Our Story
Early days
Growing up, I often found myself searching for inspiration and direction. My passion for basketball filled a significant part of my life, but I lacked purpose beyond that. Because of this, I wanted to prolong my college experience for as long as possible. That’s why I pursued a master’s degree in Community and International Development, which allowed me to complete my last year of college eligibility to play basketball.B
A Life-Changing Study Tour to Madagascar
In 2017, I approached my last semester and, as a requirement, participated in the program’s study tour to Madagascar. Led by Dr. Joël, the program director and a native of Madagascar, I was introduced to the authentic Malagasy way of life in the most unexpected way. After the study tour—an extremely insightful experience—it was time to complete my mandatory internship. I had been placed in the beautiful village of Andavadoaka to learn about the community-led conservation efforts taking place there.
An Unforgettable Journey with Dr. Joël
But before this, there were still two weeks between the end of the study tour and the beginning of my internship. Dr. Joël recommended a few places I could stay. But before I could make my decision, he offered to take me with him to the north of the country to visit his wife’s family. This was essentially a vacation for him, and I was shocked that he would even think to invite me along. At the time, I was a broke college kid, and I thanked him greatly but told him that I didn’t have the budget for it. I’ll never forget when he told me, “Tim, if you don’t mind eating our traditional food, staying in local accommodations, and enduring a long bumpy car ride, don’t worry about it, I got you.”
A New Perspective on Tourism
This transformative experience with Dr. Joël opened my eyes to a world beyond the confines of traditional tourism. It was like having a passport into a whole new world. This was the single most impactful experience of my life. Because of my time with him, I knew I wanted to be in Madagascar. I applied for many jobs upon graduation, but none of the companies so much as sent me a response. So, at the end of 2019, through the encouragement of my Malagasy friend, I decided to go back to Madagascar and build something.
During my time in Madagascar, I was struck by the stark contrast between the wealth of experiences available to tourists and the economic challenges faced by local people. Despite the substantial amount of money that tourists paid to visit, only a small fraction of their spending reached the hands of the Malagasy people who made those experiences possible. I thought that I could create a tour operation that would economically support local communities. Not a bad idea, but I didn’t realize at the time that I would be unintentionally contributing to the problem…
A Devastating Setback and a Renewed Purpose
In 2020, before my flight took me back to Madagascar, COVID struck, and then my life took a devastating turn with a near-fatal car accident. While recovering, I was deeply moved by the support from the Malagasy people, including donations from those I barely knew. This outpouring of kindness initially upset me. I felt they needed the money more than I did. The only way I could justify what they had done for me was to believe that it was some sort of investment in me—like they believed I would eventually come back and do something for Madagascar. I started to think that was the reason Dr. Joël had done what he did for me. It felt like Malagasy people believed in me before I believed in myself. So, I couldn’t just let myself dwell on my present circumstances—I had to fight. And thanks to the ongoing motivation I received from Malagasy music, fighting is what I did.
Returning to Madagascar with a Mission
In 2022, I finally returned to Madagascar, five years after my first visit. My sole mission for this trip was customer discovery—figuring out what problems local people were facing in benefiting from the tourism industry. I realized that it all came down to a lack of access: a lack of access that local people had to determine their own futures. Recognizing these challenges, I founded TourOnePlanet. Our first product, our online marketplace, was designed to provide the access that local people needed to sell services directly to travelers without the need for middlemen who take excessive profits for themselves, leaving little for the locals. Most experiences offered on our platform generate five times more profit for the local vendors than what they would make offering the same service through the traditional distribution model, all while maintaining competitive pricing for travelers
A Greater Vision for Madagascar and Beyond
I’ve had the privilege of traveling all over Madagascar, even though I’m a monolingual English speaker. The best part of Madagascar is Malagasy people. I’ve sadly seen more of the country than 99% of the population, but we want to change that by also making it more accessible for local people to experience the magic of traveling in Madagascar. So, TourOnePlanet is bigger than just a single product—it’s an entire system that we’re building. It’s taken time, but Madagascar is more than worth it. There is no place in the world I love more than Madagascar, and I’m committed to doing all I can to create a bright future for its people.
Creating the Access That Local Communities Need
Through TourOnePlanet, we strive to create a system that allows local communities to determine their own outcomes of tourism, ensuring that tourism becomes a tool for development in the way that local people choose. We dream that our objectives will be accomplished in Madagascar and that we can soon expand our model into other destinations within emerging economies
