServiceTourism.com, promoting programs in Peru and Ecuador. Additionally, I'm a member of Xola Consulting, which provides business consulting services for the Adventure Travel Industry.