Recognized Eco-Lodge Leaders 2025

Maurice Smith, CTIE, is a hospitality strategist, luxury travel expert, regenerative tourism advocate, and founder of Eugene Toriko, a luxury travel agency built around purposeful, responsible, and highly personalized travel experiences. His work sits at the intersection of elevated guest experience, sustainability, cultural storytelling, and place-based hospitality. Through Eugene Toriko, Maurice has focused on boutique hotels, culturally rooted itineraries, sustainability-minded partners, and experiences that connect travelers more thoughtfully to people, place, and environment. Maurice was recognized on the Travel + Leisure A-List in 2022 and 2023 and has been featured by Robb Report among top Black travel specialists. His expertise has been sought by publications including Bloomberg, The Washington Post, USA Today, Business Insider, and Money.com, where he has contributed perspective on travel trends, destination value, and evolving traveler expectations. His industry recognition includes a 2023 Gold Magellan Award for Eugene Toriko’s giving-back initiative, a 2024 Silver Magellan Award for ATL & Co On the Go with Eugene Toriko, and recognition from TravelAge West for marketing efforts connected to the same media platform. Maurice was also selected for Tripadvisor’s RECO program and is a signatory of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism. Today, Maurice’s work spans hospitality strategy, media, public speaking, regenerative tourism, environmental stewardship, and the future of more intentional guest experiences. He is also connected to Amka Terra, a stewardship, ecological learning, and regenerative tourism platform focused on environmental education, biodiversity, youth learning, community partnership, and place-based restoration.

I am a freelance syndicated travel writer with bylines in Fortune Magazine, Euronews, Yahoo, Fox, MSN, NBC, The Indiana Gazette, The San Francisco Examiner, Star Local Media, The Daily Gazette and more. I am also the founder and editor-in-chief at Eco Lodges Anywhere, featured in Forbes. All articles are available on Muckrack: https://muckrack.com/emese-maczko or on https://ecolodgesanywhere.com/category/news/

Shellie Pomeroy is the founder and creative director of Silk & Willow, a globally recognized textile brand celebrated for its trendsetting, naturally dyed products and dedication to sustainability. As an expert natural dyer, color trendsetter, and tablescape stylist, Shellie draws her inspiration directly from the quiet beauty of the natural world. Her philosophy celebrates the harmony of colors found in nature, which she translates into exquisite silk ribbons and textiles. This process is thoughtfully detailed in her authored book, "Natural Tables," published by Chronicle Books. Shellie spends her days tending to her gardens and walking the land, gathering inspiration that she transforms into designs for events ranging from intimate gatherings to high-end luxury and celebrity celebrations. With a deep respect for historical methods and the earth, Shellie’s work is a reminder that true luxury is found in meaningful, handcrafted details. She consults as an expert on silk textiles, color theory, and table styling, sharing her unique vision for creating cherished moments infused with nature's beauty.

I'm Natalya Bondole, Founder & CEO of LOOMLAN, published author, and entrepreneur who has built a premium furniture brand at the intersection of conscious design, American craftsmanship, and accessible luxury. My book, "The Triangle of Prosperity: Entrepreneurs' Blueprint to Success" (available at Barnes & Noble), distills the frameworks behind the world's most iconic business builders — from Elon Musk's vision to Jeff Bezos's execution — into a practical roadmap for entrepreneurs ready to build not just a profitable business, but a lasting legacy. It is the same philosophy I have applied to building LOOMLAN from the ground up. LOOMLAN's foundation is interior design, conscious consumerism, and American manufacturing. LOOMLAN carries 50+ premium brands, ships 90% of inventory from US soil, and runs an industry-leading trade program that interior designers, hospitality buyers, and design-forward homeowners rely on nationwide. I've been featured on Fox Business, ABC15, Atlanta Post News, DC Chronicle News, Seattle Independent News, and The Los Angeles Tribune — covering the American-made furniture movement, minimalist design philosophy, eco-friendly manufacturing, and the future of home furnishings. I speak from the front lines of the furniture industry and the entrepreneurial trenches — not from a think tank. I can give your readers a grounded, specific, and quotable perspective on: why American-made furniture is having a moment, how interior designers are navigating quality vs. cost in 2026, what conscious design actually looks like in practice, the three pillars every entrepreneur needs to scale a product-based business, and how small brands are outcompeting big-box retailers on craftsmanship and service. If you're writing about home design, sustainable living, entrepreneurship, retail innovation, or the future of the furniture industry — I'm the source who has lived it, built it, written the book on it, and can make your story better.

