About Us
Origin of the idea
In 2005 & 2006, the founders of StayNomad traveled for 5 months by bicycle through Switzerland, Germany and The Netherlands.
The purpose of this journey, also known as the “equicycle” project, was to:
1. Conduct a study on cycle tourism in Switzerland, Germany and The Netherlands for the tourism department of UQAM University in Montreal, Canada.
2. Support the not-for-profit organization Equiterre. Equiterre is a organization that empowers citizens to make environmentally and socially responsible choices. Support came through contributions by 14 sponsors and private donations.
3. Answer to the Canadian government’s challenge to reduce ones personal, annual energy consumption by one ton per person.
4. have a lot of FUN while traveling and working, meeting people from other cultures and sharing experiences with friends, family and other adventurous people.
During a five months period, we interacted with the local population and found free accommodation with them. In total, over 30 people welcomed us into their homes - offering us food, lodging, or sometimes just a friendly conversation. This authentic sampling of local culture left a huge impression on us.
Once back in Montreal, we were invited to present our equicycle project at many conferences. Loads of questions were asked by eager conference participants on how to go about contacting the local population, how to approach sponsors, how to prepare for such a trip and so on...
The equicycle experience kindled the idea of the StayNomad community that could answer such questions and provide resources for travelers looking for unique and enriching travel experiences off the beaten track and even in their own homes. The inspiration for StayNomad is based in a cycle tourism experience, but the StayNomad.com website is for all travelers. StayNomad.com is for people who want to travel with purpose, who are open-minded, who travel responsibly, who want to explore new cultures and people and who would like to get sponsored to travel!
Mission
StayNomad is committed to making traveling more accessible through sponsorships, facilitating the contact between travelers and local people, promoting responsible tourism and emphasizing the importance of sharing cultural experiences with other travelers, friends, family and the global community.
StayNomad
The StayNomad community is build of people who love to travel, interested in meeting local people from any culture worldwide. They find inspiration as they go and record their experiences to share with other travelers, friends, family and our global community.
StayNomad members can make their travel dreams come true. Connecting with travelers and local people worldwide, getting sponsored to travel and sharing cultural experiences with other travelers, friends and the global StayNomad community.
Contact between travelers and the local population
All members of StayNomad, both travelers and locals, have a personal profile on StayNomad.com which enables you to establish contact with other members.
Find out who lives, or is visiting, where you plan to go next and get in touch. Share travel tips online, connect in real life over a drink or a meal, visit that museum or event together, share a car ride, receive a traveler in your own home or even find a place to stay for free with another member of the StayNomad community.
You decide what you feel comfortable with. Possibilities are endless, but all have the same goal: to forge a connection between travelers and local people and create authentic travel experiences.
Sponsorship opportunities
Preparing a trip has never been so easy! The StayNomad Get Sponsored section helps you find sponsorship, equipment and travel opportunities, for free! It allows StayNomad Sponsors to show their involvement in the StayNomad community by responding to your travel needs.
Travel story sharing
Traveling and local members of StayNomad share their travel experiences online with other members of the StayNomad community. A hotspot of inspiration, the travel story section provides you with multimedia travel logs in several languages. For any traveler or local, this is the ideal spot to discover new destinations, learn about different ways of traveling, get to know other members and their cultures and start dreaming of your future getaways!
The Team
Amélie Racine, President, co-founder
Amélie has been involved in the tourism industry for over 10 years, particularly from a practical and analytical perspective. She believes that the power of new technologies and the interest in sustainable tourism are revolutionizing the tourism industry for the 21st century. Through her journeys, she has discovered and continues to discover extraordinary places and people who inspire her. Building StayNomad is one of the most wonderful challenges that Amélie has ever taken on.
Mark Schanzleh, VP market development, co-founder
Mark is passionate about people and their cultures. According to Mark, every (human) being is unique and worth meeting. His numerous travels have not only allowed him to interact with amazing people, but have also helped him push the envelope of his own limits. Founding StayNomad allows him to realize more dreams: building an innovative community and remaining nomadic at the same time.
Jonathan Bélisle, Director of User Experience
Jonathan is excited to see how the World Wide Web can guide people to more efficiently fill their lives with strong, meaningful stories that lead to passionate and healthy actions. He’s been awaiting the return of the Nomadic Culture through the smart use of the Internet as a natural movement of cultural forces in the human world and the human mind. Jonathan promotes the use of Ludo-Educative Storytelling, Serious Social Games and Open Source Movements emerging across the planet.
