Stephanie Jones
Stephanie M. Jones, MBA As CEO of Disrupt for Change, I lead a social inclusion-driven consulting, research, and education enterprise with a singular mission: to disrupt the global travel and tourism industry through equity alignment and social sustainability.
Disrupt for Change supports destination management organizations (DMOs), tourism boards, hospitality brands, government agencies, and global tourism stakeholders that are ready to align their destination management and local engagement goals with equity-based outcomes. We sit at the intersection of ESG, CSR, supplier diversity, and destination stewardship—bridging the gap between social sustainability and community impact.
We challenge destinations and brands to rethink how power, access, and opportunity are distributed in tourism—and provide tools and resources to redesign their systems with equity as a foundational principle, not an afterthought.
As the Founder of the Diversity Tourism Academy—a first-of-its-kind, equity-centered learning platform, we offer culturally relevant training for underrepresented tourism and hospitality SMEs, cultural museums, aspiring entrepreneurs, and students. We help them become tourism market-ready through industry-specific education and resources.
My work spans consulting, curriculum design, training, and public speaking. I’ve partnered with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Visit Miami, and EducationDynamics and other brands to train, educate, and equip underrepresented SMEs with real-world, practical tools and resources to become better positioned for business growth.
I host The Necessary Disruptor Podcast and author an eBook series on tourism marketing, social sustainability, equity alignment, and addressing overtourism and safety in destinations.
As a keynote speaker presenting on global stages to university classrooms, I’ve shared my voice and perspective for brands including: IPW, South African Tourism’s Travel Indaba, Colombia-USA Tourism Forum, Belize Tourism Board, Black Travel Expo, CruiseWorld, Florida International University, and several others. I served two terms on the U.S. Travel & Tourism Advisory Board, and advisory boards for Northstar Travel Group, Hurtigruten, Newsweek, and others.
Industry recognitions include:
🏆 2024 Most Influential Women in Travel – TravelPulse
🏆 2024 JourneyWoman Bessie Lifetime Achievement Award
🏆 2022 Global Vision Award – Travel + Leisure
🏆 2021 UNWTO Global Social Entrepreneurship Finalist
Tourism must serve people—not just profits. We CAN build a more equitable industry, together.
Learn more at:
www.diversitytourismacademy.com