Formerly a business owner in the fashion industry, I have redirected my career to catalyzing positive environmental change. As an Environmental Scientist and Project Manager I am hands on deploying ehnanced phytoremediation systems on contaminated and degraded sites throughout California. As an International Keynote Speaker, I am passionate about raising awareness and inspiring action on pressing environmental issues. Additionally, as a Native Plant Workshop Educator, I empower individuals to connect with their local ecosystems and promote biodiversity starting with their own backyard and communities. Join me in the environmental revolution, and together, we can make a lasting impact on our planet. Let's connect and collaborate for a greener, more sustainable future.

I’m a content strategist and editor focused on building trustworthy, eco-conscious consumer guidance. I manage Earthava, a platform focused on providing trustworthy, practical product reviews and sustainability information. I specialize in translating complex research into clear writing, balancing SEO with authenticity, and creating content that feels like advice from a knowledgeable friend. My approach prioritizes credibility, long-term brand value, and helping people make confident decisions.

Brittany Shepard is the creator of The Sentimental Decorator, a home and lifestyle brand built on the philosophy that your home is not a project to perfect. It's a living story to tend. She specializes in heirloom and vintage decorating, sentimental style, seasonal home styling, intentional entertaining, and the everyday rituals that turn a house into a sanctuary. Through her writing, teaching, and community (The Storykeepers Circle), Brittany helps women move away from the pressure of a perfect home and toward the peace of a deeply personal one. She is currently at work creating "Legacy, Not Clutter: The 30-Day Heirloom Edit," a course helping women navigate inherited items after loss with meaning-first methods and ritual-based closure. Her expertise spans home decor, heirloom styling, intentional living, seasonal decorating, tablescaping, and helping women process life transitions through the lens of home. You can find her work at www.thesentimentaldecorator.com and on her Instagram @brittanyshepard.

Thomas Lu is a systems thinker, entrepreneur, the author of The Personal Sustainability Handbook and the founder of The Sustainabilitist (sustainabilitist.com), a project dedicated to sustainabilize the many different facets of human activities. A musician, polyglot, theorist and troubleshooter by hobby, his need for sustainability has led him to a general philosophy for tackling human challenges.

With a background spanning environmental design, spatial planning, and communications, Sandra brings a multidisciplinary lens to her work. She holds a Master of Design degree in Sustainable Environments from Northeastern University, where she was awarded the John D. O’Bryant African American Institute’s Martin Luther King Jr. Fellowship for excellence in leadership and service. She is also currently pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Business Administration at Northeastern and previously earned her B.A. in Public Relations and Strategic Communication from American University. Sandra’s professional journey reflects her enduring commitment to sustainability and community-centered design. She is currently active in two roles: She is the Founder and Principal at Ecothesí, a boutique, planet-first interior decorating and decor making studio that marries eco-consciousness and sophisticated aesthetics. She also serves as a Research Associate with Envision Resilience, a climate-responsive nonprofit organization reimagining coastal landscapes. Previously, she supported the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ net-zero building goals under the urban planning division of the Healey-Driscoll Administration and worked with the Town of Acton, MA to advance Electrification for All, a grant-funded initiative promoting equitable access to clean energy in multi-family housing. Her creative and professional work has earned her widespread recognition. Sandra’s climate-resilient proposal for New Bedford’s Achushnet Avenue was exhibited at the New Bedford Art Museum in 2024 and she is an alumna of the collaborative Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center and Wells Fargo’s Milestone Makers Program, which supports women founders leading purpose-driven businesses. She also served as an advisory board member for Northeastern University’s School of Architecture, supporting the curation of its design studio culture, and as a contributing writer for the American Society of Home Inspectors, where she authored several articles about residential maintenance and homeowner education. Furthermore, as a Black woman and first-generation American, Sandra embodies the intersection of design, justice, and lived experience—offering rare insight into how the built environment reflects and shapes our collective humanity.

