NomadMania’s Executive Committee continues to evolve, just as our community of passionate travellers does. Three years after its inception, this dedicated team remains the beating heart of NomadMania, guiding our strategic direction, shaping our initiatives, and strengthening our shared mission of celebrating meaningful, responsible, and inclusive travel.
As we thank long-serving members for their invaluable contributions and warmly welcome new faces from around the world, the spirit of NomadMania grows even stronger — diverse, global, and endlessly curious. With 12 extraordinary individuals now spanning continents, generations, and perspectives, our Executive Committee is ready to steer NomadMania into an exciting new chapter.
NomadMania has had an Executive Committee for 3 years. It’s been a truly active committee, meeting at least 4 times a year as a whole, which, among others, formulated our vision and mission; worked on our strategic direction, finance and organisation; honed our strategic approach to verification; developed a number of Sub-committees which are instrumental in the development of NomadMania. Sustainable travel, awards, scholarships, equity, media relations – these have all been part of the work of the Executive Committee.
After 3 years, it is time to make a rolling change of the group as some feel the need to take time on other projects. We use this chance to say both thank you so very much and to bid a warm welcome to new Committee members. The ‘old’ Committee members either continue with us in some roles, or become worthy Alumni who are still and always enthusiastic advocates of the NomadMania community.
Thank you to:
Thomas Buechler, the ‘father’ of verification who will continue heading the Verification Committee of NomadMania.
Ella Gromov, who is now moving back to Germany after an extended stay in Australia and is embarking on a new chapter in her life.
Cameron Mofid, who completed 193 as one of the youngest verified travellers, at the age of 25, and whose commitment to our Scholarship efforts is set to continue in an advisory role.
Slawek Muturi, who has already visited every country twice and is still travelling full time, and who is the one to look up if you wish to become financially free through investments and passive income.
And last but certainly not least, to Anna-Katri Räihä, who became the first Finnish woman to visit 193 during this period and now has an increasingly leading role in inspiring Finnish solo travellers as a professional travel influencer.
We have truly appreciated all and look forward to hearing more about their successes and travel adventures. The first Executive Committee included 11 members from 22-66 years of age across 11 time zones. 6 women and 5 men. Now, we welcome new members who also make us more representative of the NomadMania we are today. They represent an even stronger mix of different nationalities or places of residence and an even broader range of ages, and truly reflect the diversity of NomadMania’s travellers.
Welcome to:
Sue, Eugenio, Adam, Tania, one anonymous member, and to Ed who now officially joins his wife Khadija as a member of the new Executive Committee. Before introducing the new Executive Committee participants, let us remember those who have been with us from the start, and are continuing their tenure. A big thank you to these dedicated NomadManians.
Dondon Bales, who founded the Filipino World Travellers club, and has been especially instrumental in developing both the sustainability and the awards sub-committees.
Lucy Hsu, who made it to 193 in Syria while a member of our Executive Committee and often travels with her daughter nowadays – a true all-rounder, she is about to complete running a marathon in all 50 US States.
Kostiantyn Liorek, also a UN Master, a Ukrainian now living in Poland and travelling full-time who you may meet as well if you are verifying your travels, as he is also part of the Verification Committee.
Khadija Musa, a former UN official of Somali descent and Kenyan heritage, who is now joined by her husband Ed.
Yui Pow Redford, the first Singaporean and first Asian woman who travelled to every country, and now a mother of three in London.
Mette Ehlers Mikkelsen :As for myself, remaining as chair of the Executive Committee, my aim is to bring this together and create real results for our NomadMania community of travellers. I too managed to reach 193 by doing so in North Korea at their marathon while continuing to travel intensely with my three children who are now young adults. With this peaceful transition, we are now balanced with 6 women and 6 men, 19-72 years old, who represent even broader cultures, languages and national backgrounds.
The Executive Committee is currently working on a very significant geographical project – soon to be concluded and communicated to you all – while aiming to continue its work across a number of directions that are crucial for the development of NomadMania as a recognisable brand with unique aims and qualities, reflecting the strength of its international, diverse, travel-loving community.
Meet our newest team members!
