Jennifer Spatz is a founder and CEO of Global Family Travels & Co-founder of Impact Travel Alliance for Greater Seattle.
Jennifer created Global Family Travels (GFT) with the mission to Learn, Serve and Immerse, using travel as a means to build cultural bridges and to foster global citizens.
Growing up in several countries, Jennifer experienced the bonding power of travel with her family, and by authentically connected with the locals, learned that despite our differences, we are all the same in our hearts and minds. The experiences she had inspired her to offer community-based travel experiences, and partner with local non-profit organizations to create service-learning tours for families.
Jennifer’s path led her to get a double B.A. degree in Anthropology and International Political Science from Bates College in Maine, and a M.S. degree in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University. Prior to founding Global Family Travels, Jennifer had a career in international development, trade and finance, traveling extensively for work in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
It was Global Family Travels’ first official trip in 2010 to the stunningly beautiful region of North India called Ladakh that transformed Jennifer’s life. The journey entailed a village clean-up with students from the Siddhartha School, founded by Khensur Rinpoche, an educator and Buddhist monk and a lifelong friend of the Dalai Lama. At the end of this trip, Jennifer knew she had found her calling and the Universe supported it, allowing her to use her Sacred Gifts to develop transformational travel experiences filled with immersive activities.
Today, Jennifer is passionate about creating educational & transformative travel programs in support of many United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including education, access to clean water, conservation, gender equality, and preservation of local cultures.