Meet the team!
We are excited to introduce the team bringing you SaND Travel. When Michael first dreamed of building this travel organization having his daughters be part of it was a no-brainer. With shared experience in travel, entrepreneurship, international business, marketing, and program development - this family is excited to welcome you!
Michael Betting
cofounder
At age 28 Mike wanted to learn outside of his comfort zone. An invite to visit an Eastern suburb of Mexico City gave him the chance to do so. Inspired by time spent living in Mexico, Michael chose to foster connections cross-culturally in his life and in his work.
Together with local young adults he created a process and movement called Dialogo Sur Norte. The Dialogo mission builds bridges between cultures and countries. His experience grew as he continued taking groups to experience other cultures and bringing groups to learn about life where he has lived in the north. Michael has created programming through travel that brings together people among various cultures, where travel and hosting builds understanding, wonder and inspiration for our world.
A desire to share this process is part of the inspiration for SaND Travel. Seeing the conversations, relationships and inspiration that results from the process is the other part of the inspiration. Mix these two parts and you have travel that makes a difference. SaND Travel.
Julissa Fuentes-Roberts
cofounder
Cross-culture curiosity and exploration has been an ongoing theme in Julissa's life from the beginning. It started right away with a dad from North America and a mom from South America. Between language, travel, and family traditions on both sides of the family, Julissa has always felt special for having a mixed background. Her own personal journey of self-identity has helped inform her ability to recognize just how vast culture can be on so many levels and yet the beauty is in the similarities and curiosity that brings people together.
Beyond personal history, Julissa spent a summer studying at La Universidad de París and the Sorbonne in France right out of highschool and then a year at La Universidad Del Pacífico un Lima Perú during college. She graduated with a degree in International business and has since used her talents in positions with companies where she worked directly with partners and clients across Europe and Central and South America. She then transitioned to real estate where she has focused and specialized on working with Spanish speaking clients.
Annette Betting-Fuentes
cofounder
Being raised in a multi-cultural home Annette’s passion for meaningful travel comes as no surprise. As a little girl she was able to visit France, Spain, and Peru and drove across the country to Florida, Colorado and Wyoming. These trips opened her eyes to a world that was unfamiliar and exciting. She would watch documentaries about different countries searching for a glimpse into the lives people lead around the world.
She got to experience it as a senior in high school when she spent a semester in Tandil, Argentina. She saw how differently schools were operated, how family dynamics varied and how much she took for granted.
Over spring breaks in college Annette participated in volunteer trips through a non-profit called Student Today Leaders Forever (STLF). Though service was the activity, building relationships was the inspiration. She took a break from these trips her senior year in order to fulfill her study abroad requirement at the Carlson School of Management. Taking an entrepreneurship class traveling to Cuba re-kindled that childlike curiosity and desire to foster meaningful travel experiences for others.