Our Team
Meet Our PVC Team Comprised of Board of Directors, Interns, and Volunteers
Marinel M. de Jesus, Esq.
PVC Founder, Co-Founder of Himalayan Women Trail Leaders
Marinel is a Filipina American whose journey of navigating a colonized identity led her from a civil rights law career in Washington, D.C., to becoming a global mountain nomad and founder of the Porter Voice Collective. After years advocating for social justice in the courtroom, she found a deeper calling on the trails of the Andes, Himalayas, and Kilimanjaro, where she witnessed the inequities faced not only by porters but also by guides—especially women guides—whose labor and leadership sustain the trekking tourism industry. Carrying both her lived experience as a brown Filipina immigrant who once felt pressure to assimilate and her enduring commitment to justice, Marinel now works to decolonize mountain tourism by amplifying porter voices, supporting guides, advancing labor equity, and centering the stories of those historically overlooked. To learn more about her journey and the origins of this movement, visit Our Story.
PVC is made possible through international collaborations with friends and allies of the mountain tourism workforce—filmmakers, writers, journalists, content creators, trekking operators, guides, lawyers, advocates, activists, researchers, anthropologists, historians, human rights organizations, and many others committed to listening to, celebrating, and elevating the mountain tourism workforce. Through the power of grassroots efforts, volunteering and digital storytelling, we advocate for the rights of those who carry, guide, support, and sustain mountain tourism, while educating tourists so they, too, can champion equitable treatment across the industry. We believe every member of the mountain tourism workforce has the right to dignity, respect, and safe working conditions, and that tourists deserve an honest and truly ethical form of tourism rooted in workforce equity.
Will you be a part of us too?
BOARD MEMBERS
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Board Member
Sara Frenning is a human ecologist, researcher, and storyteller passionate about social and environmental justice.
She first joined Porter Voice Collective as an intern and later as a researcher/campaign coordinator, helping to amplify the voices of Nepali mountain workers and advocate for fair and ethical trekking practices.
With a Master’s degree in Human Ecology from Lund University, Sara’s research explores the intersections of labour, colonial legacies, and sustainability in Nepal’s mountain tourism industry.
She now combines her background in communications and advocacy to support initiatives that centre equity, dignity, and local leadership in outdoor and environmental spaces.
As an avid practitioner of outdoor sports herself, she is passionate about seeing the outdoor sports world develop into a more equitable and inclusive space.
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Sherpa Board Member & Co-Founder, Himalayan Women Trail Leaders
Mingmar was born in a beautiful village in Solukhumbu, where the Himalayas are not just mountains but a way of life. She took her first step into trekking by training as a licensed trekking guide at Nepal Mountain Academy in 2019, and soon guiding became not just a part-time job, but a passion. She completed introductory rock climbing in 2021, basic rescue training in 2022 with NMIA, and most recently, advanced ice climbing courses at the Khumbu Climbing Center.
In 2024, she took on one of the biggest challenges of her guiding career—the nontechnical Great Himalayan Trail. Her goal was not just to walk the trail, but to prove that women can lead long-distance treks across Nepal. Over 110 days, she crossed valleys, rivers, forests, and passes, connecting the east to the central regions of Nepal leading groups in different regions of Nepal as a part of the GHT Women Leaders Initiative. This project was made possible with the support of PVC and Equity Global Treks.
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Board Member & Secretary/Researcher & Public Relations Himalayan Women Trail LeadersSophie Huss-Llenos (she/her) is a settler guest born on Turtle Island and lives near Waawiyaatanong, the area now known as Detroit, Michigan, USA. She is an Earth-lover, wife, and cat mom who enjoys spending time outdoors. Professionally, Sophie is a PhD candidate in the Geocognition Research Lab at Michigan State University.
Her current dissertation work involves building capacity for ethical engagement with and between diverse stakeholders and rightsholders in mining spaces using community-based approaches. Sophie also serves as a Community Science Fellow with the American Geophysical Union’s Thriving Earth Exchange program and enjoys volunteering with several other environmental justice and outdoor recreation-oriented organizations.
As an outdoor recreator, she is passionate about PVC’s mission to advocate for the human rights of porters and create workforce equity tourism in the trekking industry worldwide. This passion grew exponentially after trekking to Chomolungma (so-called ‘Everest’) Base Camp as part of the Himalaya Trail Women Trail Leaders Campaign. She hopes to leverage this experience and her skills to continue to support ongoing PVC efforts in this space. As a professional and whole person, Sophie always tries to center values of loving-kindness, reciprocity, individual and collective well-being, and transparency in all she does.