“Although I grew up in a bilingual city in the US, I could previously hardly introduce myself in the city’s second language, Spanish. However, after struggling and experimenting, I learned what worked for me – speaking every day – and have had the great opportunity to work in 5 different foreign languages and live in 6 countries. I currently live in Ukraine, by choice, where Ukrainian is my main language day to day. I am a Reconstruction Project Coordinator in Mykolaiv. Learning languages and meaningful travel revolutionized my life, and I want to help others to have the same opportunity, traveling not just to see the sights, but to learn about others’ experiences and become more complete and aware individuals.”
“I am half Spanish, half Russian, but was born in Asia and grew up around the world since my father was a diplomat. I have spent more than half of my life in China, growing up there at key periods of my life. I currently reside in Shanghai, where I work for a Spanish company. I have two small boys aged 2 and 4. While travelling less than before, I still attempt some unusual itineraries to explore new NomadMania regions, often with my family.”
“I’m from Denver, Colorado and while in high school and college at the University of Colorado travelled through the 48 contiguous U.S. states, mainly by hitchhiking. However, when I graduated with my BA in Political Science, I had only been in three countries (U.S., Canada and Mexico). I then moved to New York City to attend the MBA program at Columbia University. There was no international travel for those two years but I immersed myself in the incredible outpouring of music and arts in NYC. After graduation, I worked for international financial services firms and began traveling the world through work and vacations, starting with the Caribbean, Central America and Europe. It took me over a decade to make it to Asia, to Vietnam in 1990 where I could only get the visa in Bangkok. Every year our family (my wife Khadija Musa and daughters Halimo and Ayan) would take family trips in the U.S. and sometimes abroad such as two weeks in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon in 2009. I quit work in 2016 and after renovating a brownstone in Harlem, Khadija and I started traveling the world in earnest. I’m up to 156 countries and hope to visit all of them by 2030. I could do it more quickly but we spend a week or two in each in order to take a deep dive into each county’s culture, history and government. I’m also a published photographer and my latest book is “Station to Station – Exploring the New York City Subways” with photos from a decade where I rode every line from end to end. I write about my travels and showcase my photography on here.”
“I am mainly a solo traveller, with an education and management background, and the first British born woman to achieve 193. I spent most of my working life planning strategy and goals and measuring achievement. I also spent a lot of time training teachers, governors and school leaders, working in Qatar, Nepal. Philippines, Kuwait and Ghana.I love maps, travel planning and geopolitics, and am intellectually very curious and interested about encouraging further community events, travel material and NomadMania Series corrections.I am one of the travellers in our community who has visited many regions, going to some of the really remote destinations and islands. I try to be as knowledgeable about my destination as possible and have it as my mission in life to help and encourage others to get to travel more. My personal website and Instagram , Instagram2 encourage people to travel solo.”
“My name is Tania Timoianu, I was born in 2005 and raised in Bucharest, Romania. I have been travelling since I was 1 and visited 120 UN countries by the age of 19. I was lucky to backpack in Norway from South to North at 7, hike one week in the Himalayas and paraglide at 9, cross the Gobi desert at 10, walk the Inca Trail for 5 days at 11, camp in the Chobe National Park at 14. While I travel as much as I can, I also study Japanese and Russian at the university full-time. I currently speak five languages and I plan to learn as many as I possibly can. I believe that this passion is proof that love for travelling is always present in whatever I do. While at home, I enjoy reading fiction, cooking and preparing future trips.”
Anonymous
This male NomadManian under the age of 45 wishes to remain anonymous while being an active Executive Committee member. He originates from the Western Asia Megaregion, giving a voice to a growing travel demographic.
As we welcome our new Executive Committee members, we look ahead with optimism and purpose. Each brings unique perspectives, talents, and experiences that will help us serve our users — the heart of NomadMania — even better. With renewed energy and vision, we remain committed to enhancing your experience, creating more opportunities for connection, and celebrating travel that is meaningful, inclusive, and inspiring. Together, we look forward to new initiatives, deeper engagement, and unforgettable journeys as we enter this exciting new chapter of NomadMania.
