Nuestra misión es aumentar la empatía entre culturas y fortalecer a las comunidades locales a través de experiencias de viaje responsable
NOSOTROS
Headquartered in Bucerías, Mexico, a small beach town on the Pacific coast of Mexico, Human Connections is a non-profit that connects local people with international audiences through travel programs and curated experiences. Our goal is to empower local communities while fostering conversations that shift perspectives and increase understanding. Through a vibrant network of local partners - Mexican artisans, tradespeople, and organizations - HC creates opportunities for authentic, meaningful exchanges. These local partners have a platform to share their culture, have agency over their stories, and generate increased income. Concurrently, travelers gain an increased understanding of Mexican culture while cultivating more empathetic perspectives about Mexico.
Human Connections operates as a social enterprise which generates earned income through our unique, educational day tours and student programs. All profits are then invested back into Human Connections to deepen and expand our impact in the region. As a result, our business model and programs ensure sustainability for our organization and, most importantly, the community.
We welcome you to explore our website and learn more about how HC weaves themes of social responsibility, entrepreneurship, and education into meaningful travel experiences that enrich our shared humanity.
NUESTROS VALORES
NUESTRO IMPACTO
Nuestro impacto se enfoca en cuatros objetivos: profundizar en el orgullo cultural, hacer más estables los negocios locales de nuestros socios, aumentar la empatía entre la sociedad y crear conciencia sobre el turismo responsable. A continuación presentamos el “cómo” nuestras tours promueven nuestros cuatro objetivos:
Impacto en los Socios
- Corto Plazo: Los socios generan ingresos económicas y son reconocidos por su emprendimiento, su resiliencia y sus tradiciones.
- Mediano Plazo: Nuestros socios tienen negocios más estables y se sientan orgullosos de sus logros personales y su identidad cultural.
- Largo Plazo: Nuestros socios reportan que sus negocios son más exitosos. Sus experiencias demuestran el poder del turismo responsable para fortalecer la comunidad.
Impacto en los Viajeros
- Corto Plazo: Los viajeros se informan más y cambian la perspectiva sobre México y sobre el turismo responsable.
- Mediano Plazo: Los viajeros regresan a sus comunidades y comparten el conocimiento que ganaron en México, ayudando a romper estereotipos sobre nuestras diferentes culturas.
- Largo Plazo: Los viajeros aplican lecciones de empatía y responsabilidad social a sus interacciones, profesiones y viajes futuros.
NUESTRO EQUIPO
Jeannie Jaworski/ Student Programs Director
Jeannie has worked in the field of international education for over a decade. During that time her experience has encompassed virtually all areas of global learning, including education abroad, international recruitment and admissions, international student and scholar services, and faculty within a global engagement academic minor program. Her passion for the field began as an undergraduate student participating in a semester abroad in Guanajuato. Not only did Jeannie develop a strong love for Mexican people and culture during this experience, she also realized that it was possible to have a career helping young people deepen their empathy and understanding of the world, a goal she has been dedicated to ever since.
Jeannie has a graduate certificate in Diversity and Equity in Education from the University of Illinois-Champaign Urbana, a Master of Education from Carroll University, and Bachelor of Arts in English and Spanish from the University of Iowa. Her personal and professional travels have taken her to 30 countries and counting. She an animal lover who lives by the motto, “do good and good will come.”
jeannie@humanconnections.org
Mariana Garcia / Directora de Operaciones
Mariana se crió en Tijuana, México y San Diego, California y tiene una maestría en Desarrollo Económico Sostenible y Gestión Responsable de la Universidad de las Naciones Unidas en Costa Rica, y una licenciatura en Estudios Internacionales y Estudios Latinoamericanos de la Universidad de San Francisco. . Pasó la mayor parte de su carrera trabajando en el sector público, específicamente en Desarrollo Económico, brindando asistencia a pequeñas empresas y facilitando proyectos de desarrollo estratégico para mejorar las economías locales. Su pasión por el desarrollo económico sostenible la ha llevado a trabajar para una organización sin fines de lucro que empodera a las comunidades locales al mismo tiempo que fomenta conversaciones que cambian la perspectiva y aumentan la comprensión.