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Advisory Board Member & Grants/Fundraising Committee Chair
Marina is an international development professional and program manager passionate about equity and the power of community-centered approaches to create lasting change.
With over a decade of experience leading social impact initiatives across the Middle East and North Africa, Latin America, and Sub-Saharan Africa, her work has spanned early childhood development, humanitarian response, heritage preservation, and nonprofit partnerships. She also volunteers in contracts and compliance with a global microfinance organization, supporting equitable economic development at the grassroots level.
A growing interest in sustainable and equitable tourism drew Marina to PVC's mission. She is committed to ensuring that the people who make transformative outdoor experiences possible are treated with the dignity, fairness, and respect they deserve, and she hopes to bring her expertise in program management, stakeholder engagement, and resource mobilization to support PVC's ongoing efforts.
In her personal life, Marina loves to travel and plan trips for others, cook and try new recipes, and is a devoted admirer of all things camel.
CURRENT VOLUNTEERS
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Researcher in Tourism Resilience and Gender Equity
Oumayma Hilal (she/her) is a Moroccan researcher, educator, and advocate for community-based and gender-inclusive tourism. She is currently a Fulbright Research Scholar at Arizona State University and a PhD candidate in Community-Based Tourism Frameworks at ENCG Fès, Morocco. Her research focuses on how communities in the High Atlas Mountains rebuild after the 2023 earthquake through responsible and women-led tourism initiatives.
Professionally, Oumayma works with G Adventures as a Tour Staff Coordinator for the MENA region, supporting more than seventy local tour leaders and collaborating with NGOs such as Planeterra and Equality in Tourism to develop community-driven travel projects.
As a volunteer with the Porter Voice Collective, she aims to help women tour leaders and porters strengthen their leadership, communication, and empowerment skills across global trekking communities. She believes that promoting gender equity within tourism is essential to creating fairer, more resilient, and more compassionate travel economies.
Guided by values of solidarity, reciprocity, and empowerment, Oumayma hopes to bridge perspectives between Morocco, the MENA region, and the world.
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Video Editor, Social Media Collaborator, Community Fundraiser
Darlene Lin (she/her) is a Chinese-Taiwanese American visual artist, storyteller, and content creator passionate about earth-based collectivist wisdom; bridging intercultural communities and perspectives in the world.
Always eager to learn and deepen her relationships across the globe with land and people–she is focused on building virtual and physical spaces in ways that serve cross-cultural knowledge building, spiritual/emotional healing, and resource-sharing.
She finds fulfillment in serving projects related to Earth, indigenous stories, and stewardship.
Darlene is currently nomadic and based between Nepal, Taiwan, and the U.S.
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Field Researcher & Videographer, Nepal
Amrit Tamang is a Nepalese-American researcher, storyteller, and advocate working with Indigenous and ethnic porters in Nepal’s Himalayas. His research is part of his doctoral studies in anthropology at the University of British Columbia and focuses on the everyday experiences of mountain workers in Nepal’s adventure tourism, particularly his own Tamang community.
Through mediums such as ethnography, visual storytelling, and collaborative research, he explores how the global demand for adventure tourism shapes, informs, and imagines local labour, mobilities, and Indigeneity in the Himalayan region. His work is funded by the 2025 Fulbright–National Geographic Explorer Award.
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Podcast Development & Script Writing
Dr Shivam Bhartiya is an expert with more than 13 years of experience in Tourism Management. Prior to taking up the current role at the JAIN (deemed-to-be) University, Bengaluru, Karnataka, Dr. Bhartiya served at Central University of Karnataka, GD Goenka University, and Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal Central University as an Assistant Professor. He holds a PhD in Tourism Management with expertise in community development, destination planning and management, tourism and gender, tourism marketing and tourism psychology.
He is a member of Scientific Committees at different Universities at Turkey, Mexico, United States, United Kingdom, Greece among others. He published more than 18 Scopus Indexed Books, 25 Scopus Indexed Research Papers and also delivered several keynote lectures and guest lectures at various International and National Universities. He is also an editorial board member of various Scopus Indexed International journals.