I am Jake Woods, a Florida-based Lighting and Interior Designer dedicated to creating spaces that unite functionality with aesthetic balance. I work with Residence Supply, where I focus on crafting customized interiors and lighting solutions that transform residential spaces with elegance and atmosphere.

Our mission is to offer practical, user-friendly, and aesthetically appealing alternatives to single-use plastics. We are committed to making sustainable choices accessible and appealing to a broader audience. As the CEO, my primary responsibility is spearheading the company's eco-market expansion. Since its inception in 2018, I have successfully guided the business from a mere concept to a global eco-brand. Today, we proudly offer an extensive range of over 100 eco-friendly products and have garnered a customer base exceeding 200,000 individuals worldwide.

Brittany Rediger is the founder and principal designer of Rediger Design, a Portland-based residential studio known for layered, story-driven interiors grounded in honest materials. Drawing on a background in fine arts and photography, she approaches design through composition, light, and careful editing. Brittany has been quoted in Forbes, Homes & Gardens and The Spruce, offering expert insight on space planning, material selection, color, styling and creating homes that feel collected rather than decorated.

Emily Dailey is the Founder & CEO of PenDailey Consulting, a boutique firm specializing in branding, marketing, and commercial strategy for hospitality, tourism, and wellness businesses. With a background rooted in hotel operations and commercial strategy dating back two decades, Emily brings expertise in both the creative and analytical sides of marketing and brand development. She has led teams through great change and approaches leadership through the lens of leading the whole person, not just the professional. She cultivates retreats for professional women in wellness, hospitality, and entrepreneurship. Emily serves on the board of Accelerate Women Leaders in Travel and is a member of Female Founders in Hospitality and Women's Travel Freelance Network. In addition to her consulting work, Emily owns Green Thread Circle, a wellness practice focused on education, ceremony, and connection. Her certifications include Sustainable Tourism (Global Sustainable Tourism Council) and Certified Hospitality Digital Marketer (Hotel Sales & Marketing Association International). She also holds a B.S. in Business Administration and is a registered yoga teacher (RYT 500).

Vrnda Dalal is the Co-founder of Nomadory, a B2B company that brings transparency and traceability to the forefront of product sourcing. Nomadory specializes in lowering the barrier that smaller designers, architecture and design companies face when discovering and expanding their product lines from small scale artisanal suppliers from India. Prior to Nomadory, Vrnda successfully ran her independent consulting firm, Edifi, where she created sourcing strategies for mission driven home & fashion brands. During her time at Restoration Hardware she led key responsible sourcing (ESG), social compliance & product safety initiatives. Early on in her career, Vrnda made a life changing career decision and moved from Los Angeles to Bangalore, India where she combined her skills in international trade and supply chain to bring products made by women artisans to the international market. She forged retail partnerships with such brands as IKEA & Homegoods/ TJ Maxx increasing exports from 0 to 35% of the total annual revenue. She came to understand that building a resilient supply chain didn't have to come at the expense of negatively impacting people and the environment.

I am a travel journalist with bylines in New York Times, The Guardian, BBC Travel, CN Travel and more. I run the anti-overtourism travel blog Shortcuts and Sidequests, dedicated to sustainable adventures. If you are writing about sustainable travel, eco-tourism, or solo female adventures, please get in touch, I will be happy to answer your questions.

