Storytelling Expedition to Guatemala (2024)
Meet The Crew
As we prepare for the upcoming Storytelling Expedition to Guatemala, it’s time to introduce the incredible crew who will be joining this journey. Each member brings unique skills and perspectives, coming together to immerse themselves in the culture and stories of the Guatemalan people. This expedition is focused on connecting with fellow storytellers, honing practical documentary skills, experiencing the rich heritage of Petén, collaborating on impactful projects, and sharing meaningful stories that matter.
Below is a photo and a brief bio of each of our crew + expedition leaders. Take a moment to get to know your fellow storytellers before embarking on this adventure. Building connections now will help make this an amazing and impactful experience for everyone.
BARBARA BENITEZ-CURRY
Barbara Benitez-Curry is an award-winning journalist who has covered the Global South in her career as a producer and reporter in broadcasting.
Ms. Benitez-Curry has worked at CNN in the Atlanta, GA headquarters where she received a Peabody, a DuPont, and a National Headliner award for her participation on several major stories such as The Asian Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina and the Iraq War. She moved to Washington DC in 2006 and was one of the original team members to establish and launch the Washington bureau for Al Jazeera International, an award-winning English news channel. Benitez-Curry produced coverage for major events such as the United Nations General Assembly as well as several stories from throughout Latin America.
Ms. Benitez-Curry taught at Towson University in the greater Baltimore area, before moving to George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. Her research interests include Portrayals of Latinos in media, and documentary film production.
NIKKI GIANT
I’m Nikki and I’m an author and social entrepreneur based in Wales in the UK. My passion is helping children and young people to flourish, and since starting my first social enterprise at age 22, I have worked with thousands of young people in hundreds of schools in the UK, Europe and US, led policy change efforts on girls’ rights, and worked UK-wide on gender equality for a global charity.
I’m a qualified counsellor and coach and have written a number of educational books on issues affecting children and young people. In 2022 I established The Girl Lab, a creative consultancy agency on a mission to redesign girlhood, changing the way girls and young women are represented, engaged and supported, by providing strategic advice, training and support to girl-focused brands and causes.
My latest initiative is The Spark Movement, a social movement working with educators, parents and changemakers to support children and young people to connect with their ‘Spark’ of purpose and become agents of change.
I’m passionate about igniting social change through the sharing of meaningful stories, especially from those voices that are least-often heard. I host monthly events to connect changemakers to their purpose and passion, and host a podcast showcasing the work of changemakers across the UK and beyond.
I believe in the power of storytelling to move people to compassion and heart-aligned action, creating change for future generations by unleashing people’s potential as positive changemakers.
ILSE MEIJER
My name is Ilse Meijer. I am a writer, filmmaker, and researcher. From a philosophical and anthropological lens, I research how societal systems, such as capitalism, are rooted in certain worldviews and cosmologies. For me, the solution to global crises that are born form such exploitative systems lies in (re)connecting humans with nature. As a (visual) storyteller, then, I am always looking for stories that inspire me and others to be in closer contact with each other, with our earth, and with ourselves.
These stories are always infused with teachings and experiences from my travels and stays abroad. Besides my home country, the Netherlands, I have lived for several months in Italy, Ghana, Hawai‘i and I am currently based in Guatemala, and I have travelled in Europe, Laos, Cambodia, Ecuador, Brazil, and Nicaragua amongst others.
I have a double bachelor degree in Philosophy, Politics and Society, and Cultural Anthropology and Development Studies from Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands, with a minor in Philosophies of Hawai‘i and Cinematography from Hawai‘i Pacific University (HPU), and have completed a summerschool in Visual Ethnography at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Throughout my studies, I have been an active member and national board member of Rethinking Economics, a network of students, professors and enthusiastic people that aims to transform economics education. And I have worked as a fundraising and impact consultant for four years. Soon I will be starting an online two-year master program in Philosophy, Consciousness and Cosmology at California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in San Fransisco.
As a writer, my articles have been published in the Dutch national newspaper NRC and de Volkskrant. I also write for facultary philosophy magazine Splijtstof and have published on online platform Maatschapwij. Currently, I am also in the process of publishing a research article on the topic of one of my bachelor theses.
ALICE MCGENNISS-DESTRO
Hey there, I’m Alice McGenniss-Destro, a storyteller and marketing professional in the world of B2B tech. Currently, I’m leading the charge as the brains behind Customer Marketing Programs for the APAC region at Slack, now part of Salesforce.
My projects take me all across the Asia Pacific and I recently ventured to the north Island of New Zealand to interview a crane company about how Slack has changed the way their business runs. I never thought I’d be interviewing a hiab crane operator on an island – and he was just as amazed that we wanted to spotlight his story!
I originally trained as a journalist and my career started in advertising, where I gained experience at McCann Worldgroup and Dentsu Aegis Network. I’ve had the pleasure of working with brands like L’Oreal, Maybelline, TEDxMelbourne, and Officeworks before joining the humble team at Slack.
I have a BA in Journalism from Monash University and a Master’s in Communication from RMIT University. And recently, I wrapped up the Women in Leadership Program at Melbourne Business School because I’m all about continuous growth. I’m starting to think about dipping my toes into an MBA next year.