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Researcher, Gender Equity & Labor in Tourism
Yundi is a recent graduate with a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University and holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Hindi Language and Literature. She aspires to contribute to evidence-based policymaking and meaningful social impact. She has experience working as a research assistant for universities and policy think tanks, where she conducted comprehensive research, translated findings into accessible insights, and supported administrative and outreach efforts. She has also worked as a consultant assistant, focusing on problem diagnosis and strategic planning through industry analysis and stakeholder interviews. Her academic and professional work has centered on gender inequality, social welfare, and education. Her primary interests lie at the intersection of human capital, labor markets, and social mobility.
Yundi is drawn to the Porter Voice Collective’s mission to advance workforce equity in mountain tourism and to amplify the voices of porters and guides whose labor is often invisible or undervalued. She views mountain tourism as a field where labor equity, environmental sustainability, and community well-being are deeply interconnected. Her academic background also informs her strong interest in gender issues in South Asia and a global perspective.
At PVC, Yundi hopes to contribute to supporting research and fundraising initiatives. Her work includes conducting research on topics central to PVC’s mission, such as labor, community, and gender equity in mountain regions, translating research findings into accessible formats, and reviewing and evaluating potential fundraising opportunities. Through her work, she hopes to deepen her understanding of workforce equity challenges affecting local communities, particularly women in Himalayan regions and historically marginalized workers in mountain tourism.
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Communications & Program Support
Jowita is a final-year International Media and Communication student, currently completing her second bachelor’s degree in the media field. Having worked and lived in Belgium, France, and Malta, she brings an international perspective to her storytelling. She is passionate about creating authentic, real-life narratives that highlight social issues and human experiences. Jowita believes that the most powerful stories are those shaped by real experiences and that sharing them can deeply connect and move audiences.
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HWTL Program Support / Editor
Annick Sansoni is a French and Sri Lankan national, bilingual in English and French. She is primarily based in France, with a career spanning law, sustainable development, education, and ethical business. With a strong background in partnership development, project management, and capacity-building, she has led and supported initiatives across Europe, South Asia, Africa and North America.
Currently Partnership Lead at Community Homestay Network, Annick develops long-term partnerships with travel companies to promote responsible and community-based tourism in Nepal. She brings over 20 years of experience in mentoring, training, and leadership development, working with diverse audiences from primary education to professional and vocational settings.
Her career includes senior roles in NGOs and social enterprises, founding and managing a fair-trade company and a non-profit organization, as well as earlier positions as in-house legal counsel for major international corporations. Known for her empathetic, hands-on approach and strong strategic vision, Annick is deeply committed to sustainability, social impact, and cross-cultural collaboration.
Mother of three adult sons, Annick now embraces a nomadic lifestyle, moving through Europe in a campervan and making herself available for long-term commitments in Nepal and Sri Lanka. She is committed to supporting sustainable ventures that build shared expertise, empower communities and protect our Earth.
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Social Media & Program Support
Georgina currently lives in Ghana. She supports The Porter Voice Collective as a social media volunteer and content creator. Her role focuses on creating engaging and meaningful content that amplifies the voices of porters, mountain workers, and women trail leaders while promoting dignity and workforce equity within the trekking industry.
She assists in researching relevant topics, trends and stories to help create informative and impactful content aligned with the organization's mission. She also contributes to editing short-form video and visual content designed to educate audiences, increase awareness and encourage community engagement and across social media platforms.
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Monitoring, Evaluation & Impact Analyst
Originally from the Philippines, Reginald has built an international career across business analytics, digital project management, research, and education. His work has focused on helping organizations make informed decisions by transforming complex data into meaningful insights and actionable recommendations.
He also volunteers as a Research Assistant with the Evidentia Institute of Knowledge Synthesis, where he contributes to systematic literature reviews, study screening, data extraction, and evidence synthesis. His research background, together with a Master’s degree in Digital Marketing from the University of Brighton, has strengthened his interest in using data and evidence to evaluate programmes and communicate impact.
PVC’s commitment to advancing women’s leadership and creating more equitable opportunities in mountain tourism strongly resonates with Reginald. He believes that meaningful change is supported not only through compelling stories but also through evidence that demonstrates the value and impact of those initiatives.
At The Porter Voice Collective, Reginald supports monitoring, evaluation, and impact analysis for the Porter Voices Podcast and the Himalayan Women Trail Leaders Initiative, helping transform data into insights that strengthen programmes, support reporting, and amplify the organisation’s impact.
