Empowering Entrepreneurs: Interview With Urth Expedition's Founder Gabriele Brown

Gabriele Brown is the founder of Urth Expedition Limited. She serves as East Africa Travel Coordinator. For Whole Planet Foundation’s 2022 annual benefit and auction, the Party With a Purpose, she donated auction items to help raise funds and awareness for low-income entrepreneurs working hard to escape poverty. For the next annual benefit and auction on October 25, 2023, Gabriele and Urth Expeditions are donating a trek for two of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Here’s why Tanzania and empowering entrepreneurs is important to Gabriele Brown.

What is Urth Expeditions?

Urth Expedition specializes in customized wildlife safaris and mountain trekking in East Africa. Most of our trips support local social enterprises and impact-minded ventures. We offer unparalleled personal experiences tailored to your unique tastes and desires. We work with the highest-rated guides in the safari industry, professional and enthusiastic individuals who work tirelessly to facilitate a once-in-a-lifetime adventure for our guests. We continuously explore Africa's hidden gems, nurturing our network of industry-leading suppliers who provide elegance in the most remote and extraordinary locations.

What was the inspiration to launch Urth Safari?

I had a love and inexplicable connection for Africa long before I first set foot on the continent, but after my first visit to Tanzania, there was no turning back. Even as a little girl, I always had this longing to go and live there. I fell deeply and utterly in love with the country and its people and decided to follow my passion. In 2012 after the passing of my late husband Kenton, I quit my finance job of 35 years and headed to Africa to honor his last wish to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and leave his ashes on the summit. After that, there was no turning back, and Urth Expedition was born.

What’s the greatest business lesson you’ve learned from supporting non-profits?

Nonprofits are master storytellers. They tell their story of what they do and why they do it is the reason for the nonprofit’s existence, and it’s through that story they raise awareness and attract supporters, resources, and institutional backing. In that sense, it’s the nonprofit equivalent of an investor and sales pitch in one. A business looking to make an impact should command just as much attention because the story is how you generate public interest and support for your efforts. At Urth Expedition, we believe that travel can be the catalyst to inspire us, touch our souls, and make us feel truly connected and alive. The tourism industry in Tanzania is a huge contributor to the overall economy and the prosperity of local economies scattered throughout the country. However, tourism also leaves a large footprint on the environment. As tour operators, it’s our responsibility to offer safaris and experiences that are responsible and respect local cultures and communities. It is essential to conserve their cultural heritage and authentic values and contribute to an intercultural understanding. At the same time, we must protect natural assets and wildlife to support a viable natural environment and conserve its heritage and biodiversity. Everything I learned I learned because people were willing to teach me. We have an obligation to pass on what we know works. And to be open to new ways of looking at the work. A nonprofit’s mission and vision give people a reason to participate and a reason to believe––that’s deeper and longer-lived than any specific offering. Leaders like Simon Sinek (author of Start with Why) argue that making money results from a byproduct, not a core purpose. Leading companies exist for a bigger and more compelling “why,” and they ensure that the world sees and understands that core purpose.

What are Urth Safari’s core values and how do they come to life?

At Urth Expedition, our values are reflected in the way we do business. Our travelers tell us what they want and what they need, and we listen. Then we deliver it. We communicate openly and honestly, ensuring that travelers’ expectations are met. Urth Expedition is locally owned (Tanzania), and every cent that is spent on your tour goes back into improving the local economy and, in turn, creating more opportunities for industry growth and development and, in turn, more jobs available in the market. Other core values are excellent customer service, innovation, flexibility, accessibility, and eco-tourism.

To what do you attribute your success to date and what are your dreams for the next 3-5 years?

Vetting and aligning yourself with a top tour guide is one of the successes...Learn your business culture. Generally speaking, business in Tanzania is traditional and male-dominated. Networking is essential to any business's success. Early on, I established relationships with local operators and got to know associates personally, which is very important to doing business in Tanzania. It is rare to get straight down to business when first meeting. It is customary to begin a business meeting with small talks, such as family and sports being a good starting point. Our goal is not to become so big; we lose sight of why we are here. We want to impact as many people as possible by providing memorable experiences for our clients and, at the same time giving success to the local people.

What advice do each of you have for aspiring entrepreneurs and auctioneers like yourself?

Don't give up, don't take anything personally, and don't take no for an answer; you never know what you're going to learn along the way.

Why do you support Whole Planet Foundation?

It is congruent with my philosophy! May years ago, I read Muhammad Yunus' book Creating a World Without Poverty. The fact that the Whole Planet Foundation's mission is built around that makes this a natural segue for me. (I also work with an organization in Tanzania called "Give a Heart to Africa," a grassroots, hands-on, volunteer-run, and supported organization with a core focus on empowering women by providing free education in business, vocations, math, and English).

Learn more at Urth Expedition and wholeplanetfoundation.org.