Five Women Shaping Travel, Culture, & Design | Women’s History Month Leaders
Five Women Shaping Travel, Culture, & Design | Women’s History Month Leaders
Five Women Shaping Travel, Culture, & Design | Women’s History Month Leaders
Five Women Shaping Travel, Culture, & Design | Women’s History Month Leaders
Women’s History Month invites reflection on the leaders who shape industries with vision and purpose. While International Women’s Day often highlights a single moment in March, the work of many women unfolds quietly over decades. Across travel, culture, fashion, and entrepreneurship, these founders and innovators are building businesses rooted in sustainability, creativity, and human connection.
From Costa Rica’s cloud forests to Miami’s art scene and global travel design, the following five women demonstrate how leadership can transform industries while strengthening communities.
Vera Zeledón
Founder & Executive Advisor, Hotel Belmar (Monteverde, Costa Rica)
More than four decades ago, Vera Zeledón began shaping what sustainable hospitality could look like in Costa Rica. In 1979, she and her husband started building Hotel Belmar in Monteverde’s cloud forest while raising two young children. Resources were limited, but the vision was clear. Hospitality would remain deeply connected to the land, the food system, and the surrounding community.
Over time, that philosophy evolved into a model of regenerative travel. In 2011, Zeledón launched Finca Madre Tierra, recognized as Costa Rica’s first certified carbon-neutral farm. The farm supplies ingredients for the hotel while offering guests a living classroom in regenerative agriculture and humane animal husbandry.
Her commitment also extends to culture. Through Celajes de Mi Tierra, the folkloric dance group she founded, visitors encounter Costa Rican traditions firsthand. At Hotel Belmar, sustainability is visible rather than abstract. Guests experience it through farm-to-table cuisine, forest trails, craft beverages, and educational programs that highlight biodiversity.
Allison Freidin
Co-Founder, Museum of Graffiti (Miami, Florida)
In Miami’s Wynwood district, Allison Freidin has helped transform graffiti from an often misunderstood street practice into a recognized cultural movement. A third-generation Miami native, she co-founded the Museum of Graffiti in 2019, creating the first institution dedicated exclusively to preserving and celebrating the history of graffiti art.
Under her leadership, the museum has become an international platform for the genre. Today it ranks among the Top 26 Museums in America according to U.S. News & World Report. Exhibitions produced by the museum have traveled across the United States and internationally, including presentations in China, Korea, and Europe.
Freidin has also expanded the museum’s reach through initiatives such as The Private Gallery and The Art of Hip Hop. At its core, the institution continues to highlight artists and their influence on contemporary culture.
Community engagement remains central to the museum’s mission. Events such as the annual Women’s Day Bazaar transform the museum courtyard into a marketplace where women artists showcase their work and retain 100 percent of their sales.
Julie Colombino-Billingham
Founder & Creative Director, Deux Mains (Haiti)
Julie Colombino-Billingham founded Deux Mains with a mission rooted in resilience and opportunity. After Haiti’s devastating 2010 earthquake, she shifted her career path to help rebuild livelihoods through craftsmanship and meaningful employment.
Today Deux Mains operates a Fair Trade, solar-powered factory in Haiti where skilled artisans handcraft leather goods from responsibly sourced materials. The brand’s name, meaning “two hands” in French, reflects the idea that each piece carries the story of the artisan who created it.
The company prioritizes safe working conditions, living wages, health insurance, and educational access for employees. Through thoughtful design and traditional craft methods, the brand produces accessories intended to last for years rather than seasons.
Haiti remains the creative inspiration behind every collection. Colombino-Billingham’s journey from humanitarian response to building an ethical fashion brand is also documented in her book From Loss to Legacy, which supports educational programs and job training initiatives in Haiti.
Sofía Mascotena
Founder & CEO, Naya Traveler (Global)
For Sofía Mascotena, travel is about connection rather than checklists. As founder of Naya Traveler, she leads a boutique agency dedicated to designing immersive journeys that prioritize cultural understanding and meaningful encounters.
The company operates with an all-women leadership team spanning sales, operations, and creative. Together they design bespoke itineraries that emphasize safety, context, and authentic local partnerships.
Travelers may explore destinations such as Japan or Morocco through thoughtfully curated solo journeys or small-group experiences focused on culinary traditions, craftsmanship, and wellness. Artisans, chefs, and local guides help visitors understand the deeper cultural narratives of each destination.
Mascotena’s philosophy treats destinations as collaborations rather than commodities. The goal is travel that inspires curiosity while encouraging guests to engage with the communities they visit.
Mara Smith
Founder & CEO, Inspiro Tequila (United States)
Mara Smith’s entrepreneurial journey began as a personal reinvention. After stepping away from her corporate career as an attorney to raise her children, she found herself drawn to the world of tequila and the lack of transparency surrounding many spirits on the market.
That curiosity led to the creation of Inspiro Tequila, a women-owned brand crafted from 100 percent Blue Weber agave. Smith set out to create a cleaner tequila while introducing more female voices into an industry historically dominated by men.
Today women play roles across the company’s leadership and production, including its master distiller in Mexico. Smith has also used the brand as a platform to support and collaborate with women across the hospitality and beverage industries.
Her story reflects a broader theme among many female founders: that entrepreneurship often emerges from curiosity, experience, and the willingness to begin something new later in life.
Looking Beyond Business Success
The stories of these five women span different industries, yet they share a common thread. Each has built something that extends beyond business success. Their work supports artisans, artists, travelers, and communities while redefining leadership in their respective fields.
Women’s History Month offers an opportunity to recognize these contributions. More importantly, it reminds us that innovation and progress often grow from individuals who choose to build with purpose.