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Grants & Fundraising Committee
David Brickey Bloomer is a humanitarian and development leader with over 20 years of experience across Asia-Pacific, specializing in child protection response and prevention, gender equality, community-based approaches, emergency preparedness, anticipatory action, climate resilience, and strategic program design. He has worked in some of the most complex humanitarian crises of the past two decades, including in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and the Philippines.
Based in Singapore, he has directed and advised humanitarian portfolios exceeding USD 100 million annually, securing and managing multi-million-dollar awards from donors including BHA, PRM, UNICEF, ECHO, EU, and SIDA.
He has held senior regional and country-level roles with Save the Children and other international organizations, leading responses to conflict, displacement, and climate-induced crises in 19 countries. David brings deep expertise in child protection in humanitarian action—spanning case management, mental health and psychosocial support, prevention of violence against children, and integrated approaches linking protection with education, health, livelihoods, WASH, shelter, and climate adaptation.
A recognized thought leader in values-driven humanitarian action, he has contributed to global guidance on case management, prevention, centrality of protection, and children in armed conflict, as well as advocacy platforms including Born Into Climate Crisis, the Child Protection Climate Change Programmatic Offer, and the World Meteorological Organization’s State of Climate Services 2024. He is also a seasoned mentor, supporting the professional development of emerging humanitarian leaders through global learning programs and ASEAN disaster management trainings.
David holds an MA in International Policy and Public Administration and a Graduate Certificate in Humanitarian Leadership. Beyond his professional work, David is a keenflâneur and passionate humanitarian storyteller and poet. Having lived and worked in Nepal in the early 2000s—and trekked to both Annapurna and Sagarmatha base camps—he is deeply connected to mountain communities and committed to amplifying their voices. He champions locally led protection, gender, and inclusion initiatives, with leadership grounded in empathy, foresight, and a lifelong dedication to justice, dignity, and inclusive impact.
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Marketing
Originally from the Boston area, Meredith has developed a global perspective through years of working abroad and traveling across six continents. For the past 20 years, she has worked in the travel sector with a focus on conservation, community impact, and sustainable tourism.
Her firsthand experience trekking in Peru, Tanzania, and Nepal deepens her understanding of the challenges porters face and the importance of equitable treatment.
PVC’s commitment to workforce equity for porters in these three countries aligns with her personal values and allows her to pair her creative marketing background with responsible, justice-driven tourism.
Creating platforms where digital storytelling advocates for porters’ rights and educates travelers so they, too, can champion fair and ethical treatment.
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Communications & Program Support, Himalayan Women Trail Leaders
Aishwarya is an architect and urban designer working at the intersection of grassroots development and ecotourism. In the past 7 years, she has led community-driven initiatives across rural India, designing self-sustaining ecotourism villages and building tourism networks rooted in local culture and livelihoods. She has worked on climate-resilient economies, integrating eco-entrepreneurship and green technologies across India and Nepal. Her work focuses on stakeholder collaboration, livelihood generation, and sustainable tourism models.
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Researcher & Fundraising
Amulya, a researcher at Porter’s Voice Collective (PVC), applies her expertise in market research, behavioral insights, and strategic analysis to support the organization’s mission of driving equitable change within the global trekking industry.
She contributes by developing research-led frameworks that uncover systemic challenges faced by porters, translating insights into compelling narratives and actionable strategies. Through her work, she helps bridge the gap between data, storytelling, and advocacy—ensuring that the lived experiences of porters are not only understood but meaningfully represented.
Amulya believes PVC’s work is powerful because it leverages digital storytelling and research-driven advocacy to amplify marginalized voices, educate global audiences, and push for fair and sustainable practices across the industry.
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Social Media Content Creator
Evan is a Vietnamese-American student with a passion for storytelling. Supporting the Porter Voice Collective through social media and editing work, he strives to share underrepresented voices through creative, genuine outlets. His work aims not to repackage the stories of these individuals, but to provide powerful modes of expression so that they may reach others in the most authentic way,
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Grants Committee & Social Media
Deja (She/Her) moved to DC in 2019 to study finance at Howard University and become a financial advisor with the goal of supporting low-income families. Her spirit for advocacy has always been strong and is heavily inspired by her African American heritage which color her perspective as an artist and fuel her passion for writing.
