“Women around the world want a solution to navigate safer or to know that they have trustworthy contact wherever they're going. And to me, that drove me. It still drives me.” - Vanessa KarelIn this episode, Christine hosts a soulful conversation with Vanessa Karel, CEO and Founder of Greet Her, a travel startup that helps women travel safer. Vanessa is a serial entrepreneur, storyteller, and creative producer and was recently named one of the 100 Rising Latinx Startup Founders to Watch. Vanessa is also currently leading Girls in Tech San Francisco as their managing director. In 2020, she finally realized what had been lacking throughout her solo journeys while traveling alone, being stranded in Morocco in the middle of the pandemic, which led her to found Greet Her. In our conversation, Vanessa shares her draw to entrepreneurship, her travels, and her passion for bringing more girls and women into tech.Christine and Vanessa discuss:Entrepreneurship and resilienceBuilding a business from idea to executionNavigating safely as a solo woman traveler Utilizing technology inclusively and globallyCreating opportunities for women worldwideBreaking down barriers for women to enter techImproving accessibility for global travelersMentorship and community in entrepreneurshipJoin Christine now for this soulful conversation with Vanessa Karel.LOVE these soulful conversations? We rely on listener support to produce our podcast! Make a difference by making a donation to Lotus Sojourns on PayPal.  Are you a Soul of Travel subscriber? Click here to subscribe to Apple Podcasts, so you don’t miss the latest episodes!Listener reviews help expand our reach and help us rise up the ranks! Rate and review your favorite episodes on Apple Podcasts or your preferred podcast app.?​​​​​​​​To learn more about Greet Her, visit the website at https://www.greether.com/.Connect with Vanessa on LinkedIn.Follow Greet Her on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook! Looking for ways to be a part of the Lotus Sojourns community? Learn more here!Find Lotus Sojourns on Facebook, or join the Lotus Sojourns Collective, our FB community for like-hearted women.Follow us on Instagram: @lotussojourns and @souloftravelpodcastTo read a complete transcript, see full show notes, and access resources and links mentioned in this episode, head to https://www.lotussojourns.com/podcast-episodes/episode120.Credits. Christine Winebrenner Irick (Host, creator, editor). Vanessa Karel (Guest). Original music by Clark Adams. Editing, production, and content writing by Carly Oduardo.Support the show