Today we’d like to introduce you to Amara Brown.
Hi Amara, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
In April 2021, I took a solo birthday trip to Antigua. I needed to get out of the US after 2020. I was scared to even travel because of the pandemic but that trip changed my life forever. The people in Antigua were amazing to me.
I returned back to Antigua in July 2021 for a 30-day trip which turned into a 5-month stay. I realized that living in Brooklyn and in the United States was not my ministry anymore. I decided to get rid of my stuff in my Brooklyn apartment, put my stuff in storage, and tried another island, Aruba. I have totally fallen in love with Aruba, both literally and figuratively. Now, I have now been here for 11 months and started a business.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It has absolutely NOT been a smooth road. Entrepreneurship is one of the hardest things I’ve done and I’ve done hard things. I have an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering. I was one of 4 Black women in my entire graduating class of engineering students in 2008. I taught high school mathematics in a low-income school for 4 years. I have coached math teachers in New York City’s Department of Education. I lived in Brooklyn for 8 years. I understand hard. I thrive in hard spaces because I work extremely hard as a person.
However, entrepreneurship is on another level. You are believing in something you can’t see in real life but you can feel it in your gut. You know this is the path. It makes no sense to anyone else but you and you alone. You have to keep pushing not only effort and hard work but the mindset you can do it.
The biggest struggle for me is the financial piece. As much as I try sometimes the financial part is just not there. Let’s be honest, resources aren’t always given to the people trying to do good work and that’s the hardest for me. It’s given to the privileged. I know if I looked different or didn’t advocate for marginalized groups the way I do, resources may come easier in our unjust and inequitable world. I have gone into massive debt because I’m a believer and dreamer. I’ve thrown everything into this dream with no backup plan in terms of a rich parent or stable job or even a spouse. It’s just me doing this alone. Yes, I have support and I’m grateful for it.
However, it’s very hard for others to see what I see and feel for my future. I made mistakes…lots of mistakes in the process and it’s public. Because I can’t be a successful business owner without having a public image. Trying to forgive myself for those mistakes is also extremely hard. But if I dwell, I can’t move forward. I keep putting one foot in from of the other and listening to my intuition.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
My organization is named KINNECTING. The mission of my organization is to bring equity to the travel industry by building a culturally conscious ecosystem of travel that supports Black and Brown locally-owned businesses in our destinations. Our first destination is Aruba with the goal to expand to other Caribbean countries.
The Caribbean tourism industry has been demanded by this all-inclusive resort experience which does not highlight the authentic local culture or support small businesses. My business wants to disrupt that narrative. Caribbean culture is more than “mudslides, piña coladas, and beautiful beaches.” I’m currently enrolled at the University of Aruba’s Master of Business Administration. During my studies, I’m learning tourism management lacks diversity. Most tourism leaders are white males and may not be from the island they are working. Therefore, the local culture is not valued and highlighted to the tourists. My goal is to connect tourists to the authentic culture so that when they say “I love Aruba” they actually know what Aruban culture is.
Our services range from do-it-yourself travel guides to fully curated travel experiences.
Our DIY travel guides or KINnected Guides are for travelers who are explorers or planners. They want recommendations and to know where to find all the local hot spots. But they love the exploration aspect of traveling. Our guides include a video guide, a recommendations list, and a travel itinerary. In addition, I offer 1:1 video calls with me to talk through your vacation if you are a verbal processor like myself.
Our KINnected curated travel experiences are for travelers who want ease in planning their vacations. These travelers have a vision and they know what their likes/dislikes but they have zero desire to execute it all. They want someone else to do the execution, pay vendors, contact vendors, etc. Our clients fill out an inquiry form about their travel experience. We send them our full directory of local business partners such as private caters, massage therapists, cultural tour guides, etc. They shop for their vacation experience. Once they have created their own experience, they submit payment and my organization does the rest. Our travel curations are for types of travel groups: couples, friend getaways, retreats, school trips, family vacations even solo travelers- we can do it all. Our local business partners are 100% Black and Brown. This ensures that people are getting an Aruban experience not just a Westernized tourism experience. My goal is to expand into other Caribbean islands such as Antigua, Bahamas, etc. The focus will be on islands that have large all-inclusive experiences that cloud the local experience. I want the Caribbean culture to be highlighted in a real way.
Our services range from do-it-yourself travel guides to day tours to fully curated travel experiences.
We have our Kinnected Guides for travelers who are explorers or planners. They want recommendations and to know where to find all the local hot spots. But they love the exploration aspect of traveling.
Our Kinnected Curations are for travelers who want ease in planning their vacations. These travelers have a vision and they know what their likes/dislikes but they have zero desire to execute it all. They want someone else to do the execution, pay vendors, contact vendors, etc.
Our Kinnected Experiences are for the traveler who wants to do literally nothing but enjoy what I have to show them. We are offering day tours and 5 day, 4 night experience. All can be adjusted to the traveler’s vacation dates.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Mentorship is something I find happens organically. The thing is seeing the opportunity and following up. If there’s someone who is giving you sound and helpful advice lean into that. We have a tendency to feel we are asking for too much or being annoying. Asking someone for help is the most courageous thing you can do. We all need help. We didn’t get into this world without help – our mommas brought us all here. The idea you don’t need help or shouldn’t ask for it needs to be debunked.
Networking is key to all of our success; however, find spaces that make sense for you. Don’t network in spaces that don’t feel good. Where is a space or community you light up? Where can you be your full self and be welcomed? That’s where you network because networking is highlighting yourself and you can’t do that in spaces you don’t feel your best.
Pricing:
- Location video guides start at $19
- Local Recommendation List and Travel Itinerary start at $24
- 1:1 video calls start at $99
- KINnected experiences start at $1995
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kinnecting.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kinnecting.co/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KINNECTING.CO/
- Other: Join our newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/joinkinnecting
Image Credits
Picture 1 – Amara Picture 2 – Capree, Jacobe, Miss Cynthia, and Amara Picture 3 – Capree, Jabobe, Vanessa and Xenia Picture 4 – Kim, Kamini and Amara Picture 5 – René, Amara, Sade and Axel Picture 6 – Amara
