New Kids on the WYCO Block (Part 2)
Last week we introduced you to three of our new WYCO team members. This week we bring you the last of our new squad.
Jarett Nelson, Admissions & Program Lead (Nova)
There are far too many people to meet and places to explore to be in one place for too long. I ran through a gauntlet of 5 different schools in 5 years, which included 2 different study abroad programs because I’ve always had a spirit that kept me on the move.
I have a genuine affinity for people and building relationships, so sales was a natural transition for me once I graduated. Between door to door, software, and medical device sales — I’ve done it all. However, I wasn’t truly convicted in a mission until I found WYCO. I’ve never been more excited to be part of company that helps facilitate personal and professional growth in every corner of the globe. WYCO is pioneering and riding the wave of digital nomadism, and this is just the beginning. My prediction for the future of employment is the interconnectivity of a global workforce, the likes of which the world has never seen.
Jarett’s thoughts on the future of work: With the up-and-coming generations desire to work remotely, and futuristic tech like Augmented Reality, I envision something along the lines of digital team meetings with personal avatars that are indistinguishable from the real thing. This accessibility and ease of collaboration is going to lead to innovations in medicine, technology, infrastructure, energy, and most importantly, acceptance.
Jarett’s travel tip: Whether you use SoundCloud, Spotify, etc — download your playlists when you have WiFi to “Offline” mode so you don’t burn your data
Brian Philips, Lead Developer
Innovative hybrid self-employed professional with over 8 years’ experience in software engineering, data analytics, project management and digital marketing employing cutting-edge technologies to deliver scalable, effective and creative business solutions. I aspire to consistently deliver high-quality, cost-efficient technological solutions for driving business growth through high standards of service, effective project management, strategic planning and strong client relations.
As a graduate of the University of Southern California with a BS in Industrial and Systems Engineering I learnt quantitative and qualitative approaches to optimize processes & systems, how to manage efforts while reducing risk, and how to successfully deliver value to customers. As a self-employed professional of a software development company I was able to apply this knowledge to lead complex software development for a broad range of functions including accident insurance, management systems, CRM, Retail Foreign Exchange and prepaid credit card e-commerce, sales and management systems.
The opportunity to work for WYCO was presented to me by a friend who saw a facebook post about the job opening. After going through the website and learning about the existence of such a cool program I knew I had to be a part of it. Having the opportunity to travel the world with a great group of people and do what I love to do is probably the best thing that could have happened to me.
Brian’s thoughts on the future of work: When thinking about the future of work the first topic that comes to mind is the impact of artificial intelligence, robotics, automation on work and jobs, and whether we’ll have enough work and jobs left after that. Many activities that workers carry out today have the potential to be automated.
A second part of the conversation is around the changing models for work and work structure. This involves questions around independent work, remote work and the gig economy, and what people sometimes refer to as fissured work — whether people work as outsourced services or not.
Brian’s travel tip: Airlines and travel sites can record your visits by installing cookies on your browser, which can cause the prices you’re shown to rise simply because you’ve searched for those flights before. This is to trick you into buying your flights sooner and encourage impulse buying! Avoid it by switching to ‘Private Browsing’ whenever you book flights.
Kahlah Macedo, Admissions, Programming & Program Lead (Polaris)
I grew up on the beach of Southern California and after graduating with a film degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara I moved to New York City, a dream I had since middle school. New York City is one of the best things that ever happened to me. I spent the first few years there simultaneously working on films and waiting tables, mainly because it allowed me the flexibility to travel, something I’ve never been willing to compromise. After spending a significant amount of time in sub-Saharan Africa working with an NGO, I knew that I wanted to pursue an advanced degree that would prepare me to positively and effectively engage with the global community.
In May, 2017 I graduated with a Master of Liberal Arts in International Relations from Harvard University; also one of the best things that ever happened to me. My thesis “Shooting Through the Barrel of a Gun: Using Film to Challenge the Single Story of Africa” is a case-study on an Ethiopian film, Difret, and focuses on the use of cinema to present stories that change the way people see the world. Broadly, it contributes to the dialogue on art’s ability to challenge deeply ingrained stereotypes, misperceptions, and points of reference. While an artistic medium such as film has the innate opportunity to shape ideas and thus the trajectory of human interaction, I believe that global travel is the most profound tool to harness in the attempt to understand the world and our place in it.
Novaturient is an adjective meaning “desiring or seeking change in one’s life, behavior or situation.” I was novaturient for many years. I loved my life in New York and had incredible opportunities presented to, but none that ever felt right. That inkling to make a change was always lingering, tugging me away from the plans I kept trying to make; I knew it wouldn’t go away, so I had to do something about it. I chose to work for WYCO not only to satisfy my personal urge to shift my lifestyle and travel the world, but also to work for a company who’s sole intention is to get others to do the same. Choosing to join WYCO was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever made and one of the best things that has ever happened to me.
It’s exciting to able to help shape and build what this company will become. I hope to be able to contribute to developing WYCO into a sustainable travel company, as global tourism has the profound opportunity to have a positive impact on poverty alleviation, social development, cultural integration and environmental protection.
Kahlah’s thoughts on the future of work: I think over the next 15 years the parameters surrounding how the entire world works will continue to shift. More and more people will no longer be restricted by borders, those physical and otherwise. I foresee the notion that WYCO is founded upon, that traveling the world can be an ongoing and sustainable lifestyle, will continue to permeate the minds of those in the global workforce and more and more people will make the travel-while-working life their own. Once able to live around the world, people will adopt an idea of citizenship that expands beyond their national origin and the gap between us and them, self and other, will be bridge.
Kahlah’s travel tip: My most favorite places have almost never been on my “must go” list. Be willing to go anywhere because it might turn out to be your best place on Earth.