Passionate about beautiful, functional, unique, and sustainable architecture and design across hotels & restaurants. Writer profile: https://muckrack.com/erika-m-thomas Speaker: GMBHA Digital Marketing Panel 2018, Nightclub & Bar Marketing Industry Report 2019 Awards: Social Media Post of the Year, 2018, Swire Hotels Trophee Argent - "Simple Tips for Green Living" interactive video module. Creative Director, Deauville Green Awards Contributing writer: Miami Design District, Miami New Times, Design Storytellers Member: Association of Climate Change Officers, Clean Creatives, Florida Public Relations Association

Hi, I’m Sanjay Nair—wildlife photographer, conservation storyteller, and co-founder of Safari Lab, a boutique travel company curating immersive wildlife experiences across India and Africa. Over the past 15+ years, I’ve tracked tigers in the Terai, followed the Great Migration across the Mara, and documented stories of coexistence in remote forest corridors. My work has been recognized with the Nature in Focus award and published in global outlets like The Times & The Guardian. I use my lens not just to capture wildlife, but to tell deeper stories about conservation, climate, and community impact. I often collaborate with journalists, filmmakers, and researchers on topics ranging from eco-tourism and biodiversity to visual storytelling and sustainable travel. If you’re looking for insight, expert commentary, or just a conversation about what’s really happening in our wild spaces—I’d be glad to connect.

Sustainability and ESG consultant for businesses of all sizes in all industries. I have been managing sustainability for organizations for twelve years and launched a sustainability consulting firm in 2017. Sustainability consulting services focus on developing corporate sustainability strategies/plans, producing sustainability/ESG reports in line with GRI, SASB and TCFD, conducting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventories, setting GHG reduction targets and guiding clients in sustainability certifications such as TRUE Zero Waste, B Corp, LEED and CarbonNeutral.

Tim Kroeger is a luxury wellness travel specialist, endurance athlete, and the creator of The Restorative Index (tim-kroeger.com/the-restorative-index/), a 100-point scoring framework that evaluates whether luxury wellness hotels genuinely restore guests — or quietly drain them. It is the only performance-based, repeatable hotel evaluation system that scores across six weighted pillars: Sleep Architecture, Environmental Calm, Nutritional Impact, Spa & Recovery, Movement, and Frictionless Operations. Tim is the official brand ambassador for Healthi Life (healthi-life.com), a longevity clinic in Bangkok, where he documents a long-term longevity journey with real clinical data. He competes in HYROX, marathons, gravel cycling, trail races, and obstacle races around the world, and recovers at the luxury wellness hotels he evaluates. That cycle of training, racing, and restoring is the foundation of his expertise. He is also the founder of Universal Traveller (universal-traveller.com) and the inventor of Luxury Bikepacking (universal-traveller.com/luxury-bikepacking-definition/), a concept that combines long-distance endurance cycling with luxury hotels, fine dining, and premium recovery, rather than camping and minimalism. His documented journeys include a 1,600km ride across Thailand and an 8,000km route through Southeast Asia. Tim holds a Bachelor's degree in International Tourism Management from NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, with study campuses in Bali and Bangkok. From 2014 to 2020, he worked as a Flight Attendant for Lufthansa German Airlines, completing the Lufthansa Aviation Training service programme, an experience that sharpened his understanding of premium hospitality standards and genuine service excellence. After 15+ years of full-time travel across 112+ countries and 230+ personally tested hotel nights, Tim now reviews luxury wellness hotels, spas, and thermal retreats on tim-kroeger.com. His work includes the Beyond the Spa expert interview series and global wellness industry roundups. His expertise has been featured in Asian Spectator, The Times (Australia), Stuff (New Zealand), aeroTELEGRAPH, 20 Minuten, German regional press, & broadcast media, including a live TV interview with Ticker TV. Full media coverage: tim-kroeger.com/newsroom/ Tim is based in Bangkok and writes on luxury hospitality, wellness travel, endurance sport and recovery, longevity science, and the intersection of performance and travel.

I’m the founder of Limitless Morocco Tours and a Morocco travel expert with hands-on experience designing private tours, desert adventures, and cultural journeys across Morocco. I specialize in helping travelers experience authentic Morocco through customized itineraries, local guides, and immersive desert experiences in places like Marrakech and Merzouga. I regularly share expert insights on Morocco travel, safety, itineraries, and best practices for first-time visitors.