Speaker Bios

Gabriela Franco

Sustainable Tourism Manager | Awamaki

Gabriela Franco grew up between Lima and Cusco and proudly considers both places home. As Sustainable Tourism Manager at Awamaki, she coordinates and supports the organization’s travel experiences, from logistics and tourism partnerships to guiding visitors and working closely with local communities.

Gabriela values learning directly from the communities she works with, spending time in nature, and traveling whenever she gets the chance. One of her favorite aspects of her role is serving as a cultural bridge between Awamaki’s artisan partners and travelers, helping create meaningful connections on both sides.

Sarah Payne

Managing Director, Reset Tourism Fund | UnTours Foundation

Sarah Payne is the Managing Director of the Reset Tourism Fund at the UnTours Foundation, where she leads the fund’s global impact investment portfolio. With a model that reinvests its entire endowment into purpose-driven enterprises, the foundation has spent more than 30 years advancing community-based economic development through mission-aligned investing. It is also the owner of UnTours, the world’s first Certified B Corporation, a slow travel company that donates 100% of its profits to support the foundation’s work.

Since joining the team in 2023 alongside the launch of the Reset Tourism Fund, Sarah has helped build and expand the fund into a growing platform that deploys flexible, affordable, and catalytic capital to small tourism businesses. She brings an interdisciplinary background in history, business, and economic development and earned her MBA in Economic Development from Eastern University, where she focused on social entrepreneurship. Sarah currently serves on the boards of several purpose-driven organizations and is an active voice in advancing more inclusive and regenerative models of tourism and finance.

Parisa Pouramn

Head of TreadRight Foundation and Social Impact | The Travel Corporation

Parisa Pouramn is the Head of TreadRight Foundation and Social Impact at The Travel Corporation (TTC), a group of 18 award-winning travel brands operating globally in more than 70 countries. Established in 2008, TreadRight supports organizations around the world working to protect the planet, its people, and wildlife, and has funded more than 70 projects to date. Parisa is closely involved in the development and implementation of TTC’s sustainability efforts.

Catherine Prather, CTP

President | National Tour Association

Catherine Prather is President of the National Tour Association (NTA), a welcoming community of professionals focused on tour operator-packaged travel. NTA’s mission and core values are guiding principles for Catherine’s work as she strives to elevate the association while cultivating a culture of meaningful business development among its members.

Catherine joined the NTA team in 1994 and became President in January 2020. She serves on the Tourism Cares Board of Directors, the Kentucky Advisory Committee for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, and the Kentucky Horse Park Commission, where she was appointed by Governor Andy Beshear. She is also active with Travel Unity and previously served on the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board.

Jose Salazar Rios

National Project Officer, Culture Sector | UNESCO Peru

Jose Salazar Rios is a cultural governance specialist and development practitioner working at the intersection of culture, heritage, and sustainable tourism. As National Project Officer for UNESCO Peru’s Culture Sector, he leads initiatives that leverage cultural heritage and community participation to advance sustainable development, local economic opportunities, and resilience.

With a master’s degree in Government and Public Administration and a background in political science, Jose has extensive experience in public policy, international cooperation, and stakeholder engagement. He has worked closely with national and local governments, Indigenous communities, museums, heritage institutions, private-sector actors, and international partners to promote innovative approaches to heritage management and sustainable tourism. His current work includes projects focused on World Heritage, living heritage, circular economy models for tourism destinations, Indigenous languages, and cultural policies. Jose is committed to strengthening the role of culture as a catalyst for inclusive growth, environmental stewardship, and community well-being.

Walter Sulca León

Founder | Casa Museo Textil Sulca

Walter Sulca León is an Andean master textile artisan from Ayacucho, Peru, and the heir to a family tradition spanning five generations dedicated to preserving the country’s textile heritage. For more than five decades, he has devoted his life to safeguarding, practicing, and passing on traditional Andean weaving techniques recognized for their profound cultural and historical significance. His work encompasses the use of natural fibers, plant- and mineral-based dyes, and the mastery of iconography and symbolism handed down through generations of master weavers.

As the founder of Casa Museo Textil Sulca, Walter has developed a sustainable tourism model in which living heritage becomes a driver of local development, enabling more than 20 community-based enterprises to keep the textile tradition alive, share ancestral techniques with visitors from around the world, and generate sustainable livelihoods for their families. Through this lifelong commitment, Walter promotes Andean identity and the preservation of Peru’s living cultural heritage.

Guido van Es

Founding Director | Impactful Travel

Guido van Es is Founding Director of Impactful Travel and has worked in sustainable and community-based tourism in Peru since 2002. Over nearly 25 years, he has worked closely with communities across the country, often becoming involved in tourism initiatives from their early stages and supporting their development into experiences that can build long-term partnerships with the travel industry.

As a tour operator and trip designer, Guido combines this community-level experience with an in-depth understanding of the international travel market. Having designed tailor-made journeys for thousands of travelers, he has extensive practical experience integrating community-based tourism into itineraries in ways that work for communities, travelers, and tour operators alike. His work focuses on strengthening equitable partnerships, developing sustainable tourism products, and using tourism to create lasting economic opportunities while encouraging travelers to explore beyond Peru’s established tourism routes.

Eliza Wethey

Impact Manager | Awamaki

Eliza Wethey joined Awamaki in 2025 as Impact Manager, where she manages grants and supports individual volunteers. Prior to joining Awamaki, she spent five and a half years at the Inter-American Foundation managing grants in the Caribbean and Peru. Her previous experience also includes approximately nine years working with local nonprofits in the Cusco region, managing service-learning programs and supporting community development initiatives.

Eliza holds a master’s degree in Anthropology and Development from the London School of Economics and a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Latin American Studies from Tulane University.

Shayna Zand

Managing Director | Host Agency Reviews

Shayna Zand is Managing Director of Host Agency Reviews (HAR), where she guides the company’s growth and day-to-day operations. Her work focuses on building an innovative remote team, expanding HAR’s reach and support of the travel advisor community, and working closely with founder Steph Lee to shape the company’s future.

Prior to joining Host Agency Reviews, Shayna served as Director of Partnerships at Intrepid Travel and Director of Partnerships & Enterprise Sales at WeTravel. Throughout her career, she has focused on building strong industry partnerships, driving growth, and supporting initiatives that strengthen the travel industry. Shayna is also a recognized industry speaker and has participated in events including Women in Travel CIC, World Travel Market, the Adventure Travel World Summit, and USTOA events. She currently serves as Board Chair of Tourism Cares, bringing her industry experience and commitment to collaboration to help advance the organization’s mission.