Marinel de Jesus is a social entrepreneur and former human rights lawyer who advocates for justice in the mountain-trekking industry.

Nearly a decade ago, she left the courtroom to imagine what it would take to travel through the lens of equity and dignity.

In 2024, Marinel spent over 100 days walking the Great Himalaya Trail with Mingmar Dolma Sherpa, the first Nepali woman to guide 100 days on the commercial sections of this legendary trail.

Marinel’s documentary, KM 82: The Porter Voices of Peru’s Camino Inca, tells the story of the Indigenous Quechua porters on the Inca Trail through their own voices.

Marinel, the porters, and her team received many threats for telling this story.

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Thanks to our Founding Members:

RISE Travel Institute, a nonprofit with a mission to create a more just and equitable world through travel education
Radostina Boseva, a film wedding photographer with an editorial flair based in San Francisco

What you’ll learn in this episode:

The dark side of tourism no one talks about
Marinel’s origins as a Filipina and an immigrant to the U.S.
The status of porters and other "invisible people" in the travel service industry
Advocating for women and Indigenous communities in mountain tourism
Trekking in Peru, Nepal, and Mongolia

Featured on the show:

Follow Marinel on Instagram: @browngaltrekker
Connect with Marinel on LinkedIn
Learn more about Marinel's work on her site
Check out Porter Voice Collective
Follow The Porter Voice Collective on Instagram
Join Marinel's Equity Global Treks
Check out Khusvegi Nomadic Camp in Mongolia

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Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more.

Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

Fighting for Porter Equity on the Trail with Former Lawyer Marinel de Jesus