There is no place where poverty has to exist best sums up Leila Janahs world view.
As founder and CEO of Samasource a non-profit microwork organization which connects people in developing countries with companies that require small computer-based jobs performed as well as Samahope, which uses crowd sourcing to fund surgeries for women and children in poor countries, Janah logs a lot of miles.
The Harvard grad and social business entrepreneur, who previously worked at the World Bank and as a management consultant, likes to travel light. Unless shes carrying medical supplies or other important cargo, Janah never even checks a bag. Its a trick she learned as a student, writing for the Lets Go travel guides, in Brazil, Borneo, the Philippines, Mozambique and Malawi.
The tech-savvy 30-year-old, who sits on a number of boards, also recently partnered with Canadian bootmaker Sorel for its Get Your Boots Dirty campaign featuring women entrepreneurs.
We caught up with the Buffalo native at her home in San Francisco.
Q: Youve been to over 80 countries; have you estimated how far youve travelled over the years?
A: Well over a million miles, I would say, (but) I tend to go, go, go and not take stock.
Q: Do you have a favourite place to visit? Is there one thats stood out?
A: Just one? There are so many I love Haiti: Port-au-Prince. Its an incredible city and people are scared to go there or think its really poor; it is quite poor but it is an incredibly rich city culturally.
You have the old French Colonial architecture and a lot of Latin influences from the Dominican Republic, which shares the island with Haiti. And the people there have been through so much; theres resilience and this sense of faith that permeates the culture there that I find really interesting.
More: