Marinel de Jesus is a social entrepreneur and former human rights lawyer who advocates for justice in the mountain-trekking industry.
Nearly a decade ago, she left the courtroom to imagine what it would take to travel through the lens of equity and dignity.
In 2024, Marinel spent over 100 days walking the Great Himalaya Trail with Mingmar Dolma Sherpa, the first Nepali woman to guide 100 days on the commercial sections of this legendary trail.
With this walk, Marinel and Mingmar proved that women can absolutely lead the more challenging parts of this traditionally male-dominated trail.
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Listen to the Episode
What you’ll hear:
- The dark side of tourism no one talks about
- Marinel’s origins as a Filipina and an immigrant to the U.S.
- The status of porters and other "invisible people" in the travel service industry
- Advocating for women and Indigenous communities in mountain tourism
- Trekking in Peru, Nepal, and Mongolia
KM 82:
The Porter Voices of Peru’s Camino Inca
Marinel’s documentary, KM 82: The Porter Voices of Peru’s Camino Inca, tells the story of the Indigenous Quechua porters on the Inca Trail through their own voices.
It exposes the terrible working conditions and low pay of the people who make the travelers’ trips to places like Machu Picchu possible.
Marinel, the porters, and her team received many threats for telling this story.
• Follow Marinel on Instagram: @browngaltrekker
• Connect with Marinel on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Marinel's work on her site
• Check out Porter Voice Collective
• Follow The Porter Voice Collective on Instagram
• Join Marinel's Equity Global Treks
• Check out Khusvegi Nomadic Camp in Mongolia
"When I see women taking up space and telling themselves, 'I'm going to use my voice now', that's like me seeing the future. I think women will change this industry." – Marinel de Jesus
Radostina Boseva is our Founding Member
Radostina Boseva is a film wedding photographer with an editorial flair based in San Francisco.
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