Anina Monteforte leads an international nonprofit committed to improving our world through sustainable and responsible tourism
The World Within Us, is an international nonprofit committed to improving our world through sustainable and responsible tourism. We intentionally design group travel experiences that socially and economically empower local communities. We are also the first travel company to directly align travel experiences with the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
We designed five upcoming trips to Tanzania, Egypt, Nepal, Indonesia, and Brazil in 2021. And we welcome all to join!
I stay motivated by… seeing the opportunity to create global change.
Three adjectives that describe me are… adventurous, compassionate, and bold.
If I could have dinner with one person it would be… Maya Angelou, because she’s a woman I admire who lived a long limitless life! She’s unapologetic and full of courage, to this day ‘I Rise’ and ‘Phenomenal Women’ are still my favorite poems. It would be amazing to soak up all her wisdom.
In the next 10 years, I will be… a global force in sustainable development.
What motivated you to become an entrepreneur? Is having your own business something you always wanted?
I had no intention of entering the entrepreneurial world initially. I decided to create The World Within Us because I noticed there was something missing in the tourism industry. I wanted to create travel experiences with intention, that empower our grassroot partners to serve their communities and educate travelers on the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)! Another goal was to make tourism affordable, by offering payment plans we can market travel opportunities to those who thought travel wasn’t feasible. It’s been exciting connecting my passion for traveling and sharing this mission with others!
How did you come up with your business idea? What inspired you?
I traveled a lot within the last five years; I've visited 43 countries across Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and Africa. During those trips I’ve developed travel experiences that created a sustainable impact but also formed incredible grassroot partnerships. From that point, I decided since I’ll be traveling to these destinations anyways in 2021, I’d like to open up these experiences to also teach them the importance of responsible tourism. If we can change the way that we travel, we can truly make a substantial impact on our world!
What were you doing before this? How did it prepare you for the entrepreneurial life?
My life was building The World Within Us before I even knew it. I studied abroad twice during my undergrad, the first program at the American University of Paris. Then in 2016, I was fortunate enough to join Semester at Sea, which is a five-month voyage with 600+ students from around the world traveling through Europe, Africa, and South America. These two experiences changed the whole trajectory of my life!
After graduation, I moved back to New York City and took a contract job, determined to solo travel, and explore South East Asia and Africa for five months. I was then accepted to NYU’s Global Affairs Masters program to study international development. That was a major blessing! Then afterward everything began to fall into place, I started working with Smart Flyer, a luxury travel company, then a few months later received another opportunity to join the SAP Next-Gen!
At SAP, I’ve had the opportunity to lead our global efforts with social media, creative content, and partnerships. I’ve worked on projects with organizations like the United Nations, Global Citizen, Female Quotient, Beyond Sport, and so many more. It’s been incredible to work so closely with the UN 17 SDGs in this capacity!
All of these experiences help me to grow my knowledge of international development, partnerships, program-building, and have given me a strong supportive network! It’s crazy to look back now to see how all the pieces came together.
How do you generate new ideas to stay relevant on the market? Is it important to innovate in your space?
My new ideas come from transforming the current way of travel into a responsible and sustainable tourism model! Our globalized world is facing many social and economic problems, and The World Within Us aims to use tourism to meet the solutions, including the UN 17 Global Goals. It's imperative that we will find new ways that tourism can increase gender equality, reduce our carbon footprint, and create economic growth for all in the tourism industry.
What are your short/long term goals?
My short term goal is to grow The World Within Us, maximizing our current trips and creating new destinations every year. Also to partner directly with the United Nations, like UN Women or UNWTO to highlight the need for programs like this and support to scale! I also want to create opportunities to support awesome nonprofits that are doing the incredible groundwork to help create prosperous communities. Lastly, to become a recipient of the Bill & Melinda Gates Goalkeepers award by 2030.
My long term goal is to create a movement for responsible tourism and make it the standard for the industry. I want to grow opportunities for women in tourism, and also work with policymakers to write enforceable policy to utilize tourism as a key for sustainable development.
What sacrifices have you had to make to be a successful entrepreneur?
Like other entrepreneurs, I sacrifice social life and sleep, but it’s something I’m passionate about so it never feels like work! There’s joy in building something that can have a positive impact on the world. I always feel grateful for that!
How far are you willing to go to succeed?
As far as it takes until responsible tourism is the industry standard!
If you were a book, which one would it be and why?
I would be the book ‘Love Does’ by Bob Goff. It’s a book that truly touches my heart, and made me realize I can dream big, and do all things with intentionality and love!
What do you want our readers to take away from this feature?
Life is limitless, do all things with Purpose! Also with The World Within Us, I personally invite you to join our upcoming travels to Tanzania, Egypt, Nepal, Indonesia, and Brazil in 2021. Be bold enough to create memories that will last you a lifetime!