In addition to her professional career as a financial advisor, Deja is an active volunteer who believes that access to education and artistic expression are the key to uplifting her community. Through her work, art, and community engagement she strives to empower black and brown working-class people by helping them find the strength, beauty, and power within themselves.
She is excited to bring her storytelling and financial skills to this wonderful organization to help advocate for workforce equity, human rights, and gender equity in the mountain tourism industry.
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Podcast Translator & Script Writer
Mingma is a final-year Bachelor’s student in Education, majoring in English, with a strong interest in storytelling, language, and tourism in Nepal’s mountain regions. Coming from a Himalayan community, she is deeply committed to sharing authentic, locally grounded narratives that reflect the lived experiences of mountain people.
Her academic training has strengthened her skills in English writing, translation, and communication, allowing her to thoughtfully transcribe and interpret Nepali stories while preserving their cultural meaning. Mingma is particularly passionate about uplifting the voices and leadership of women trekking guides and contributing to ethical storytelling initiatives that promote gender equity in the trekking industry.
PAST VOLUNTEERS
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Legal Research & Policy Analysis
Rahma Aloui is a multidisciplinary legal researcher and policy advocate with an academic foundation in public health, ethics, and people-centered empowerment initiatives. Her work blends rigorous analysis with deep empathy, allowing her to navigate complex legal and social systems while centering human experiences and community needs.
Currently serving as a Legal Researcher at the Ministry of Justice in Tunisia, Rahma has experience in policy analysis, drafting policy briefs, and supporting initiatives that strengthen transparency, civic engagement, and access to justice. She specializes in translating complex legal and regulatory frameworks into practical, equity-driven recommendations.
At The Porter Voice Collective, Rahma contributes to research and content creation focused on equity, inclusion, and community empowerment. She brings a human-centered, ethical approach to producing well-researched and accessible content, supporting policy-oriented projects, and helping ensure advocacy efforts lead to tangible social impact.
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Podcast & Social Media Audio Editor
Wayne is retired from the computer customer service and support industry. Former mobile and event entertainer, he is an audio and video editor, and a voice narrator with knowledge of photography and graphics editing. He has a background in multimedia production and web design. He is also an active live audio and video broadcaster and streamer.
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Social Media Content Creator
Agness Wanjiku (she/her) is a Nairobi-based professional with a background in hospitality and a growing passion for virtual assistance, digital work, and community-centered projects.
Driven by a desire for stability and growth, Agness is currently transitioning into remote and flexible career paths that allow her to balance work and motherhood while expanding her skill set in administration, content support, and online collaboration.
She is passionate about building meaningful connections, supporting efficient systems, and contributing to projects that create impact within communities.
Agness is based in Nairobi, Kenya, where she continues to explore opportunities that align with her long-term vision of independence, flexibility, and purpose-driven work.
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Communications, Global
Riley Chervinski (she/her) is a writer, brand strategist, and advocate for responsible tourism and conservation.
Originally from Winnipeg, Canada, she has spent the past several years working internationally in tourism and environmental storytelling, including time living and working in Zanzibar, Tanzania and Tamale, Ghana. These experiences offered her a firsthand look at the complex, and often unequal, realities of the global travel industry.
With a background in journalism, Riley uses her communications skills to raise awareness about both the challenges and the inspiring grassroots efforts happening within trekking and tourism communities.
Volunteering with PVC is a natural extension of her belief in using storytelling as a tool for justice, equity, and systems change.
She’s passionate about supporting porter voices and helping shift the travel industry toward workforce equity and more ethical practices.
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Marketing Volunteer
Rona is passionate about using content creation and storytelling to inspire meaningful change.
Originally from the Philippines, she has spent the past several years in France pursuing her studies. She is currently focused on developing social media content that encourages businesses to operate within planetary boundaries.
Her experience includes non-profit work in both the Philippines and France through organizations such as UNICEF, as well as consultancy-based social media and content creation work for the literacy nonprofit LitWorld.
Volunteering with PVC aligns with her belief in the power of storytelling to empower voices and connects to her interest in exploring how to decolonize the mind, particularly within travel and tourism.
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Researcher & Campaign Marketing Manager
Stephanie, a Young Leaders of the Americas Finalist (2025), continues to apply her skills in political analysis, project management, and cultural competency to build sustainable and equitable knowledge frameworks for global change.
She believes PVC's work is crucial because it utilizes the power of digital content creation and advocacy to amplify the voices of porters, educate tourists, and campaign for equitable treatment worldwide.