Outside of work, I love hitting the trails with my hiking group, “Her Trails,” we’ve explored everything from the rugged Larapinta in Central Australia to the serene beauty of Bruny Island in Tasmania. And when I’m not out and about, you can catch me at a dance class or finding my zen with a bit of yoga at my local studio in Melbourne.
I am community oriented and have three wonderful housemates – that are sort of like sisters. We have just started running a learning series called Olio (a few of my friends started it in NYC and we’ve brought it to Melbourne!), which is all about gatherings that use art and literature to skip the small talk. We held the first event in our cosy lounge room and can’t wait to continue the series.
For me, every day is a chance to tell a story that connects and inspires. And I’m pretty passionate about the fact that everyone has a story to tell – sometimes they just need help to find it. I’m passionate about using tech, ideas, and storytelling to make a positive impact and can’t wait for this Storytelling Expedition.
BJ PRICE
Hello. I’m Bj Price, from Orlando, Florida. I’m a passionate globetrotter with a penchant for adventure and have recently visited India’s majestic palaces, fed rescue elephants in Thailand, photographed polar bears in Canada, fished for piranha in the Amazon, explored Machu Picchu, climbed (most of) Mount Kilimanjaro, swam between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates in Iceland, hiked the W in Torres del Paine, Chile, the Camino in Spain and the West Highland Way in Scotland and explored penguin habitats in Antarctica.
I find balance in life by running, practicing yoga, and singing in a professional choir. My work days are spent uncovering the stories hidden in numbers as a data scientist, where I specialize in transforming complex data into visual narratives.
I’m in my 27th year with the Walt Disney Company where I’ve worked in Entertainment, Human Resources, Engineering, Finance and Marketing. I currently lead a team of report developers focused on interpreting and visualizing our survey data. Whether I’m exploring new cultures, crossing finish lines, or harmonizing with my choir, I thrive on the harmony of precision and creativity.
DOMINIQUE SALALILA
Hi! I’m Dominique – a Business Analyst, third culture kid, and avid traveler currently based in Toronto, Canada. I am also the content creator behind The Thrill of Pursuit – a travel blog for those adventurous souls who have a 9-5. Through my curated travel tips and photo journals, I hope to make travel more accessible, sustainable, and enjoyable. I travel to seek what makes each destination exotic while also looking for the familiarities that connect us all as humans. As part of that quest, I share my insights from the road on The Thrill of Pursuit to foster a travel community that is self aware and to provoke thought on our impact on local economies as travelers. The Thrill of Pursuit specializes in detailed travel guides to some of the most unbelievable, off-the-beaten track destinations.
YOUJIAN 'REX' XIAO
My name is Rex. I’m a rising senior at Johns Hopkins University, double majoring in film studies and creative writing. Most recently, I wrote and directed an animated documentary short about midcentury American romance comics with full funding ($3,500) from the Dean’s Undergraduate Research Award (DURA). I also wrote and directed two experimental shorts, “He Is Burning” and “Komodo Dragon,” co-acting with my boyfriend Logan. I’ve also worked on a number of student film sets and am proficient in camera, lighting, sound, and set design. Originally from Canton, China, I believe storytelling has the power to transcend regional and cultural boundaries. As a writer, director, and part-time photographer, I want to explore shared themes of the humanities, such as love, shame, memory, and gender, through my works and, by doing so, to understand myself and the world better. If you’re interested, please check out some of my work.
EXPEDITION
LEADERS
ROBIN CANFIELD
ACTUALITY FIELD PRODUCER + DOCUMENTARY COACH
Robin Canfield is an accomplished storyteller, photographer, and documentary filmmaker. He has spent the last 15 years tell stories in 30+ countries around the world. He co-founded Actuality Abroad and leads documentary workshops around the world, producing films that highlight the efforts of local changemakers. Under his guidance, Actuality Abroad has mentored hundreds of emerging documentary storytellers and contributed over 300+ ‘solution stories’ to the public domain.
With extensive expertise on collaborative documentary storytelling, Robin’s writing has been published by the Huffington Post, the Student Filmmakers Magazine, and in academic textbooks. His upcoming book, “The Impact Documentary Field Guide: How to Research, Plan, Film, and Finish Documentaries on Positive Change” is pending release with the Taylor and Francis publishing group.
A regular speaker at festivals and educational conference, Robin continues to advocating for a shift towards a more collaborative and cooperative approach in telling stories about real life. He is currently looking for fundraising and institutuional support for a research project to establish ethical standards and best practices for collaborative storytelling projects across cultures.
A regular speaker at festivals and educational conferences, Robin advocates for a collaborative approach to real-life storytelling. He is currently in the early stages of a international research project to establish ethical standards and best practices for cross-cultural collaborative storytelling.
PABLO MARTINEZ
ETNICA TRAVEL EXPERT GUIDE + LOCATION MANAGER
Pablo Martínez is the founder and leader of Etnica Travel, a company dedicated to creating immersive travel experiences that showcase the cultural heritage of destinations around the world. With a strong passion for cultural exchange and sustainable tourism, Pablo has built Etnica Travel into a respected travel company known for its authentic and community-focused tours.
Pablo started his career in the travel industry over a decade ago, inspired by his love for exploring different cultures and his commitment to ethical tourism practices. He has a background in cultural management and extensive experience in tourism, which he uses to develop unique travel programs that connect travelers with local communities and traditions.