mariana@humanconnections.org / +52 322-193-5581
Nova Pennison/ Creative Advisor
Nova Pennison is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, a vibrant city that fueled her passion for the arts from an early age. Growing up, she immersed herself in a wealth of creative disciplines including photography, film, writing, sculpture, painting, printmaking, theatre and dance. Nova received a Bachelor's Degree from Southeastern Louisiana University in Mass Communications and Journalism with a minor in Fine Art. During this time, she founded a printing press to support and promote student artists, an institution that still endures today. After graduation, Nova interned for a non-profit organization in Nayarit, Mexico, where she worked with local children teaching English. Her love for the area flourished and she decided to relocate permanently to Mexico, taking on the role of Director of Education at the organization. For the next four years, she continued her commitment to improving opportunities in rural communities. Next, she transitioned to a non-profit organization that worked closely with the Huichol, an indigenous group recognized for their rich culture and traditional art forms. In the years that followed, Nova opened her own art gallery in Bucerias to showcase her abstract paintings and began to sell her work internationally. She also founded a multidisciplinary art center. She is overjoyed to combine an abundance of artistic knowledge with a passion for community work in her position as Creative Advisor for Human Connections.
nova@humanconnections.org
Claudia Santos / Cultural Tour Guide
Claudia is originally from Guadalajara, Jalisco. She lived in Paris for a few months with her family when she was 5, and since that early age she discovered her passion for languages. She studied at a French School for many years, then studied in a Jesuit high school. This made her develop more cultural sensitivity and empathy towards all people. She studied International Relations and learned Portuguese at that time. Claudia visited the Wixárika, or Huichol, community in the mountains of San Andrés Cohamiata (North of Jalisco) a few times, and this instilled in her more awareness toward the indigenous communities in her country. After she graduated, she decided to become a Portuguese teacher and later a multilingual translator. She loves doing yoga, reading novels, living on the coast, traveling, and meeting new people. Claudia is very passionate about working with a social organization in which she can collaborate in making a difference for people locally and internationally. Claudia is very motivated to finally be a part of a nonprofit organization, as this has always been one of her dreams.
claudia@humanconnections.org / +52 332-457-7948
Maggie Olson / Marketing Fellow
Maggie Olson grew up in the rural town of Elkhart, Illinois. She moved to Chicago to attend DePaul University, from which she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in History, focusing specifically on Irish History. She has used this degree to focus on innovation within the non-profit sector on an international scale. In her current and previous roles, she works specifically in immigration to the United States. She spends her free time reading more about History and traveling to new places. She is excited to work with an organization that helps build relationships and promotes cultural exchange.
maggie@humanconnections.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sarah Cohn / Vice President
Sarah has over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector, working in a range of roles from program management and strategic planning to revenue diversification and external communication management. She spent seven years at PODER, a Chicago-based immigrant integration center, as the Director of Development & Strategic Partnerships. Prior to PODER, Cohn held positions at Rotary International and Loyola University Chicago. Sarah holds a Master’s degree from the University of Chicago in Latin American Studies and a Bachelor’s degree from Loyola University Chicago in Political Science. Currently, Sarah is self-employed as a kid wrangler, ensuring her two young boys don’t get in too much trouble. She is honored to help Human Connections leverage responsible tourism as a tool that can transform both local communities and international audiences.
Corrina Jacobs / Secretary
Corrina is currently a Marketing Program Manager at Whole Foods Market, focusing on the national expansion of Prime Now grocery delivery. Previously, she served as Customer Relations Supervisor at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas. Corrina also led Investours as Chief Operating Officer for close to two years and was thrilled to be part of the founding team of Human Connections. She believes strongly in the power of travel and intercultural experiences to foster understanding and create a more compassionate world. Corrina holds a dual MBA and Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas, and an undergraduate degree in Psychology and Art History from Tufts University.
Kurt Mansperger / Treasurer
Kurt is currently the Chief Technology Officer for the Boston Public Library. Previously, he co-founded First Step Coding, which teaches individuals how to code and helps them through major career changes. Earlier in his career, Kurt worked in technology consulting at Deloitte Consulting and Twin Technologies, where he lead teams in building large scale eligibility systems and complex billing systems. Kurt was a founding member of Investours, the company from which the idea for Human Connections originated. He is proud to be a part of Human Connections and is excited about using innovation to support local small business owners and encourage tourists to connect with locals and learn about the culture in the places they visit.
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Ellen Yang | EY Fotografie
www.eyfotografie.com
Kiersten Labzda | Prema Photographic
www.premaphotographic.com
Yanen Ali | Yanen Ali Photographer
www.yanenali.com
Sergio Medina | Sergio Medina Photography